Whilst your son doesn't have anything to do with your trust deed, the fact he is living with you may have an effect on how much you can afford to contribute (for example, sharing the cost of utility bills etc) so it is a fair question for your trustee to ask.

Is your son working or still studying, saabrina?

Hi saabrina,

With your son leaving school has this had any impact on your income i.e. has it reduced because of a benefit reduction or has it increased because he is now in employment and paying ÔÇ£digÔÇØ money? All families are different when it comes to who pays what within the household. I know of some parents who don't take any money from their children if they are working and I know of other parents who can take a decent amount of ÔÇ£digÔÇØ money from their children.

As Kevin has said your Trustee needs to be aware of who is living in the household and who is contributing towards the household bills as this could change the level of contribution that you make to your Trust Deed.

Thank you both for your responses.

Due to a change in circumstances (redundancy/unemployment/new job with greatly reduced salary) I have not been making payments towards TD. My income reduced again when he left school as I no longer received tax credits or child benefit.

He has a job with variable hours, but as a young school leaver gets paid as such. I do not take digs money from him but neither do I pay his phone bill now nor buy him clothes/shoes.

As he has always been included as a dependent I wondered if now that he wasn't can my trustee -
A - ask for information on his finances (which I would be embarassed to ask him for and would have to give him an explanation)
B - insist that I charge him "digs" money

Hi saabrina.

Nobody can force you to charge your son dig money. Your son cannot be compelled to provide information about his finances.

However, your trustee may consider it fair that he contribute towards household costs now he has a wage. That may influence whether they believe your payment (at whatever level) should commence again.

As has already been mentioned, it's not an unreasonable question for your trustee to ask.

Hi TDA
Thank you for your response, it's not that I thought it was an unreasonable question, just one that I've not had to answer before. What I wasn't sure of was whether or not I would be asked to ask my son for information that would mean I would have to explain my TD to him. He doesn't have set hours and is on a very basic wage as he's only 18

Hi saabrina,

Your best to complete the income and expenditure and send it back but from what you have told us I really can't see this being an issue and I would be surprised if your Trustee requested further details of your son's income etc.

Have you discussed what's going to happen with your Trust Deed as you haven't been able to afford to make payments?

Hi David
My payments stopped in August 2012 due to redundancy, about 5 months later I got a job with a greatly reduced salary. It was said then that I would be discharged from my TD due to a change in circumstances beyond my control. A few months later I was informed that I would not be discharged at that point but the TD would run the remainder of the time, in case my situation changed for the better and could resume payments. My creditors were informed of the situation and advised that at the end of the 3 year period (next month) I would be discharged if there was no change to my circumstances. Unfortunately there has been no change for the better in my circumstances.

My Current Status Report was returned to my account manager this morning.

Thank you for your advice. I have always gone down the open and honest route, just wanted to have an idea of impact, if any that this might have had.

Open and honest is always the best policy. I can't see there being any problems for you, Saabrina. It's great that you are so close to the end.