A reader asked:
I’m worried about my first IVA annual review. How much detail will they go into? I’ve found the year tough with a few car problems. I switched gas and electric to try to save money but it hasn’t helped much.
This is one of the many IVA issues where I have to start by saying that there is no definitive answer for everyone. It depends on the terms of your IVA, your IVA firm, your own situation and on how much your situation has changed over the year.
If not much has changed
Previously many people’s annual reviews were pretty painless – their income hadn’t gone up much and neither had their expenses. In 2022 more of them are proving problematic.
You will normally be asked for some bank statements (or, sometimes, direct access to your bank account through Open Banking), some payslips and any P60s/P45s. Some firms want you to complete a new Expenses form – you can use the one agreed at the start of your IVA or the previous year as the basis and then look at your recent bank statements to see how much has changed.
If the overall picture and the bigger items such as mortgage/rent, travel costs, utilities look much the same, not many lenders will go deeper. They don’t want to spend any more time on your annual review than they have to! You are very unlikely to be asked what you bought at John Lewis for £120 in September or challenged about £20 spent on bingo in May.
Do you have to provide these bank statements?
Yes. See this clause in the 2016 Protocol:
8(2) You promise to give the Supervisor whatever type of accounts or details (or both) of your income and expenditure relating to your affairs, for whatever date and period, as the Supervisor may reasonably require.
Your IVA may not use those exact words but there will be an equivalent, sometimes the broad do all such things as the Supervisor reasonably requires.
The IVA firm has to verify your income and expenditure and asking for bank statements is a reasonable way to do this.
You have had extra income (or lower expenses)
Your income may have gone up because of a payrise, better job, bonus or overtime. I have looked at how these are handled in an IVA here: Bonuses & pay rises – what happens if you are in an IVA
Increases in your pay will result in your future IVA monthly contributions being increased, unless your expenses have also increased, see below.
You should have reported overtime and bonuses to your IVA firm during the year if they exceeded 10% of your normal take-home pay. If you didn’t do this at the time, this will be looked at in the annual review and you may now owe some money for last year, typically 50% of the amount over the 10% you are allowed.
When you had put that money aside, you can simply pay it. If you didn’t, your IVA term may be extended by some extra months to allow you to pay the extra.
If your expenses have gone down, this increases the amount of “surplus income” you have. This can happen if you were single but now someone else is living with you and sharing the household bills.
This comes as an unpleasant surprise to some people who thought they just had to make the “agreed payments” for the five years of their IVA. It should have been explained to you before the IVA started – it probably was, but you may have thought it wasn’t important, just small print.
Your expenses have gone up – the problem of inflation
You may think your IVA firm just wants to do the annual review to get extra money from you. But increases in your expenses also need to be taken into account. Especially with inflation increasing the price of food, energy bills, petrol and other essentials.
The annual review is a good time for you to get these reviewed if things have gradually got worse during the year. It is to your advantage to make sure this is done!
Think about recent changes in particular. For example if your council tax or water rates have only just gone up, the annual total for last year may not be very different to the budget, but you now know that next year’s expenditure will be higher so this needs to be pointed out to your IVA firm.
Also bring up changes you know will happen in the next year eg your mortgage fix ending and you mortgage payments jumping a lot ask your IVA firm to agree that your IVA payments can be reduced when that happens.
If your income has gone up, did you also get additional costs – perhaps the price of petrol has increased your commute costs.
They have always had the discretion to reduce your payments by 15% from those originally set in your IVA. In the summer of 2022 extra flexibility was added so they can reduce it by up to 50% if your problems result from cost of living increases.
Larger reductions may be possible if your creditors agree. These reductions are more likely to be possible if you are paying £200 a month than if you are only paying £110, where there is little room to reduce the payments. But it may be possible to get your IVA firm to agree that your IVA should be completed early “on the basis of the funds you have already paid.”
Dealing with the B team for Customer Service?
After being cherished and valued while you were in the process of signing up for an IVA, the annual IVA review process may feel very different. You get a curt email telling you to produce six payslips and three bank statements and to fill in an Income & Expenditure form.
Even the most factory-like IVA company actually would rather your IVA succeeds than fails – it means less work and more fees for them. But many large IVA firms do not have a good reputation for customer communication. It’s hard to talk to anyone on the phone and emails sometimes seem to be ignored.
If this happens to you, don’t panic, it doesn’t mean your review is going to go badly.
But some people get told they have to increase their monthly payments a lot when there doesn’t seem a good reason for this. If this happens to you, ask the IVA firm to explain how they got to that number. Be prepared to keep restating your point. Start to do this in writing (email is fine) and insist on getting a reply if you think they are ignoring something important.
Change from an IVA to a DRO?
Can’t pay your IVA this month?
How equity release works in an IVA
hannah says
My husband has an iva in his name for his debts. I now recieve dla on behalf of my 6yr old daughter but also my tax credits have gone up due to the child disability element will the iva company take this into account at his next review which is due now? I am also receiving careers allowance will this be taken into account aswell? I am really worried the payments will go up by alot? Thank you. X
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Hannah,
your husband will need to talk to his IVA firm about this. What should happen is that they note your income has gone up, but this is to cover the additional costs you have from having a child with disability and being a carer – so his payments shouldn’t increase.
