I guess the title sums it up.

Last Sunday had a stroke. very high bp 288/186. Result = Left side weakness and disconnected feeling.

Still....didn't come here for sympathy. Because of my changed situation I'm fixing to return to Blighty. Shooting for Feb or March 2014 if i make it that long.

This gives me time to finish off all those projects and fix up my vehicles for sale...arrange for an Auction House to sell everything .

Unfortunately, now I'm not working.....making money....I will not be able to service my credit card/s or the purchase I made last year.

Total indebtedness is $6000.00 or so, plus anything the ER throws my way for last Sunday.

I'm 67 y/o male. Auto Tech. Semi retired before this . SS and UK pension just around $1000.00 a month.

What would you do about these debts.....?
Can't service them on today's income. Needed a minimum of $1600.00 to keep up when I was working. Rent/Phone/ADSL/Utilities/Personal Property Tax/Food/Gas etc.

I'm already living as cheap as I can..... getting cabin fever this week !

Would like any input or experiences of similar. Amazing how the fabric of life can be ripped apart so dramatically.


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I know you don't want sympathy but sorry to hear what you have been going thru. Okay. Why do you have to wait until 2014? If in UK you would get the healthcare and not be charged arm and leg. So you get SS now? If so if I am right creditors can't garnish your SS earnings. I might be wrong. My brother was on social security disability before he died 3 weeks ago. SSD cannot be garnished that I know. He battled cancer for 4 years. We get bills still after his death for $30K was one I got 2 weeks ago. There is nowt we can or could do about it. He worked for 30 years in US never used any benefits of any kind. His own insurance was rubbish and they dumped him asap. I hate to say this but you should consider not paying the bills. What are they going to do? you don't appear to have much. If you decide to stay can you get a roommate until you decide to leave. Just ideas and probably all rubbish..I just googled it your SS can't be garnished except by govt for like back child support payments for example. All the best..

You are getting so little from SS and OAP combined I don't see how you can stay till 2014. Do you have family to move home to? I'd sell up the cars and bits of stuff and go home.
Sorry about your stroke

Write to them and tell them you cannot pay. Come back to the UK. You will get by.

Thank you all for your concerns.

UK sends me $665.00. SS sends me $493.00 after taking out $120.00 for Part B.
I can just about work for 3 to 4 hours a day. I ran an auto shop as a one man operation. I am assuming that I'll have somewhere around $45,000.00 by this time next year, if everything goes to plan.

Health problem is my major reason I'm going back. I had my home nearly paid for but Her Indoors took it after spending nearly $150,000 over 7 years on crap. ...and left me with lawyers bills....thanks to the American courts.

Me bitter ?...Hell yes !

My plans are to finish off several jobs already booked in totalling $15,000.00
and then complete the projects and 'toys'.

I need the time to do all this as it's going to be slow going. All I need is around $600.00 a month earning which should be do-able.

Like the guy said to his friend... "Sorry to hear your place burnt down"
The other said... '' Shhhhhh....tomorrow, tomorrow !"


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I checked current UK pension....107gbp and change a week x 4 = 428gbp or
$676.00. a month. Plus my US SS pension doesn't appear to be much but there's housing and and council tax benefits to apply for.

Up around Blackpool are 1 bed apartments for 275gbp ($434.50 ) so seems you could scrape by. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/

Like this:http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-25581573.html
Still, take it one day at a time.

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Look on the bright side, you've got rid of your biggest liability, and now you are young and free again.
Im sure your health can only improve from here

DKV

I know for a fact that once you are delinquint on your bills they will offer you a settlement usually 20% of the total debt. If that is not doable for you then there is bankruptcy that will erase the debt.Truth is the cost of a BK ($800)might be nearly half the amount you owe. In any case if you don't pay at all they are not going to come to the UK to collect a $5K debt. Just be sure to not put assets into any usa bank account that can be traced to income from a job or the sale of cars,house ect..And I think a previous poster is correct,SS money can not be taken by debtors.

Many such "offers" are deceptive. Don't get taken. People have paid 20% only to discover the debt was sold on in the meantime and the new creditors happily accept the 20% but nontheless can sell on the debt to people who can enforce the full debt anyway.

Beware, don't get taken, insist on signed offers to indemnify against further claims.

First sorry to hear about your current predicament and the bits that got you there. Its a tough choice. From what you have said so far I think with your medical concerns I would rather be in the UK and not risking hugh medical bills that are sure to ensue if you do not have good healthcare for your conditions. I think you need to weigh that up when considering any future money you may receive between now and 2014.

100% agree.Allways get any settlement agreement in writing before sending money!

Unfortunately, I am still in the USA but I have some medical bills due to unemployment. If it was me, just get out of the USA as fast as you possibly can. Forget the bills.

What is gbp? I am going through the same thing, live in AZ and cannot wait to save enough to go back to England. Thoroughly fed up with the US~

Oh go on, have a stab at it.

Great British Pound, Emmbritt.