New here and in need of help!

[kalijack]

Hello

I found this forum whilst looking for info on something else, but I see you have a section on Alliance & Leicester.

I have a current account with them. Every time they pay a direct debit and it makes my account go over my overdraft limit (even if its only by a few pennies) they charge me £25, which makes me go even further overdrawn. They then charge me £5 for every day my account is overdrawn, until I can pay some money back in. As I am on incapacity benefit, this is making things really tight for me, and sometimes have to live on just toast.

Is there any way I can stop them from charging me? I have heard a bit about people claiming back bank charges, but I thought that was stopped now.

Please help, I am desperate. I'm also being chased by a debt collection agency, I wrote about that on another thread

[maroondevo52]

Hello and Welcome, kalijack.

You can still re-claim the charges, have a look at this 'link'..........

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk...tructions.html

Claims are being 'stayed' by the courts at the moment, but it's best to get your claim started.

Regards.

Scott.

[kalijack]

Thank you! I will get on to this straight away!

[postggj]

If The Money Going Into Your Account Is From The Goverment
Thats Any Sort Of Benefit

Banks Are Not Allowed To Touch It, Period

I Know There Are Some Threads On This Matter But As Not My Area, Have Not Booke Marked Them

If Any Body Can Help Out This Cagger On The Relevent Threads As She Can Use The Letters To Get All Her/his Money Back

[kalijack]

Originally Posted by postggj

If The Money Going Into Your Account Is From The Goverment
Thats Any Sort Of Benefit

Banks Are Not Allowed To Touch It, Period

I Know There Are Some Threads On This Matter But As Not My Area, Have Not Booke Marked Them

If Any Body Can Help Out This Cagger On The Relevent Threads As She Can Use The Letters To Get All Her/his Money Back

Yes all I have going in is Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance. I've been told that I shouldn't include DLA when writing to my creditors though. Oh and I'm female BTW

Sometimes I've had friends and family bail me out so that I don't incur further charges though. Not sure how this is accounted for.

[toasted]

Hi Kalijack,
I would advise you to cancel all your direct debits to stop you going overdrawn and pay your bills another way. The Citizens advice bureau are excellent at helping with debt and will write to companies on your behalf. Good luck

[postggj]

to begin with i would open up a parachute account
try the co op

have all your benefit paid into that to stop a&l getting there mitts on it

[kalijack]

Originally Posted by postggj

to begin with i would open up a parachute account
try the co op

have all your benefit paid into that to stop a&l getting there mitts on it

Good idea, I will get on to that straight away.

How long do banks usually take to reply to the request for info letter?

[postggj]

a Subject access request, the creditor has up to 40 days to comply

[kalijack]

I am really upset.

I got my bank statement today and they are charging me £80 this month for going overdrawn. The reason I went overdrawn in the first place was because they charged me last month. I feel as this is getting out of control.

I've already opened a new basic account and getting my benefits paid into it, and they are in the process of transferring all my direct debits.

They still haven't replied to my request for info.

[charleyfarley]

Originally Posted by toasted

Hi Kalijack,
I would advise you to cancel all your direct debits to stop you going overdrawn and pay your bills another way. The Citizens advice bureau are excellent at helping with debt and will write to companies on your behalf. Good luck

kalijack,

this is excellent advice, keep your dd's to the bare minimum, and away from your parachute account. Get your benefits paid into the parachute account and then you can manage your money better. It means transferring money across from one a/c to the other regularly, but it puts you back in control of your money

[kalijack]

Update on my situation. A&L have still not replied, and have, in fact, applied further charges, which has made me even more overdrawn, to the extent that I cannot afford to bring my account back into my credit limit. They are also charging me £5 per day for each day that this situation continues, which means that my debt is going to get bigger and bigger, and even now is practically unmanageble

I have opened a basic account elsewhere, and cancelled all my DDs with A&L.

Is there any way for them to freeze the ongoing daily charges, until this situation gets resolved?

Should I come to some agreement about bringing my account back into credit? Or should I go ahead and reclaim my charges, if and when they actually supply me with the info I requested?

Thanks to everyone who has helped me so far.

[**Tilly**]

Hi kalijack

It is best if you keep your posts to the one thread, that way they can't get lost
If you don't recieve your statements and data by the 40 days send the non compliance.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.c o.uk...n-act-non.html

[maroondevo52]

Two threads merged

[**Tilly**]

Ta

[kalijack]

Thanks, sorry bout that.

[postggj]

as not to hijack this thread
does anybody know the legality of these so called SERVICE CHARGES

can they be reclaimed just like the penalty charges in the past

keep it brief please

[kalijack]

I got the ball rolling, got all the info I needed from A&L and sent them the 14 day letter requesting that they pay back the charges. I've received a lengthy reply from them today saying they are not going to do anything until the test case is resolved, and if I do put in a court claim for the fees, they are going to apply to the court for a stay. What should I do now?

[hilaryfrances]

hello Kalijack I am so sorry for the position the bank leaves you in every month, pople who have not been in this situation do not understand how it snowballs and you get left in a right mess. As far as I know the banks are not allowed to take charges from benefits. I should contact the CAB if I were you as suggested.