There was a time, not so long ago, when ordinary working (or unemployed) people didn't need a bank account. If you are less than 40 years old you won't remember it.
Your wages were paid usually every friday in cash in a brown paper envelope, with a wage slip and tax and national insurance deducted.

Your government loves the banks so much that now everyone is forced to have a bank account, wether you want one or not. And as the banks are a pointless industry that dosn't even believe in it's own viability, the government has to underwrite it, with it's own credibility. Dose the government have any credibility. Yes because there's nothing else.

We have no belief in ourselves as independent self reliant human beings.

You can actually optout of having a bank account for benefits (unfortunately not for a job, unless it's cash-in-hand). You need to request that you are put on the "Exceptions Service".

The DWP have introduced the 'Exceptions Service' where people who cannot use one of the new post office accounts will get giro cheques instead. (This does not apply to Tax Credits). From October 2004 cheques can be cashed at a post office for those people who 'qualify' under this Exceptions Service. People will have to ask the DWP to be considered for girocheque payments under the Exceptions Service. The sort of claimants that the DWP think will qualify are, for example, those who:

- Need different agents/carers to collect their benefit
- Have problems remembering and using a PIN number
- Are not able to use a cashpoint machine or cheque book to access their money.


In the past I've just put on the form that I won't be opening a bank account and that I want putting on the exceptions service (which they deny knowledge of at first) due to problems remembering numbers. Your advisor will then hassle you about it every so often - just tell them you won't be opening a bank account - they often threaten that your giros will stop if you don't, but they can't do that.

this is bothering me since the credit agency is bothering me, it is student tuitition loans and maintenance loans, are they affected by bad credit?

also if i have two bank accounts with roughly 300 pounds of debt on each of them just because i went overdrawn 2 quid before and the penalties rose for long time, they are natwest and lloyds, they threw credit agencies on me and those are asking me to pay since april 2008 , are they 100 % going to take the case to courts?

1. You can't be denied a student loan for having a bad credit record. It's money borrowed off the government, essentially, and the government has more ways to trace your whereabouts (if you claim benefits, work and pay tax, get a fine, you'll leave an electronic record trail that government departments can access) if you don't pay, so it isn't concerned about your credit record.

2. Not all creditors bother to go to court. Some will just sell on your debt to another debt collection company to cut their losses. But even if they do go to court, all that happens is the court makes an order agreeing that somebody owes them money. That's basically all a county court judgment is. They would have to go back to court to apply for a means to enforce payment. If they don't know where you work, or if you work, or whether you have any assets or savings, they won't know whether it's worthwhile getting a freezing order for your bank account or an attachment of earnings order for example. If you spread your money around two or more bank accounts, it will be safer. The creditor is unlikely to be able to trace them all. If it's a basic bank account from which you've never had an overdraft or loan, it won't show on your credit reference records.

Most private companies who want to enforce a judgment will use bailiffs. Bailiffs have very limited powers and are not that hard to frustrate. You can simply bar them from entering your home. They can't break in. Check who's at the door before you open it or make sure you block the doorway with your body. If they put a foot in the door, that's forcible entry. You're allowed to use 'reasonable force' to repel them. Slamming the door on their intruding foot is 'reasonable force'.

It's also legal to hide anything you want to make sure they can't take, somewhere away from your home (but not in the garden shed, they are allowed to break into those). Bailiffs can also only take goods that belong to you, not somebody else. So if you are able to show receipts for things like electrical goods and jewellry and 'non-essential' expensive stuff in your home in some-one else's name to show they're not your property, the bailiffs can't take them. They can't take goods being bought on HP either because they still belong to the company.

County court judgements only stay on your credit reference record for 6 years, so in that sense they're a temporary problem.

I have spent six years doing money advice, so I have a pretty good idea how people can handle debts and creditors.

Thankyou so much for posting this! I have had charges because of a DD (my mortgage) bouncing and am on working tax credit. I will be using this info to get my money back and am very grateful to you for posting it.
Anyone interested in ways to fight back at this corrupt system should take a look at TPUC.org for more helpful advice.

"Most private companies who want to enforce a judgment will use bailiffs. Bailiffs have very limited powers and are not that hard to frustrate. You can simply bar them from entering your home. They can't break in. Check who's at the door before you open it or make sure you block the doorway with your body. If they put a foot in the door, that's forcible entry. You're allowed to use 'reasonable force' to repel them. Slamming the door on their intruding foot is 'reasonable force'."

You haven't met many bailiffs have you!

If a bailiff knocks at your door assume it to be a rapist or a murderer.

Wowwwawiwa!!! Thank you Annie for so great answer, I really appreciate this, long live in happiness Annie!!