Adam says
Adam Hi I’m on DLA threw injuries and mental health problems I’ve been on an iva for around a year 5 months ago I was awarded pip I didn’t inform my iva due two me thinking that’s for my disability n help needed by me now they have asked for there yearly checks 3 months bank statements it’s gunna show this will they zap my money or stop iva or want backdated money what dose concern me is I have done odd buying and selling on line to make ends meat which would be shown I only have 2weeks left to produce these documents what do I do thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Well you have to provide the documentation they have asked for asap. Your IVA won’t be cancelled but they are likely to want to increase your payments a lot because of your extra income :(
For the money you have already received, they should be able to arrange to extend your IVA by a few months to let you pay back the extra.
If you have extra costs because of your disability which you feel weren’t being taken into account before by the IVA then you should ask for these to be included. For example, you may have extra transport, heating costs. Or you may need to buy extra things or pay for extra services because of things you can’t do. And of course your costs may have gone up from last year. If you need help working out what your costs are to tell your IVA firm, go and talk to your local Citizens Advice.
It may be that your IVA firm says you have to pay an amount which is more than you think you can manage to live on now you have had experience of this. In that case you should also talk to Citizens Advice about your options if you let the IVA fail.
marilyn laurence says
i have an IVA with harrington brookes they have just reviewed mine and my husbands money i was paying £80 they now want £130 i am on PIP £220 and my husband is on £550 for PIP as he had a stroke in 2013 it has left him with dermentier we own our property but are still paying a morgage i am also on carers allowance and my husband is on ESA can they count our PIP as incomb as i am stuglling to pay the £80 let alone £130
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes they can count PIP as income but they should take account of your extra costs too. Go back and tell them you are struggling and can’t afford to pay any more and that you want a review of your expenses as you think some have increased.
Lisa says
I’m starting to worry about my first annual review next month. How much detail will they go into? It’s been a tough year with a few car problems and though I switched gas and electric it hasnt helped much.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It’s often pretty quick, just a check to see if you have earned more so they can increase your monthly payments… If any of your expenses have gone up a lot, this would be a good point to tell your IVA firm, especially if your income has as well.
Basically if it has been tough but manageable, then fine, but if you don’t think you are likely to get through the next year, you should read https://debtcamel.co.uk/cant-afford-iva-payments/ and discuss your problems with your IVA firm.
I’ve written a much longer response here: https://debtcamel.co.uk/iva-annual-review/.
Lyndsey says
I am just about to start an IVA with Creditfix. How many months statements will I need to supply at my first annual review? Also, can I refuse to give them my log in details and send them hard copies/screen shots of my statements instead?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I don’t know how many they will ask for, it could be statements for every month of the year. Why are you concerned about them seeing your bank statements through open banking?
Paul says
They asked for 3 months bank statements and wage slips from me at my first review back in March never heard from them after I sent them in.
Wayne says
Credit Fix want 6 months statements as I have an IVA with them.
Tim Harness says
Once again a very good review from the Debt Camel!
Chris says
Also, if I may add, if you are with Creditfix you need not got through the pain of houshold bills or payslips.
They have a new (and very good) online system that searches your bank account and sorts all payments into catagories which you can alter if you disagree. It is extremely accurate and much less of a pain.
I will also give you a good example of payment increases. I am now only two payments away from completion but in November I was given a small pay rise and promotion. This only came to around £104 per month. I informed them 3 times including a wageslip. This all seemed to be ignored, at the review in November my payments were increased by £25pm which was absolutely fine by me.
Deciding_if_an_iva_is_the_answer? says
Do they complete credit checks again? And check your details that way? Or do they just look into the one account you give them?
I want to save some money in an account and don’t want it to be viewed by them.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
My guess is the system will spot you transferring money into the savings account… There is no reason why you shouldn’t save small amounts in an IVA – very few people are able to save large ones!
Fezzaj says
Hi do you get to see what they are submitting and how far back does the inline portal go?
Tammy says
Hi, i have just startedmine now, i was wondering if u will receive this as i would like to ask you some questions?
Franbrad says
I was with Mccambridge Duffy. During my IVA I only had to send pay slips and complete an expenditure form.
When I had unexpected expenses I was able to contact them easily and arrange a payment break.
Any letters received from my supervisor were, as you said curt, however overall, it was a positive process and I completed in full a year ago.
Jess says
What documents did you have to send for final review/closure and how long was it till you got your certificate? Thanks
Ron Lake says
I was diagnosed with terminal cancer in Nov 2018. Suddenly my housing benefit was increased, lowering my rent. I also started to receive Attendance Allowance. These were said to be ‘legislative’ and none means tested. Can Aperture / DFD count these as extra income?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes they can be counted as extra income BUT some IVA firms won’t do this AND for those that do, you should also be allowed to add any additional costs that you have because of your health problems. These could be extra heating, food, transport costs eg parking at hospital or taxis to get to appointments.
