Past CCJ and AAT Training

Good afternoon everyone. I am hoping that some of you may be able to provide me with some advice please? I apologise for the essay but as this is basically what I'm going to have to explain to AAT I thought it best to put it here too so as to help with accurate advice.

Around 7-8 years ago I got into financial trouble, put simply I was young and reckless, no bills to pay and a personal loneliness which looking back made me over-compensate when out with the few friends I had at the time. I had a very well paid job for the area of the country that I'm in and blew through money without much of a second thought..... I fell into the trap of payday loans and then when it all inevitably came to a head I buried my head in the sand due to a mixture of inexperience and shame.

My mother agreed to be a guarantor on a loan so that I could get it all sorted, which between us we did aside from a couple of bits that I have repayment agreements with to this day. Then around 5 years ago two unfortunate things occured: Both myself and my father got made redundant within weeks of each other as the recession and economic downturn started to hit, and second my mother was taken ill. Neither of us could find work for months and as such the loan didn't get paid.

The company hit us with a CCJ and despite it now being fully paid off it obviously still appears on credit reports, drop off date is Aug 2017.

This was frankly the biggest wake up call and kick up the backside that I needed, riddled with guilt that because of me my parents nearly lost their home I resolved to never allow this to happen again.

I'm now settled down with a wonderful woman who becomes my wife next month, I am studying a BA Hons Business Management (Accounting) Degree with the Open University and using that knowledge I now run the household finances like a business (I have spreadsheets galore) and with the discipline expected of an accountant. I love the process of accounting and working with numbers and am looking forward with great excitement to the upcoming Financial Accounting and Management Accounting modules within my degree.

So I decided that I would love to train as a full accountant doing what I love and what I'm finding that, if I may say so, I'm very good at. I feel that because of my "Experiences" (Or rather past "Stupidity") I'm in a good position now to know how to be a good accountant.

Given the above, and given that I have to be selective on what courses I study due to finances, would you think that:

1) AAT will accept me as a student and ultimately after passing level 4, a full member?

2) Given that the CCJ will drop off my report next year, and my finances are improving, will I have significant problems getting work in the industry?

Once again my apologies for the long post, thank you for reading it and your constructive responses will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely and with kind regards.

Dave

Comments

  • MarieNoelle
    MarieNoelle Registered, Moderator Posts: 1,368
    Hi Dave, I don't have the answer but have you spoken directly to the AAT?
    Best of luck,
    MN
  • Dave610
    Dave610 Registered Posts: 3
    Not as of yet, I thought I'd post here first and see if anyone else had either similar circumstances or could provide a little bit of advice moving forwards. I'm a little concerned that all the hard work I'm putting in now, and that which is still to come, may be for nothing if I'm deemed "Unfit" for AAT Membership and the industry in general because of past mistakes.
  • Dave610
    Dave610 Registered Posts: 3
    AAT_Team said:

    Hi Dave,

    AAT Membership is managed on a case by case basis so we'd encourage you to finish Level 4 and get some experience under your belt then apply. If you are not successful because of your CCJ then once it expires it will become a non issue anyway.

    Hello AAT, thank you for your reply. The CCJ will indeed be expired at the completion of Level 4.

    Kind regards

    Dave
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