Yes they can if needs be , You are on a computer now ,, do you have a TV? You might have to sell them as being unecessary items , luxuries you can do without , That will pay some off togerher with any other unessential things . Then pay a few pounds a week to each . You cannot escape , so get it paid off as soon as you can .. then start to give the kids some sort of life , an d NEVER EVER borrow again .They have to accept what you can afford, if you could only afford a pound a week they have to accept because you are making an effort to pay.
They may take you to court, but all you have to do is prove your income and if the court decides you’re paying what you can afford, there’s nothing else the companies can do.I know of a UK debt site called www.debtlinedirect.com.
They basically deal with your creditors for you and get them off your back – they consolidate all your debts into one affordable monthly payment and you pay only what you can afford.
Good luck Take all the details of your income and expenditure, receipts, bills etc to the Citizens Advice Bureau. They have trained financial consultants who can advise you. Phone them to make an appointment first!Although you lost contact with your creditors, they have not lost contact with you. First and immediate step is CAB and debt advice help. They will assist in consolidating the debts (which WILL have gained considerable interest over the years). CAB may also be able to arrange to have the accumulating interest frozen so that it doesn’t get any worse. There is no minimum repayment, that must be negotiated with people you owe the money to.
The most important thing to realise is that they will not go away. The longer you ignore them the worse it will get and may well result in the Bailiffs on the doorstep. Own up and act now before it gets to that stage.Get in touch with the citizens advice bureau. If you have no real assets and are on benefits then everything is in your favour.

I would not worry about people scaremongering you on this.

And take a look at a Debt relief order, you don’t even have to go bankrupt.

http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/bankruptcy/alternativestobankruptcy.htm

 

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