Increase of £33 for repayment. Any advice welcome

[kallis3]

I was allowed £35 a month for meals at work - fortunately they don't cost a lot more as there is only me that works and it is either sandwiches or ready meals when I am on a late shift.

[plasticdaft]

What is payplans success rate for iva's run to completion? I always think this figure should be advertised for people about to choose a firm to propose and run an iva for them!

Paul

[Foggy]

What is payplans success rate for iva's run to completion? I always think this figure should be advertised for people about to choose a firm to propose and run an iva for them!

Paul

The problem with that, Paul, is oftentimes a failure isn't down to what the IP has or has not done.

From reading numerous posts on several forums on the subject over the past 9 months, there seem to be a percentage of debtors who, for reasons best known to themselves, seem to fight the process all of the way (despite enetering into it voluntarily).

I imagine (and have no hard evidence upon which to base this assumption) that many of these are the ones that simply want to get away with paying as little as possible and get off scot free, then get aggrieved whern they realise it isn't as "black and white" as that.

Many failures also seem to be down to lack of research before entering the IVA and being unaware of what is actually expected. I appreciate that some IVA'ers enter in a state of panic and don't know which way is up. I know from experience that you can explain something to someone and they will repeat and understand at the time, but a week or so later the conversation has become transmuted into what they WANTED to hear, rather than what they were told!

[Foggy]

I might add -- that some of those comments above apply to me as well. I am a research freak and looked into debt solutions very carefully indeed. Even so, there are (some quite fundemental) things I missed, which is where the help and advice on this forum is invaluable. As many, I just wish I had discovered it and the wonderful posters and experts sooner!

[Sensible77]

Foggy - two good honest posts IMHO. This is why I get everything in writing and hardly ever call my IVA company, which is PayPlan by the way, so I know exactly what has been discussed and agreed. Then I know what’s what instead of what suits me.

[kallis3]

Great posts Foggy and I do agree with them.

However there are some companies who put people into totally unsustainable IVA's and these end up failing very quickly when the payments can't be met. Skippy was one of them and Julie's husband was another. The problem is that the desperate will grab at any lifeline thrown to them.

The only time I contact my IP is every three months to send off my payslips and once a year for the review.

[c.j]

I wasnt allowed money for meals at work or school dinners as my Iva wouldnt be viable with these expenses.Now I am in a better position and pay more to iva I cannot claim
these as I have managed for 3 years without them.

[kallis3]

I think it is wrong that an IVA should be manipulated so that the figures fit - this is what causes a lot of them to fail as people really struggle.

I appreciate that you have managed c.j but you shouldn't have had to lose these sort of expenses.

[Random Lady]

Hi guys - sorry haven't been around lately but our house took a lightning strike and took out my broadband router and computer!!! As everything we do is no online (for the discounts mainly) it has been quite a struggle the last month getting to town to check bank statements but I'm back now!!

We were in a similar situation with school lunches and even though we were about 15 months into the IVA when I found out from this forum that we could have claimed for them, I contacted our IP and the allowance was given to us and our contributions amended accordingly. We were initially told to find it out of our food allowance but with 2 kids and 2 adults to pack up during the week, this was a major chunk of the food money gone. We now have an allowance of £60 per month for the school lunches and I have to fund myself and my husband out of the food allowance - but it is better than it was.

One thing I have learnt during the IVA is this forum - if I get a query I ask on here, get the advice I need then contact my IP when I have a better understanding of the situation.

[plasticdaft]

Still far too many people entering into an unaffordable IVA rather than having bankruptcy suggested as the IVA firm makes nothing then!! I hate the term mis-sold when it comes to IVA's but thats exactly what happens in quite a few cases.

Paul

[Random Lady]

One thing I think would be useful at the outset is for the IVA companies to provide a more comprehensive list of what allowances you can ask for. We missed a few out at the beginning as they weren't included on the I&E paperwork we were sent. It's much easier to provide evidence at the beginning of why the allowance should be granted rather than trying to go through a process to get them added in and using up your valuable 15% decrease buffer on things that should have been included in the first place.

[kallis3]

Unfortunately you will never get a list of what you can claim for as some people would take the mickey and claim for things they don't have. You should always put down exactly what you spend and an IP will tell you whether it is allowed or not.

This is why CCCS never publish their guidelines.

[Random Lady]

I understand completely what you are saying but for things like school lunches, I bet a lot of people forget to add them at the beginning. If that particular item was on the normal I&E list, it could prevent a lot of people from missing it out and getting into difficulties later. I know you get the paperwork and should thoroughly check it but I'm sure a lot of people miss things in their haste to get the proposal put through and get the creditors off their backs.
I've heard of people being allowed an allowance for cigarettes but this shouldn't be classed as essential as there are plenty of cessation courses available to assist people to stop.
It just seems a shame from a lot of postings, that people have tried to do what they feel is the right thing and entered an IVA and then struggled to maintain it due to not having the correct allowances in the first place.

[Foggy]

A lot will depend on the IP --- my I&E was tweaked by my IP as there were a couple of things I forgot to put down, and I am sure many IP's that post on here would do the same thing if they noticed (but, at the end of the day it's up to you ti claim all and everything and then the IP can trim it back if needed).

The beatmydebt website does have a useful living expenses guide, which is useful for jogging the memory. I don't know where they got there figures from, but they are remarkably close to the ones my IP used!

[kallis3]

Some people are allowed an allowance for smoking but I suppose you could say that is their equivalent of a Sky allowance for some of us.

Before you start out you should write down everything you spend and it is down to the IP to tell you whether or not it is allowable or not.

Some people do take the mickey - or try to.