www.iva.co.uk

Are we able to keep our phone contracts when entering into av iva? My jusband and i both have contracts that are not up for renewl for quite a while. We are up to date with payments with them and would like to keep them if possible. My husband goes away with work alot so i would need to be able to get hold of him if i needed!

Hi Kate,

Yes, you can keep your contract going. You are unlikely to be able to change providers though whilst in your IVA.

Most of us ( if not all) have been able to keep hold of our mobiles. You might be asked to downgrade options if excessive and will be allowed to upgrade when the time comes. However, you will find it nigh on impossible to change companies or start a new contract.

oh well i dont mind staying with the current company as long as we can keep them going! Thank you!

I've always managed to stay on the same tariff and it's never been questioned. When you are able to do an upgrade then all the company will do is check that your payments are up to date.

Hi Kate - just to confirm I was allowed to keep my mobile phone contract and allocated an allowance in full for it (£30 pcm)

oh really mine is £35 with vat, oops may have to lower it then!

If you can manage to keep that contract going by making savings from other allowances (such as contingency) then you can do so.

No possibly not - The guide on www.beat my debt.com is £57 - £70 for a couple. Other half has a payg phone which he uses once or twice a year, I negotiated our internet down to £10 pcm with free evening and weekend calls, and landline only £14 pcm so we were well within the guidelines (although those guidelines are not set in stone).

If you can make savings elsewhere though then you can keep the contract going.

Mine is £35 a month and I've managed to fund it.

Kate,

All of the replies are right, it is one of the few things you can keep. What I would add is that keeping your phone going (and of course making all payments to the phone in full and on time) is that once you are at the end of your IVA it will show as a big positive on your Credit Report.

The difficult thing with an IVA (I found anyway) is you need to keep one eye on life after it has finished however slow it seems to be going.

Chopper

I do think taht the phone allowances under the CCCS guidelines are quite tight to be honest, but if you have a real need to spend more - particularly if your husband is OOA, then get the IP you choose to represent you to justify this to creditors.

I kept my contract through the whole 5 years of my IVA, and upgraded etc.
I thought contract phones were cheaper to run than pay as you go charges wise? (and you can still check your present bill daily)

I think it probably depends on how much you use your phone as to which is cheaper. These days a lot of PAYG phones give you free texts and minutes.

I would probably be better off on a PAYG as I don't use mine that much for calls or texts but I do use the internet and have unlimited data so it's usefull for that - plus I like the latest phones!!

I would be lost without my I phone Jan ;o( ...scary when you cant find it though!! lol