Have you talked to Aperture about this? If not, do so straight away, I would expect them to be sympathetic and reasonable given your situation.
How long until your IVA finishes? Are you managing the current payments OK or are they a struggle?
Ron Lake says
I never missed a payment from the start. The start date was June 18th 2014 and has to run for 72 months. It was a struggle until my condition caused the Housing Benefit increase and the Attendance Allowance to begin. It appears that they will allow me to keep 10% plus 50% of the remainder. These started in September 2018, but as I was told they could not be regarded as income, I didn’t report them to Aperture. They sent me papers around 18 Dec 2018 regarding a revue and demanding this was completed by 21st December, but these reviews are usually conducted in June of each year. That doesn’t sound very reasonable to me. We now have to use a computerised system to complete the review, which is something else I am expected to cope with. I wish I could find a telephone number for them, so that I can explain what happened, as it has still not been completed.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
No that doesn’t sound good unless they have allowed you to increase your expenses as well :( You need to put in a formal complaint and ask them to look at this.
Denise Ramadan says
Hi please can you help, we have finished our IVA and got our certificate of completion, but i can not seen to get it taken off or state settled on our credit file, we started this Iva back in march 2011 and finished in August last year, should it still be showing ?.
I keep calling Aperture and can not get though, any help please
Sara (Debt Camel) says
When did you get the certficate of completion?
KT says
My father wants to give me £1500. He inherited money when my grandmother died and wants to give some of it to me and my sister.
I told my IVA firm this to check it wasn’t an inheritance but they say it has to go to my IVA anyway as it’s over £500. What would happen if I asked dad to only give me £500? I don’t want to wait until the end as my IVA has 3 years to go and we really need some things in the house asap. But now they know it should be 1500 can they take the 500 because I’m trying to get round the rules or something?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It won’t be a problem if you are only given 500 – this money doesn’t belong to you now, you have no legal right to it, it is entirely up to your dad when and how much he wants to give to you. If your IVA firms says anything about this, just tell them you explained about the IVA to your dad and he said he would only give you £500.
Your dad could then give you another £500 in 18 months time. If your partner doesn’t have an IVA, another option would be for your dad to give the £1500 to them, not to you. Or of course your dad could buy the new washing machine or whatever you need and let you use it. Lots of possible options if your dad is agreeable.
Lionel J says
Hello All,
Could you please advise. Last year our iva firm made me pay extra because I was over my allowable pay, for a few months of the year.
I understand this, you keep 10% and anything over that they ask for half and you keep half.
My question is … is this correct for seasonal work?
I’m busier in the summer months than the winter. So I save up any extra in the summer so I can survive in the winter when my pay is a lot less.
Also my partner’s pay is limited to £520 per month, before the above comes into action. Our son gets DLA and we receive carers allowance.
Is carers allowance classed as income? So should it be added to the £520 ? As what she can earn each month before half gets taken off her.
The carers allowance and DLA may be stopping.
Thanks for your help Sara,
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Can I ask if you have a mortgage or are you renting?
If you have pay that varies by season, this should have been discussed with your IVA firm befor eyour IVA was set up – was it? Who is the IVA firm?
What do you mean your partner pay is limited?
Lionel says
We have a mortgage. Its interest only. So nothing is getting paid off it at the moment. Approx 12 years to go on it.
The seasonal work started as the iva started. It was not discussed with McCambridge Duffy.
Our son at the time was 16/17 years young when we started. they did say if we didn’t include the DLA then you are unlikely to get the iva approval.
Sorry maybe a better word … Partner’s pay is ‘limited’ to £520 per month, before they take … 50% to the iva and 10% over that I believe she can keep and anything over that 50 % goes to the iva.
My pay is limited to £790 per month.
Winter time I can get as little as £550pm and summer £1000pm.
None of this is classed as overtime. I’m employed on a zero contract hours.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So with those points where the “overtime” calculations start, do you think you can manage the IVA payments through the winter?
Your son’s DLA will be ending, has he applied for PIP? Will he carry on living with you? Was this discussed when your IVA was set up?
Lional says
That’s the whole point I can’t quite grasp. There is no overtime. I have simply saved up in the summer to manage in the winter.
Yet at last years review (April), I ended up paying £350 more to them. I did spread this out over my busier months.
My review is due now , so because this was not discussed at the beginning I guess I will have to pay an amount again as some months I have gone over the £790pm ?
Our son is in the process of applying for PIP. He does still live with us.
This was discussed at the beginning and they basically said we would not get the iva if the DLA was not included in our income.
Thanks again Sara
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think you need to discuss this with your IVA firm in the review. Say you need to be able to save up more in the summer to get you through the winter, this isn’t “spare” money.
The PIP issue you can’t do anything about now, you just have to wait and see what happens.
Lional says
Thank you Sara.
Warren says
Hi
After reaching 5 yrs i was informed because of done equity i have to oay a 6th year. Not wanting to do this i offered to pay a lump dum of £7000 (i currently pay&491/month) this was from a loan, they held a meeting and agreed.
Do i still have to complete the review even though the IVA company have agreed this will end the IVA?
