I am retired, and have an IVA (4 years completed out of 6) but recently have received a gas bill that I cannot afford to pay. Can it be added to the IVA? Can they take me to court over it, and/or send over the bailiffs? Can they enter the house and fit a pay-as-you-go meter?
If you have a gas bill that you cannot afford under your iva I and E,you need to speak to your iva company about it.
I would ring them immediately and go through your income and expenditure to see why you can't afford your utilities
Today 1st of December 2016 the vultures finally flew away
As said, maybe your allowances need tweaking. You could request a payment break on the IVA to deal with the gas bill. This will be added on to the end. The bill cannot be rolled into the IVA at this stage and would, in any case, sour your relationship with the gas supplier.
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
I agree with Foggy - ask for a payment break and then liaise with the gas supplier to see if you can pay monthly so you don't get any nasty surprises.
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
I can only reiterate what the other posters have said. Immediately contact your IP as the gas bill is a necessity and if you are struggling then your allowances are too low. You have already paid four years so perhaps creditors may agree to an early closure if your surplus is too low to justify continuing on. IVAs are not supposed to be punishments and I am sure your IP can help.
No you can't include it in the IVA as it is a post IVA debt.
If you can't afford to pay it your contributions need looking at.
As regards a meter this will be up to the gas Company to approve.
Yes they can take recovery steps such as bailiffs etc but would need to go to Court for a CCJ first and if its for a small sum it's probably not cost effective to do so.
They might however be entitled to stop your supply.
Speak to your IP quickly about getting a payment break and reviewing your future contributions.
