Annual review - does this sound reasonable?

[poppy]

My original budget for petrol was £110 - this is now £155.
My original budget for vehicle maintenance was £35 - this is now £50
I have also added a denplan dental insurance which is £13 per month.
My water/electric bills have increased by £5 a month.
My council tax has risen by £2 a month.
My water has risen by £3 a month.

Do these increases sound reasonable?

Are you allowed to have a budget for smoking?

Thank you.

[MelanieGiles]

The petrol expenditure goes without saying - everyone knows that fuel prices are at an all time high. You may beed to produce evidence of the car maintenance, as the increase is substantial, but this ought to be easy to prove if you have garage receipts.

If you smoke, this should have been provided for at the outset, assuming that you have not taken up smoking in the last year. You may be able to include some form of budget for this, but this will be at the discretion of your IP.

[poppy]

Hi Melanie

Thanks for the quick reply.

I have receipts for my maintenance (this includes MOT, service and all the repairs I have had to make on my car this year).

My original budget had a smoking allowance. When my IVA was accepted it was on the condition I increase the payments by £79 a month. They did not specify where this £79 should come from so I've just been muddling through. I am going to list the original expenditure on my annual review form which will include the £79 plus my increases.

I am hoping this will be ok?

Thank you.

[MelanieGiles]

That is exactly the right thing to do. Has your income increased sufficiently to enable that expenditure to now be allowed without affecting your IVA payments?

[poppy]

Yes, I have roughly £200 more a month (from a payrise in April). With my increases it will give me a spare £40 or so to increase my repayments with.

Thank you for your help Melanie.