Also i used to do some scouting which we now receive expenses for the time we spend and also we are refunded the mileage , this is approximately
£350/month i spend around 20 hours per week. Are the IVA company entitled to all of this ? Some of it? Not the mileage ? Or none because its just expenses i have
Acrued?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes there will still be a final review.
That is a lot of extra money if it was over many months, have you not mentioned this to your IVA firm before? If some of it relates to extra mileage, I wouldn’t have thought that would count as income. But “expenses for your time” does sound like it may be income.
Mike says
What is the maximum debt repayment by joining the IVA program? Is it 100% of my debt or you can taking as much as you want if my financial situation improves?
For example: I earned £ 1,500 a month and had expenses of £1,400 so I could pay IVA £100 per month. After a year, my financial situation has improved and I earn £ 2,800 and my expenses have not changed so I have £ 1400 left in my pocket, which I have to give 50 perceny of this extra £1400 to IVA which gives £ 700 per month.
My total debt is £ 12,000 and agreement from creditors to pay £ 6,000 over a 60 month which gives £ 100 a month. Now I have to pay £ 700 a month plus all the other bonuses they take away from me too! Which means that I pay over £ 30,000 for the next four years !!! Is it possible?
Regard Mike
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It is 100% of your debt plus the IVA fees plus (sometimes, not all IVAs have this clause) 8% per annum statutory interest on your debts. I suggest you ask your IVA firm if you carry on paying this much, when will your IVA be completed?
Mike says
Thank you very much for the answer but I have one more question. My new job is temporary so what will happen and I know that happen if one day I come back to my earlier earnings or even lower? I will have to wait until the next settlement? I will not be able to pay such a high amount during this time.
My IVA start last year so four more years left 🙄
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Your IVA payment can be reduced at any time if your income drops a lot, you don’t have to wait for the annual review. If you can save some money when you are getting paid more (the IVA shouldn’t take all your additional income) that will help you get through.
Ally says
I have received a small windfall from an insurance accident. I did not claim for loss of earning, just for pain and suffering. I’ve also tried contacting the Iva company to inform them about this but have not had any response from them.
Will I be able to keep the money or will this be taken off me?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
which IVA firm?
Ally says
It’s called Hanover
Faye says
I’ve been on my iva for the last 9 months now. I only ever had 140 pound left to myself after all the Bill’s, food and expenses but as I dont need to pay my partner much support payment anymore i have 400 pound left to myself monthly.
Will my iva take this off me or charge me more monthly or can i save it up in an isa so i can buy a new couch for my home or save the 400 extra monthly for a deposit on a home to mortgage when my iva finishes?
If I can save it up monthly will the iva take my savings off me if they reach into a high number like 10000?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
At your annual review, your IVA firm is likely to notice that your expenses have dropped a lot and ask you to increase your monthly payments into the IVA.
Of course if you have some other expenses which have increased, that will also be taken into account. But it is very unlikely that you will be able to save up large amounts of money each month.
Robert says
Hello ,I changed jobs, my pay was reduced, but I don’t want to cut IVA payments, I’d better cut costs. Is that how I can do it ?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Why would you not ask for your IVA payments to be reduced?
Of course if your new job means you have lower commute costs or some other lower expenses, then they can obviously be reduced. But most people’s allowed expenses in an IVA are not generous so they are hard to cut.
It is better to have the discussion with your IVA firm now, than wait for 6 months and find you can’t cope.
LEYTON says
Hi there I am about to take out an iva…. I have a property in france which is fully owned. Worth about 40000… there is no mortgage on it. Would I be required to sell it with an iva?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
In most IVAs, unless a property is listed specifically as an “excluded assest” then it becomes part of the IVA and you will be expected to sell it and all the proceeds will be paid into the IVA.
Have you discussed this property with your IVA firm? If not, you need to do this urgently.
Fiona says
Hi.
I have been earning extra income so have asked for a review to save me bugging them each month for manual payments.
In the new budget form there is a box for partner’s debts. My partner’s wages are included in our budget and his wages are about half the amount of mine.
I thought we were not allowed to put in partners debts ?????…..but it is obvious if you look at statements that we have been paying them. So how does this work???
Also when they recalculate my contribution will they still allow me the 10% buffer from my original wages – I was doing lots of overtime to be able to afford more, it seems unfair if they make me pay it all to them when the original agreement says I can keep the 10% buffer.
Thoughts????
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So how does this work???
I don’t know, I sugge4st you complete the form accurately and see what they suggest.
Also when they recalculate my contribution will they still allow me the 10% buffer from my original wages
Again I don’t know, I haven’t heard of anyone asking to do this. It would have been better to have asked them what they would do before deciding this was what you wanted to do…
Fiona says
Hi Sara
I spent weeks asking them to calculate what I would owe each month as I had a new self-employed job on top of my PAYE and they never got back to me. So eventually, after I spoke to the right person, and not a customer service rep, they said that they would do a review of my income. It is just the same as the annual review, they have sent me the annual review form to fill out but the budget is much more in-depth than the one you fill out for your IVA application. They will be treating it just like an annual review.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you fill it in and see what they say. If you think it isn’t fair, then you can explain why.
