Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 3:27 pm
Hi there
My annual review is due on my IVA in the next couple of weeks and I have a couple of questions regarding it.
One is that since last year’s review I have been given a pay rise. This was because I took on a lot of extra work after somebody was made redundant. I know I have to declare this and my pay slips will show the increase anyway but how I do I stand if I also have additional expenditure? Something that wasn’t on my previous I&E is exercise classes – I am severely overweight and have been told by my GP I have to undertake a massive weight loss plan including exercise; unfortunately because of some damage to my knee I am quite limited to what I can do and so am doing 2 classes a week, water aerobics and dance. Originally I was told I wouldn’t be permitted any kind of expense for gym membership or exercise classes and so any I have done have had to come out of the contingency. However, I do not feel I can go without these classes and I don’t really see why I should when it is for my health. I have already had to go without counselling for severe depression and anxiety as the waiting list is so long and I can’t afford private sessions so I would be really upset if I couldn’t continue with the diet and exercise prescribed by my GP. The pay rise was a £1 an hour which equates to just under £200 more a month but as we have moved house etc. our ‘normal’ expenditure has also increased. My monthly contributions are quite high anyway as they incorporate some arrears from the start of the arrangement when there was an issue with the standing order and since the start of the IVA I have struggled to manage them so have had to rely on my contingency as well as my boyfriend to cover the rest of my costs. Can they force me to pay more by not including the exercise classes and the increased cost of things like food and household and petrol which has shot up so much?
The second issue is that (ironically) we have just been told the company I work for is insolvent and that after nearly 18 months of really poor sales etc. our bank manager and a team of financial advisors are due to come in within the next month or so to assess the appropriate course of action. I have to point out this has been on the cards for a long time and we have already made several redundancies over the last year or so. My concern is that if DFD do insist on an increase in contributions and the company I work for goes under (which looks likely) I would have even less chance of maintaining payments. I missed two payments in the early part of my IVA so cannot miss more without a breach.
I would like to suggest that they agree to keep payments as they are for now with a view to a further review in 3 months when I know how things stand with work etc. My boyfriend is also likely to have to change his shifts at work and due to distance from work/hours neither of us can use public transport and as we currently share a car there is a chance we may need to buy another one which of course means more money we don’t have, arrghhh.
Do you think the IP (Debt Free Direct) would be likely to consider this or are they likely to push for an increase no matter what? When the exercise is included there is only a surplus of £35. However, my boyfriend and I try to pay things as a household and as he has arrangements with creditors (but not in an IVA) we cannot really afford more than we are already paying.
Any advice/help would be much appreciated!!!
Thanks,
Kerrie
My annual review is due on my IVA in the next couple of weeks and I have a couple of questions regarding it.
One is that since last year’s review I have been given a pay rise. This was because I took on a lot of extra work after somebody was made redundant. I know I have to declare this and my pay slips will show the increase anyway but how I do I stand if I also have additional expenditure? Something that wasn’t on my previous I&E is exercise classes – I am severely overweight and have been told by my GP I have to undertake a massive weight loss plan including exercise; unfortunately because of some damage to my knee I am quite limited to what I can do and so am doing 2 classes a week, water aerobics and dance. Originally I was told I wouldn’t be permitted any kind of expense for gym membership or exercise classes and so any I have done have had to come out of the contingency. However, I do not feel I can go without these classes and I don’t really see why I should when it is for my health. I have already had to go without counselling for severe depression and anxiety as the waiting list is so long and I can’t afford private sessions so I would be really upset if I couldn’t continue with the diet and exercise prescribed by my GP. The pay rise was a £1 an hour which equates to just under £200 more a month but as we have moved house etc. our ‘normal’ expenditure has also increased. My monthly contributions are quite high anyway as they incorporate some arrears from the start of the arrangement when there was an issue with the standing order and since the start of the IVA I have struggled to manage them so have had to rely on my contingency as well as my boyfriend to cover the rest of my costs. Can they force me to pay more by not including the exercise classes and the increased cost of things like food and household and petrol which has shot up so much?
The second issue is that (ironically) we have just been told the company I work for is insolvent and that after nearly 18 months of really poor sales etc. our bank manager and a team of financial advisors are due to come in within the next month or so to assess the appropriate course of action. I have to point out this has been on the cards for a long time and we have already made several redundancies over the last year or so. My concern is that if DFD do insist on an increase in contributions and the company I work for goes under (which looks likely) I would have even less chance of maintaining payments. I missed two payments in the early part of my IVA so cannot miss more without a breach.
I would like to suggest that they agree to keep payments as they are for now with a view to a further review in 3 months when I know how things stand with work etc. My boyfriend is also likely to have to change his shifts at work and due to distance from work/hours neither of us can use public transport and as we currently share a car there is a chance we may need to buy another one which of course means more money we don’t have, arrghhh.
Do you think the IP (Debt Free Direct) would be likely to consider this or are they likely to push for an increase no matter what? When the exercise is included there is only a surplus of £35. However, my boyfriend and I try to pay things as a household and as he has arrangements with creditors (but not in an IVA) we cannot really afford more than we are already paying.
Any advice/help would be much appreciated!!!
Thanks,
Kerrie