Thank you bank

Some good news. Earlier today I had received a text message from the bank asking me to call them. This always fills me with a sense of dread, makes me feel ill and is normally to do with the fact that I owe them so much money. I did call them when I returned home from my support group meeting. It was, as I suspected, to do with the mortgage as the arrangement we have for the mortgage is about to run out. I wrote a while back that we had asked the CAB to intervene and send a letter on our behalf pleading for them to see sense and extend the arrangement until the end of February next year, when the rate changes significantly. This will mean us paying half the contracted amount, though we will just be paying the interest. It will though help enormously.
When I spoke with them, they did acknowledge that they had received the letter and after a brief chat with their manager, it was agreed that my account would be given the category of 'sensitive' and that we could continue paying the reduced amount.
It is difficult to convey the relief I now feel. This had been worrying me significantly and the fact that I can now spend Christmas not fretting over the mortgage is fantastic. It should be noted that my wife is equally relieved as me, particularly as she has to live with me and my fluctuating moods.
So thank you Halifax. It's a shame it had to take a letter from the Citizen's Advice Bureau and this long to sort out. It could have saved me a lot of unnecessary stress and anguish. But it's done now.
For others out there in a similar dilemma and unable to meet their mortgage payments, don't despair. You are not alone, there is always room for negotiation and if you need help, contact your local CAB. They are brilliant.

The CAB

It's comforting to know that when life throws up problems, there are people out there to help. I'm referring of course to the Citizen's Advice Bureau. I am in a good position to praise them - I've called upon their help, more than once in fact and I was there earlier today with my wife. We needed help with a debt plan. Of course, it isn't a completely stress free experience. You have to lay yourself bare and be honest about everything. Your income and outgoings are scrutinised so there can be no hiding anything. But it's all worth it. They are helpful, they listen, they are sympathetic and they do not judge. They see thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty, many worse than us. We were told this, of a client who has a mortage three times the size of ours. Ours is £111,000... Of course it's not over, it won't be for a long time. We have a lot to pay back but we have to justify what we can afford to pay our creditors and that's the purpose of the CAB in helping to draft a new financial statement.
So, to anyone out there needing help, I say turn to your local CAB. You're not alone and they really help.