Fiona says
Ok, thank you.
Lee says
Hello, I entered into an IVA earlier this year, as i am married and have been with my partner for over 10 years it was deemed we had a financial tie and therefore her salary would need to be considered when conducting the I&E, has recently been secured a promotion and with it she will receive a payrise…..she has already told me that any increase in her salary she will be taking full benefit of, to pay her debts and spend as she sees fit (and why not it’s her money, she’s worked hard for the promotion/payrise), selfishly though i am wondering where that leaves me….she will continue to pay half of the household bills but she will not disclose her salary for the purposes of any future IVA review….i am of the impression that she is of no legal obligation to either declare her salary increase or provide proof of it as she is essentially a third party and she is not bound by the IVA, only me, is that correct? if so, how do i play this? Do i contact Aperture and tell them or do i ignore the fact anything is happening at all because my circumstances will not be changing as she will be keeping her pay rise for herself?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Aperture probably told you that you had to let them know if your salary increased? If they did, did they say that you had to tell them if your wife’s salary increased?
Lee says
No, i do not recall they told me i had to advise them if my wife received a pay increase….
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Then I suggest you don’t. If you are asked for your wife’s payslips / P60 at your annual review, say she isn’t prepared to share them with you.
Lee says
Okay, thanks, i did however recently realise i seemed to be clearing an extra £40pm take home, upon review i found out i was given a payrise back in May i knew nothing about, so wanting to do the right thing, i have logged onto Apertures client portal yesterday to see if there was anywhere to add/notify this extra income, I found an I&E button clicked it and it triggered a full on I&E and a request for 3 months payslips, a P60 and my last bank statement, i have provided all the detail but seems a bit full on for a £40 take home benefit (have i just completed my 1st/Feb20 annual review early??), i did however take the opportunity to add my wife’s true outgoing monthly figure for her debt commitments, as when setting up the IVA originally they only took into account part of what she pays out monthly to her own creditors despite taking into account her full salary….however the net result of the “review” now suggests my surplus for IVA contributions had actually decreased, should they now contact me and advise a reduction on payments?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I can’t really guess at what they will do. If you feel what they do is unfair, you should ask for an explanation and complain if it still doesn’t seem right.
Kim says
Hello,
I’ve recently recieved a personal injury compensation payout for a car accident I was in whilst at work (£1,350). I really need to keep this as I need to replace fence panels in my garden that have fell down and desperately need a new bed and mattress. Aswell as that, my son has had a growth spurt and nothing fits him and my ground rent on my property is due in march next year to which I have nothing saved to pay this. Will i be able to keep the money? It’s all personal injury and no loss of earnings at all. I’m currently with creditfix.
Many thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It sounds as though this money is all for “pain and suffering”, not loss of earnings. So it should not count as a windfall that has to be paid into your IVA. Talk to Creditfix who should confirm this.
Ana Cristina says
Hi,
I have an approved IVA, I pay £150 per month for 5 years. 2 months later I will get married and I would like to know if the income of my future husband will be calculated in my IVA? When I applied for IVA, I declared that all the expenses of the house are paid in half, but I did not say that the person with whom I share the expenses is my future husband. What do you advise me to do? They will see that I change my name and they will understand that I got married. The expenses of the house will be the same, but do not know to what extent they will consider the salary of my partner?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Being married makes no difference to your debts, your finances or your IVA. Your husband is not legally responsible for paying your debts.
If this makes your nervous, of course there is no reason why you have to change your name when you get married!
Ana Cristina says
I don’t want to lie, and I want to know what I have to do.
Do I have to inform the supervisor immediately? Will they recalculate the amount of payment based on both incomes? I do not think my husband will be very happy to hear that he has to send payslips, bank statements, etc. Am I obliged to send proof for his income?
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It’s not lying, you don’t have to tell your supervisor if you have got married, only if something changes in your finances. If you are both still paying half of the bills, what has changed?
You can just tell your supervisor you have got married, your finances remain just as before but you would now like your details to be changed to Mrs Darcy or whatever. Your husband doesn’t have to supply proof of income – if he won’t, then the IVA will proceed on the basis that bills are being split 50/50.
Stuart says
If I choose an iva they can reduce my payments by 500 a month am I allowed to keep this money that the iva saves me ???? What happens during the yearly review ???
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So you are repaying your debts at the moment and it’s 500 more than your IVA payment will be? What will the IVA payment be?
Carlos says
Hello, there are expenses that I do not do every month, for example, expenses with medicines, expenses with clothes, maintenance of the house, dentists and, sometimes, there are expenses that I do not have as proof. Always in the review, there are several expenses and other expenses. My question is this: how were the expenses that I have no proof of?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
where expenses don’t happen every month, you will be able to see what was spent in total the previous year? Was this more or less than what was in your IVA budget? If it was more, do you think it will be at the same level next year?
Your bank statements will have showed cash withdrawals. They would have been used to cover other expenses?
I am not sure if you have a problem right now, in which case could you be more specific, or you are just feeling uncomfortable about the process that might happen?
