Hello everyone..... Although I havent really kept a check on what I spend a month on food from the supermarket (maybe I should lol) for a family of five (2 adults and 3 young adults) and would be interested to know what is the norm/average or the figure that is set out as a reasonable amount for food... I understand that this depends on alot of different circumstances etc but just want to get a feel for what people would say is a reasoable amount... I have been in an IVA since Nov 08 and things are going really well... Many thanks
It's just myself and my partner and for the two of us I allow for £200 per month. This covers food, toiletries and housekeeping. Obviously anything extra is covered by my partner (who isn't anything to do with my IVA) or comes from my contingency allowance.
I was set an allowance of £420 for two adults and three children (10, 15 and 17 at the time)although one of the teenagers was in the process of going in the RAF. However, after my first annual review i told my IP that I was spending nearer £500 and they have kept it at that so I consider myself lucky really. Anyway shopping more wisely has helped me to loose weight (23 pounds so far)!!
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
Perhaps Declan could throw some light on the practice of DFD manipulating a client's expenditure in the way LadyH has experienced - or at least reassure us that this no longer happens.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm as you know i am with DFD and they gave me £30 per week to live off this includes having to feed my cat too, on that note recently a bag of whiskers biscuits which is all he will eat cost between £3.84/£4.34, when i went to buy a bag this month it had jumped to a whopping £5.35! I shall defo be keeping my receipts for next years I+E so that if and i know it will have increased by more than £10 the proof will be there. Healthy eating in an IVA just doesn't compute!
Om shanti, namesté, good luck to all who are embarking on the IVA journey, it isn't always an easy one but the outcome is the best.
IVA COMPLETED August 2012, received Completion certificate 18.4.13.
I am actually with the CCCS and am really struggling with this food allowance thing. I have a wife and two dependants. They told me to allow £325 per month for food/toiletries/cleaning. I've only been doing this frugal living things for four months and think I need to argue the toss with them.
This month I have been keeping every receipt to try and get an accurate amount to put to them. I don't even know if they are likely to review it being as I've only been in it for four months.
Reading Melanie's post has reminded me of one company my husband consulted (he consulted 7 or 8 before finding Melanie - all told him he would never get an IVA) finally presented figures to him which showed the outgoings - for IVA purposes - £119 per month more than we were receiving! When he questioned it he was told the figures must stand or go bankrupt! Manipulation of the true figures into fancifull figures does take place. J
hmmmmm not good at all and one wonders whether some people are doing it for the fee that is charged without really looking at the consequences for those involved. Thankfully they are hopefully in the minority. I do however think that whatever the guidelines are for food etc does need to rise, see my previous posting and if we are to try and beat this present increasing problem of the 20th cent obesity and eat as the government dictate then £30 per week does seem to pale into oblivion. As an example, fruit and vegetables of which we should be eating 5 of each day, based on a well known supermarket 7 apples/bananas, a bunch of broccoli, carrots and a celery comes to the pricely sum of £6.73 and thats before i buy my 2 pieces of oily fish that is recommended, other protein, complex carbohydrates, milk and other products, hmmmmmmmmmm.
Om shanti, namesté, good luck to all who are embarking on the IVA journey, it isn't always an easy one but the outcome is the best.
IVA COMPLETED August 2012, received Completion certificate 18.4.13.
