I Feel Like I Committed a Crime When I Had to Leave the Country With Unpaid Debts

Question:

Dear Jon,

I am an Indian who lived in UK for close to 6 years. I was a student initially and then worked on a post study work visa for 2 years after that I got Tier 2 general work permit till SEPTEMBER 2019.

I have lived my life in UK, with dignity and respect in all these years. In Dec 2017, I had to return back to India as my Care Home who sponsored me got their licence cancelled and Immigration cancelled my visa being having right to stay till SEP 2019.

I had to leave my job as well as unpaid debt in UK. UK govt. disturbed my whole life and career as it was not my fault at all if my sponsor got his licence cancelled because of their bad acts. Even I had to borrow loan just because I had to pay £12000 just for getting this work permit from them.

Since last six month I was paying my instalments on regular basis as I was expecting my sponsor will re-sponsor me as he promised to do but as they got permission now they again refused to sponsor me.

Now, I am really in bad situation. Since I have been back home, My unpaid debts have started disturbing me and depressing me, making me guilty conscious of committing a crime.

I owe GBP 5000 to a Bank Loan Nationwide and GBP 700 to credit card and also one phone contract as I was planned to finish everything by September 2019 till my last work permit period.

How can I arrange a settlement so that I can pay them a negotiable amount every month. I fear calling them, thinking that I might get a bad news from there end. Can I write to them about this and try and sort this matter?

Please assist me as I have never done anything wrong and would not like to live with this guilt forever. (P.S- I have just started working in India and my salary is at the very basic rate of about Rs 20,000 equivalent to GBP 250)

what should be the monthly amount I should pay to the Bank and others?

Can I write to them about this and try and sort this matter?

Will they help me with my situation?

Anna,

I understand your situation, and it is sad that so much of our lives depends on immigration and Visa’s and changes the government’s make when we go to another country to study, work and live.

Naturally, when we go to live in another country we may take out a loan, credit card, phone contracts, etc, and live our lives just as anyone would there. Then to have to move, in your situation due to your sponsor losing their status, is an upheaval in our lives.

Owing money is stressful, however, you can contact those that you owe here in the UK, explain your situation, and you may be surprised at how sympathetic they can be.

You can set-up token payments of what you can afford, and your creditors should freeze the accounts to any new charges and interest.

If you are looking to settle the accounts, as they fall further in arrears, or are in default status, your creditors will be more likely to entertain the idea of a settlement, settling the balances for less than what is owed. However, you will need the money available to settle the accounts.

Speak to those you owe, and let me know what they say by posting an update in the comments section below, and we can move forward with this.

Regards,

Jon

Answer:

Dear

Sincerely,


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