Anthony says
Hello I was just wanting to know when my 1st iva review is due will credit fix start noseying about on my online banking and look further back than the 12 months and look at my banking prior to the iva starting. I dont really want them to do that as some of my info is private and nothing to do with them. Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Did they not look at your bank statements or online banking before your IVA started?
Antony says
No I just had to screenshot my account and send that. What I mean is in the year before my iva started my account was a mess with irresponsible stuff including some gambling payments etc so I don’t really want them going further back than they should and see this. They should only be looking at the 12 months since my iva started and not prior. It’s just a bit worrying for me with my 1st review due in june. I’m in 2 minds whether to go ahead and let them go through my online banking or just refuse and send statements and pay slips in. Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Well it’s up to you. You don’t have to allow Open banking access. But I am not sure why Creditfix would waste time and effort in looking at your affairs before the IVA… their main interest us getting your IVA to. Continue so they get paid their fees.
Antony says
Thankyou for your reply Sara,you have put my mind at rest a bit now. I guess once the 1st review is done I will feel alot better aswell. Regards Anthony
Daniel says
Hi my yearly review is due and I’ve only got 1 year left on my Iva.
Will it fail if I don’t supply my yearly review?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
yes.
Your IVA firm may also have the right to make you bankrupt. This is rarely done but if the IVA firm suspects you are concealing something it is possible.
Why don’t you want to supply the information?
Kenneth says
Hi,
We are entering the final year of our 6 year IVA. When we started, my monthly income was £2,100, with a contribution after expenses of approximately £100 towards the IVA. As the years have passed, my salary has increased (both in the occasional payrise and the amount of overtime I do). Also, our expenses have increased in a similar fashion, so that our annual I+E has kept the contributions at roughly the same level since we started 5 years ago.
Suddenly, we’ve encountered a problem. We submitted our annual I+E last week and were told that after calculations, we had an increase in our disposable income of £30, which increased our contribution by £15, which is fine. However, in addition, we were told that because the three months of payslips showed my monthly salary as approx £2,900/£2,650/£2,700 we were obliged to pay a lump sum of over £1,300 (or monthly repayments) – 50% of the remainder over 10% – as they were higher than the original £2,100. Is this correct?
My annual I+E has shown my yearly increase in salary (mainly overtime) – last year, the three payslips may have been something like £2,750/£2,600/£2,550 for example – plus yearly increase in expenses, so our disposable income has remained roughly the same. Are they correct to now refer to the original salary stated when the IVA started 5 years ago or should it be based on my previously submitted salary of last year?
Apologies for the long post!
Thanks.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think it should be your salary at the last annual review. point out to them that your annual reviews have shown no increased disposable income.
Kenneth says
Thanks Sara, for your reply. I still find it odd why this has suddenly become an issue after 5 years? I’m tempted to just let it lie as I’m in my final year and just want to get it finished. Also, if they rake through my previous years’ I+E, they might compare each year’s salary to the original £2,100 and I might be told I owe even more! I’m still baffled how it apparently makes sense to compare each year’s I+E to the monthly income when the IVA was originally set up, rather than comparing it to the previous year.
May says
Following as I would like to know if I need to have my husband inform his IVA that I get PIP. I am not on the IVA but recently due to health changes I’ve been granted PIP. We split the bills/food/child expenses half half even though we have our own separate banking accounts & finances. TIA
Sara (Debt Camel) says
how far into the IVA is your husband? If he is past the first anniversary, was he asked whether your income had changed at the annual review?
You have a good case for saying the extra income you now have is because you now have extra costs associated with your new health problems.
May says
Thank you. He started his IVA in November 2019. His review should be soon I think.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
oh so he has only just started the IVA. If he looks at the paperwork he was sent, that should say if he has to report changes to your income.
How has the IVA been going? Do you have a house or are you renting?
May says
We are renting. The only thing he can find in regards to income amount it says he has to stay under his retention amount of 1315 a month before they start taking 50% of any income after etc. He is unsure what counts towards income especially because I now have PIP and our son has lower rate disability paid to him as he is the main carer. He also may become a carer to one of us if granted in regards to carer element. These will definitely bump him above the retention amount if they consider my PIP and the DLA plus the carer element once he gets approved. I hope this helps.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
How large are his monthly payments? Does he own a car?
May says
100 p/m. No car.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
ok, was there a reason he went for an IVA rather than bankruptcy? Were extra expenses allowed because of your son’s disability?
May says
I think he felt like it was the best option for him as he didn’t have the money to start a bkrptcy and making payments was best option when we had complications with our son for two months it ruined him as he couldnt work and he fell behind on bills. He does not know about the extra expenses. This is all new to him and he has no clue what any of this means. I’ve gone through his email and looked at the monthly income and expenditure sheet and it doesnt list any amount under Expenditure. Under personal cost it has partners credit commitments. No where on the sheet does it say anything about expenses allowed for my sons disability probably because we just only applied for it as we didn’t really know we could get support for him after the operations. Could that be the reason?
