Harry's Story
Harry’s Story (CAP Debt Centre Client)
“The day I received the phone call confirming I was debt free was a day I never thought would happen. And it was one of the greatest days of my life.
My names Harry* and it’s now been 13 years since I got myself into debt. Almost £20,000 of it. Debt is like depression, it weighs on you. It taunts and taints your mind. It makes you think you’re useless, pathetic and weak. Plus it makes you embarrassed to even mention it to anyone. I stare in the mirror and in my head I’m yelling “How could you let this happen!“, “What were you thinking?”, “You’re pathetic”. To be honest, I wasn’t thinking. I was spending, mostly robbing Peter to pay Paul. It was a cycle that had gotten out of control. No, it had gotten out of control 10 years ago, now it was steamrolling, over the edge, falling down a chasm, my life is over, out of control.
In the end I buried it and walked away, hoping it would disappear all by itself. But after every house move in just a few months they’d find me again and the letters would just keep coming. 13 years of worry and regret hanging over my head like a flashing neon sign that screamed “I’M IN DEBT”, “I’M A LOSER”. Something had to be done.
I was introduced to Mags through my church. We met up over a coffee and she explained what she did. At first I thought it was a long shot and I would have to file for bankruptcy and I was scared to bare all of my debts and the sheer time and effort it would take was daunting. But after a second visit with Mags her words stirred something inside me and I agreed that it was time to get my stuff together and put this part of my life behind me...whatever the cost.
““Mags and her team never gave up on me. They kept supporting me and pushing me on. Reminding me and offering help and support. I couldn’t of done it without them. ””
So I filled out all the forms and took all the phone calls. I attended the meet ups and things were going well. But then my circumstances changed and I had to basically start again. Redo the forms and take more phone calls. Find old paper work and then a few months later my circumstances changed a 3rd time. When I say circumstances, I mean my income changed so the expenditure forms had to be redone. It was getting frustrating, 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. It was taking ages and I was getting tired of it.
But Mags and her team never gave up on me. They kept supporting me and pushing me on. Reminding me and offering help and support. I couldn’t of done it without them.
Well I’d say almost a year had passed before I finally got the call that my debt relief order had been accepted. I’d be debt free in three weeks.
What!? Really? It’s over? I’d finally done it? (well ‘we’d’ finally done it). The CAP team were amazing, they’d really done all the hard work. Come to think of it, when I look back and I think about how I was so worried and how stressed I was, I realised it wasn’t really that bad after all, I worried myself silly over nothing. Yes all the effort was sometimes annoying and a nuisance, but in the grand scheme of things it was nothing compared to the outcome. I was finally debt free, I didn’t owe a single penny to anyone. When I finished that phone call I fell back onto my bed, my arms outstretched and I wept. I wept as the weight of £20,000 worth of debt drifted off into the sky. I felt as light as air and a huge smile spread across my face. I jumped up and ran into the bathroom to look in the mirror. I was smiling that much I looked like I’d slept with a hanger inside in my mouth. I texted my mum and family right away and told them the good news. They were so proud and happy for me. And you know what ? I was happy for me too.
Two weeks after I was debt free my monthly Experian report came in my inbox. I dreaded to open it as it had been declining for years and was sitting at around 110.....that’s out of 999 by the way. And I figured with this debt relief order I’d be sitting at less than 100 now. Anyway I took a deep breath and opened the email...it was 402! It had jumped up 292 points.
Now, with my debt relief order I can’t have credit for 12 months, which is fine (I hadn’t credit for 12 years so one more year isn’t going to bother me), but it also means in a couple of years I’ll be back up to where buying a house will be an option again for me.
If there’s one thing I would say to anyone going through debt is don’t give up, trust in CAP and just do what they ask. They know what they are doing and they are doing it all for you, for free!!
Mags wasn’t just my key worker who helped me, she was my support, my listening ear and now my friend. Thank you Mags, for all that you do and thank you CAP.
MY NAME’S HARRY* AND I AM DEBT FREE!”
*Names changed for privacy.
If you need help or support with debt, or managing your finances, our CAP Debt Centre can help. Click below to find out more.
