Ppi bill

[sharonb]

Hi my dad suffers with dementia and has had ppl team contact him and got him to sign forms to go ahead with ppi. He does not read his mail and now had dept collectors demanding over £2500. I have been in contact with them and sent a medical certificate showing he has dementia, he wouldn't have known what he was signing and we are upset that he has this bill I really don't know what to do about it. I can't afford to pay it. Dad says pay them ten pounds a month , surely once proved he has this aweful disease they would be more considerate I just don't know what our options are I can't afford legal advice something should be done to prevent our loved ones having to go through this. Because they are not fully aware what they are doing.

 

[Izzy]

Have you had a reply from the company? I think you need to make sure they understand that you are not responsible for your father's debts. You can't be expected to pay them. O you have Power of Attorney for your father? The company may not discuss this with you if you don't.

Perhaps it might be helpful to talk this through with your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

 

[sharonb]

Dads ppi

I've rang the actual ppi company and the manager is going to call me back. I'm looking into getting power of attorney but I'm unsure of how I go about it ,

 

[Izzy]

There are two fact sheets here which you might find useful. I live in Scotland so my experience might be different. I'm sure others will share their thoughts with you.

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/services_info.php?serviceID=51

 

[nitram]

"I'm looking into getting power of attorney but I'm unsure of how I go about it"

>>>THIS<<< shows you how to set about getting your dad to grant an LPA. The online application is easy with excellent guidance.

Before you study this too much you have to decide whether or not your dad has sufficient capacity to fully understand what he is doing and all the implications of granting an LPA.

If he lacks capacity the only route for full control is a court of protection deputeeship which is far more complicated. If it is only money from the DWP that is involved there is also a DWP appointee which is simple and free.

 

[little shettie]

Sharon, firstly please do not hand over a penny to these debt collectors! If it was a ppi claim, why does your dad have to pay anything? I had a similar thing with my dad and when he died they bombarded mum who has AZ with letters and calls. I wrote them an absolute stinking letter telling them in no uncertain terms they would not receive a penny and I would be putting it in the hands of my solicitor if they carried. They did not! Call their bluff. At the end of the day, if dad has dementia they do not have a leg to stand on. Secondly regarding Power of Attorney, you need to see a solicitor for that. Does dad still have capacity? If so then you should be able to get POA but the solicitor will need to speak to your dad to ensure he understand what POA means. Again we had similar issue with mum as we never got around to sorting out POA whilst dad was alive and so the solicitor said if she was happy mum still understand then we could go ahead with the poa. Thank goodness it was all ok and we were granted the POA which cost us £800. We got both financial and health and welfare and I would urge you to do the same as it has been a godsend! Just 2 months later, mum was deemed to no longer have capacity and so we were able to then implement the POA and take control on her behalf. Hope you get sorted. Stay in touch and let us know how you get on xx

 

[Kevinl]

Hi Sharon, welcome to TP
Don't even think about paying the bill, it was agreed to by someone who lacks capacity.
Many of these companies prey on the elderly so I'd ask them if they want the publicity taking the facts to BBC's Watchdog or one of the newspapers money writers.
Whatever you do get it in writing, anything said on the phone can later be denied make them write or e-mail you'll be surprised how reluctant some companies are willing to do this it's easier to bully you on the phone.
K

 

[Witzend]

I don't understand either how this 'debt' came about. I know someone who made a successful PPI claim and as far as I know it should be a 'no win no fee' matter - if it's successful the company who makes the claim for you will take their cut before paying out to you.

I hope it will not be the case, but please do not let anyone bully or intimidate you over the phone. I would point out very firmly that it must have been quite clear that your dad was not quite right, and that therefore it was quite unethical for them to persuade him into this.

 

[Beate]

It is not mandatory to consult a solicitor for POA. If you feel better doing so, that's your call, but you can fill in the forms easily enough yourself, and the certificate provider can be an old friend or neighbour. We completed both POAs for the grand total of £110, as OH was eligible for fee reduction.

 

[canary]

I think you might have to be careful about the POA.
If you are claiming that he has the capacity to sign a POA form, then it could be argued that he had the capacity to sign the PPI forms.......

 

[Flake]

I dont understand how a debt can arise when a company are looking into any possible PPI insurance. As Witzend has already said these companies work on a no win no fee basis. You can get advice from your local Citizen Advice Bureau. Write to them and ask for a copy of the original paperwork signed by your Dad and also ask how the amount of £2500 has come about, and state that you are currently taking legal advice. Under no circumstances may them anything. Dont be bullied. These companies are nasty and unscrupulous and something should be done to stop them and the distress they cause.

As for Power of Attorney you can do this yourself as long as your Dad has capacity to understand what he is signing. What Canary has said is right though and it could be seen that if capacity is there to sign a POA then it could be said that capacity is there to sign PPI paperwork. Just make sure everything you state is accurate as mistakes cannot be changed once the form is submitted. Good luck with this and lt us know how things go. xxx

 

[Kevinl]

I dont understand how a debt can arise when a company are looking into any possible PPI insurance. As Witzend has already said these companies work on a no win no fee basis.

Many PPI recovery firms do work on a no win no fee but not all, there a quite a few that do have a fee if the claim is unsuccessful or if it successful but their cut is under a minimum amount.
This company obviously do feel they have a claim against Sharon's dad so there must be a reason, who knows what it says in the small print of the less than scrupulous contract.
K

 

[Kitten71]

Have you done a Google search of the PPI company? If they are an unscrupulous company, there may be others who have fallen victim to 'owing' money and you may find advice of what to do next from them. Please don't pay anything, it's not your debt and very likely, it's not your fathers either. You may be entitled to half an hour of free time with a solicitor through your local council too, if you explain its on behalf of an elderly person (I'm assuming your dad is elderly here, so I'm sorry if he isn't). They would be able to look over the documents your dad signed and tell you if they are legally binding. Often these things aren't and as far as I'm aware, the PPI company wouldn't be able to appoint debt collectors or bailiffs because they have to prove there is a debt to be recovered and the only debts that can be collected in this way are things like unpaid council tax, fines etc. the internet is your friend here. By the way, did your dad ever take out any PPI in the first place? That might be a good place to start. Best of luck and please don't worry about it too much. A letter threatening legal action got some similar toe rags off my dad's back, so that might work too