He has written to his IVA person and will await his reply for tomorrow. I think its best if they just revisit our entire household income and recalculate whether we should pay more as at the moment we have so many things going on with added benefits due to two peoples health conditions within the family and alot has changed so fast.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
ok, remember that extra money is meant to help your family, not pay his debts… but see what they come back with. If they say he will need to pay much more, then it may be best for him to talk to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 about his options. As it may be he would qualify for a Debt Relief Order or that bankruptcy would be better than an IVA.
But one step at a time. If they say he doesn’t have to increase payments you may feel he will be able to manage the next 4+ years ok.
Mike says
Hi,
My first annual review is due with Creditfix and I am a Bit anxious.
I need to send 3 months statements and payslips which isn’t a problem, however I have been sending money back and forth to a family member who has been helping me budget. I do not have access to this account and would not expect my family member to provide such evidence either.
Will Creditfix ask to see this account as well? This isn’t savings or anything, just simply assistance in helping me maintain my budget during a difficult year.
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I am guessing here, but if you gave the same amount going out as comes back, I would hope Creditfix will accept your explanation.
How have you managed overall this year? Do you think your IVA payment is at an OK level? Have any of your expenses gone up?
Are you giving your relative most of your monthly pay so it is than paid back in weekly dollops?
Mike says
It has been somewhat of a struggle I have to say. As a whole I have not been impressed with the company itself either. If it wasn’t for the UK being on lockdown for many months I think I would have found it difficult to cope with my monthly payment of £320.
My expenses have changed over the course of the year and I have been transparent with them about this, but they told me to wait for my annual review.
I was giving my relative various payments in advance of things, if I knew I needed to pay for something on a week or 2 I would send the money then they would return it when I needed it. I am sure there is a better system out there than that, but it was helpful having someone assist my with my budget and keeping it in check.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I don’t think Creditfix should have any problem with that.
I think you should work out yourself how much your expenses have changed – just look at the last few months, not the confusing time in lockdown. If you think the expenses have gone up more than your income, then you should be asking for your monthly payment to be reduced. Creditfix could reduce it by 15% without having to get your creditors to approve this.
TinyPit says
What happens if you lie about a child on your IVA? Can you get away with lying about paying child support ?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You said You were Paying child support and you aren’t?
Dai says
I am thinking to get on iva, however i am receiving maintenance for my boy, his dad is paying in to the account which i didn’t tell iva about.
Its £400 per month and i would rather save these money?
Can they see all accounts?
If i ll start saving on credit unions etc, not banks?
Not sure what they can see 😐
Kindly advise
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Can you say done more about your situation? Are you buying or renting? How large are your debts? How much will you pay in the IVA per month?
Dave says
I have 2 years left on my IVA. I am fully up to date with payments and have moved from one iva company to another now due to a buy out. My question is if I do not give my bank details or complete a annual review and just carry on as normal can the iva company legally make me provide the information if I’m not in arrears.?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
If you don’t co-operate with requests from your IVA firm, eg at an annual review, for information they are likely to fail your IVA.
Steven says
There seems to be information to say that by law you are not obliged to give any details to the IVA company as long as your not in arrears. After all the IVA company is working for you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
who on earth told you that?
Dave says
Thank you Sara
I would imagine they would send you a request and final reminder before it gets to that stage though?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
well yes, but with 2 years to go, not sending the info they ask for promptly is pointless. Why would you want to annoy your IVA firm? Just do it.
Francine says
I thought the whole point of the annual review is to see if things have changed regarding your expenses. Therefore surely its better to just engage and send requested details….unless you have something to hide from them.
Graham says
My Iva annual review is due soon, since the problems of debt my wife and I are living together but basically separate lives and are together for the kids. She is refusing to give me her wage slips as she says the debts are my problem, which is true but her income is included within the household budget. I have no idea if her income has gone up or down. What can I do as I won’t be able to provide the evidence ? Also if my income were to decrease by £150 – 200 per month would the Iva need to be agreed again with all creditors or would it just fail as it’s quite a considerable drop in available money. I currently pay £275 per month
Sara (Debt Camel) says
This is your first review?
Has your income decreased or your expenses increased so the current payments are unsustainable? If so, is this a result of coronavirus?
Are you buying or renting? If you are buying is your wife also kn the mortgage?
Graham says
Hi, when my Iva was being processed my tax code was undergoing a change, and the results of that are resulting in a lower take home pay. I expect it to rise slightly in April again, but overall a net adjustment of what I suggested earlier and yes my 1st review.. the house is rented
Sara (Debt Camel) says
was there a reason you went for an IVA not bankruptcy then, with no equity to protect?
roughly what proportion of your income is your wife’s income and do you think that has changed?
Graham says
I suppose trying to do the right thing by trying to pay it back, my income is approximately £2600 on the income and expenditure ( now dropping to around £2450 potentially and my wife’s is £600 per month. I have no idea what she now gets, it could be the same but she will not share the details with me and we have separate bank accounts etc.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That is a big shame… By now you would have been discharged from bankruptcy and only had 2 more years of payments to make. And it is very easy to get bankruptcy payments adjusted downwards.
You need to tell your IVA firm that your wife will no longer tell you what she earns. And that your income has dropped by £x so you need the IVA payments to drop by that much as well. This is more than the 15% your IVA firm has discretion over, so your creditors need to be asked to approve the reduction. If you had warned your IVA firm at the start that your tax code was going to change so this would happen, point this out to them!
