Credit rating

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pixiewithdocs
Getting settled in
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Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:55 am

Credit rating

Post by pixiewithdocs »

Hi spraxy friends

I had reason to reflect on dyspraxia and poor credit ratings the other day. I'd had my car insurance cancelled as I forgot to switch the payments over to my new bank account and missed the emails... A familiar tale I'm sure!

I wondered if anyone else feels like they have a poor credit rating due to disorganisation caused by being dyspraxic and generally finding this whole paperwork/online invoicing/'unexploded inbox of doom' /late payments/lost phone so didn't get the reminder nightmare really difficult?

Further thoughts ran to wondering if there might be any way to lobby that us dyspraxics might be given some kind of handicap like in golf for our credit rating or a way of getting rid of a **** credit rating that's due only really to a hidden disability?

Any positive ideas or naysaying very welcome.

I'm not hugely optimistic just curious mainly.

X
Aorta/tattoo the artery/with acute artistry
Tom fod
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Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: SW UK

Re: Credit rating

Post by Tom fod »

Hi

I think it's fair to say people with dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions are possibly more vulnerable to this sort of mishap. Hope it wasn't through being stopped by the police that you learned about your insurance having been cancelled? In some instances it can lead to your vehicle being seized and sold or crushed as well as fines and points on your licence. However, I'd hope such penalties would only be levied in extremis cases of wilful neglect. The very fear of such penalties can be a reminder enough to check and double check, especially if you've fallen foul before. Technology can mean that crucial email can end up in junk. I lost out by missing an email and the chance to claim a prize I won back in the summer. I discovered the email a month later.

Modern society and attitudes to and pressures from financial institutions offering people easy credit and their not understanding that it's not free money can and do entrap a lot of people. If something goes wrong (lose job, split from partner, landlord wants rented property back or any other number of nightmare scenarios), you can really find yourself in the poo, with creditors sending demanding letters, followed by people knocking on your door looking to evict you or take stuff away to recoup debts. I think the important message is to have a system or someone who can remind you and if things start looking worrying to seek help and don't hope it will just all go away.

Assuming you're in the UK, you can request to see your credit record and ask for comments to be added as correction/mitigation. Would an insurer be less inclined to take you on as a customer if they believed you might mess up and fail to pay? Does Dyspraxia, ADHD or any other condition absolve us of responsibility. We don't have to declare our condition on insurance forms, if we did, is there a risk they'd try to find us a way to not give us as favourable terms? This would be unlawful; The Equality Act 2010 says someone should not be treated less favourably for reasons of disability. I still think it would be difficult for an insurer to argue that it would be reasonable to charge a dyspraxic more because they might be more of an insurance risk and more liable to claim on their insurance policy.
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
pixiewithdocs
Getting settled in
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:55 am

Re: Credit rating

Post by pixiewithdocs »

Just going through some old posts to find time management stuff and saw this! Tom, ironically the police pulled me over about 18 months after this as my tax hadn't been being paid, and genuinely the DVLA never sent me the mandatory notification of 6-month direct debit ending - car almost impounded!

But on the flipside happy to report with tools you mentioned credit score is now very happy. Hope is out there!

However I do also still think we should have some form of hidden disability un-taxability. For example I messed up my year of self-employment tax and nobody noticed until the pandemic when HMRC were...hem...desparate for funds...hem hem... and I got a notification and a 1, a 3 and a 6 month penalty simultaneously. Had to push back at that and fight it but it was removed in the end. Ditto went over Dartfod Crossing mistakenly and forgot to send payment until the next day, which was never registered and spent 8 months pushing back at court fines and CCJs. It's just when you're in the midst of chaos and not on top of things this impacts wellbeing so so much, particularly for those without a great support network or financial cushion or other needs going on. The flipside is I guess we get really really good at filling out forms and arguing on the phone :evilb:
Aorta/tattoo the artery/with acute artistry
Tom fod
Administrator
Posts: 2946
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: SW UK

Re: Credit rating

Post by Tom fod »

I suspect HMRC might be a bit worried that certain people might falsely claim they're affected when they're not and due to the difficulties of getting confirmation that one is affected, those that really need such a break might not actually be able to prove they're eligible.

Even though I don't drive myself, where I live the managing agent of the block I live in engaged a v dodgy private parking firm who were slapping PCNs on my brother's car while it was legitimately parked in my private bay. That caused me an unneccessary amount of stress at the time and I've not forgotten even though that was six years ago. I also learned that my corrupt Lib Dem Councillor is in the pocket of this parking firm. I eventually coerced my managing agent to step in and sort it out but they're equally as inept.
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
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