Sixty-three year old *George got into financial difficulty when the recession hit.

After a long career as a lorry driver spanning four decades, George decided to set up on his own business in 2003. He purchased a brand new van and travelled all over the country for different haulage companies.

But when the recession hit, customers started taking much longer to pay and even paying less than what they owed. Around the same time, Georges van began failing and he had no choice but to sell it for scrap.

Unable to afford a new van, George had no choice but to stop working.

With no work, George was soon struggling to pay his creditors.  He sold his house and moved into rented accommodation, but it wasn’t enough.

“You can’t describe the feeling of being in debt,” said George.  “It’s suffocating. I ignored the pile of post at the beginning until I just snapped and opened them all. Sometimes the fear of the unknown is worse than the reality.

“But I knew I couldn’t go on and contacted Citizens Advice Bureau who recommended PayPlan.”

“PayPlan helped me turn my life around. With their support I took back control of my life and could finally breathe again. They gave me back a future.”

“They went through all my options which included a debt management plan and an IVA. I opted for the IVA as I wanted to pay off my debt quicker as I am getting older.

“Initially I didn’t think I’d qualify for a Bespoke IVA but due to my lodger, I could.”

George now pays just over £100 a month into a Bespoke IVA and is feeling more optimistic about the future.

“The Bespoke team have been great. They have been there every step of the way.  I now have a great case officer who is always there to answer any questions or worries I have.

“I don’t dwell on the past but I’ve got a lot to thank PayPlan for,” he said