Don’t let your IVA firm offer you a payment break instead – this isn’t some temporary covid-19 problem that will be OK in a few months, this is a permanent change in your income. If the creditors won’t approve it (and your wife not co-operating may make this harder) then you should consider telling your IVA firm you want your IVA to fail and stop paying them so you can save up the bankruptcy fee. because it looks unlikely that you can survive 4 more years of payments that are much too high.
Failing an IVA is a big step, but it may be right for you. I suggest you should talk to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 about this and your other options if yourr IVA payments cannot be reduced.
Graham says
Thank you so much for your help, I will contact them tomorrow
Christine says
Hi I am coming to the end of my first year in April with my Iva and they are wanting to do a check on my bank statements can you tell me how many months they look at . My wage went down between April and November last year by £140 per month due to being on furlough.
My father gave me some money in cash in which I put through my account not realising it would effect my Iva it was around £1500 in three separate times . I have also sold some of my furniture and clothes which were also paid by bank transfer again not realising this could effect my Iva . My daughter also sold her car for cash but on the day they collected the car she was taken to hospital as she was pregnant o took the cash and put it into my bank account and then transferred it to her account . I just worried these will go against my Iva can you please advise
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It’s up to your IVA firm.
They shouldn’t treat gifts from your dad as income.
But why didn’t you ask if your IVA could be reduced when you were on furlough?
Are you now back to normal income? How are you finding the IVA payments? Are you buying or renting?
Christine says
Hi
I was just about managing on my income but my dad offered to help me , I live with my partner he as a mortgage but I’m not on that mortgage I just pay him money each money towards the bills . I’m now back to work and back to my full wage , but the other thing is that I’ve been selling some of my clothes and furniture and the payments have also been coming through my bank account could that effect my Iva too ?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I’ve been selling some of my clothes and furniture
because you wanted to declutter? or because you needed the money?
Christine says
To be honest because I needed the money and too declutter so both really
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Well I can’t imagine your IVA firm is going to be so foolish as to claim the money you got from selling your belongings for the creditors, when this just enabled you to keep paying the IVA.
But it sounds to me as though the IVA payment is set too high for you.
To be having problems a year into an IVA is very bad news. If you were at the end of year 4, then it would just be a case of somehow getting through the next year, but you have 4 more long years to go. And more than 30% of IVAs fail…
I think you should talk to an independent debt adviser before your annual review, so you can better understand your situation and what you should be asking your IVA firm for. It may be right to ask for your payments to be reduced. Or carrying on with this IVA may not be right if you have a better alternative. Limping on and having it fail in another year or two is a very bad choice for you.
So I suggest you should talk to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 and ask them to go through an income and expenditure form with you so you can then show it to your IVA firm.
This may not be easy with the Covid-19 uncertainties – but it is better to do a rough one and see what the range of options are than to just be an ostrich and try to muddle on. The annual review is not just something for your IVA firm, it is your chance to get your IVA put back onto a more secure footing.
Ian says
Hi, I finished my 5 year IVA and was asked to do an extra year making it 6 years. I have just received a letter for an annual review even though this is supposed to be my final payment in February.
I spoke to someone on the phone who told me not to worry and ignore it but I’m still getting , messages and a letter saying I could default because of it?
I am currently on Universal Credit for 5 months of not be able to work this year and this seems just to be another kick in the teeth in what has already been a shit last 12 months..
Any advice would be appreciated please?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Who is the IVA firm?
Ian says
Creditfix is the firm
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you email them To complain complaints@creditfix.co.uk.
Give the details of what was agreed last year and say you want them to confirm this months payment is your last.
Ian says
Should I have to do another review of it is my final payment of 6years this month?
I had this last year after 5 years when they added the extra year which I agreed when they confirmed the 6th would indeed be the final year.
I have sent 2 emails to the person I spoke to on the phone who said let him know if I was contacted again, which I did and he hasn’t replied back? I have also contacted another credit fix email but of the complaints, I will try that next thank you.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes there is normally a final review.
Ian says
Okay, thanks Sara.
Lisa says
Hi I’m with credit fix had my first annual review last September where I had to produce previous 3 months bank statements and wage slips all ok.
I then started a new job increase in salary of £150 I was under the impression I didn’t need to disclose this until following years annual review which is due this September I’m now very worried as I’ve read a post saying I could be in breach. My question is I obviously need to update them of new job what can I expect them to ask for ie will I be able to say I’ve just started new job or can they /will they be able to prove otherwise I just want to ring them and truthfully explain it’s been 8 months and hope they don’t breach me please advise I’m worried sick. Any advice what to say will be greatly appreciated thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So £150 a month more after tax? Have any of your expenses increased? Or have any benefits been reduced? These should also be taken into account.
You need to phone them up and say when you started your new job. They can see this from your bank statements or ask for P45 so don’t think about giving the wrong date.
Lisa says
Yes £150 after tax.. I’m hoping to just wait until review due (September) submit what they ask for probably the same x3 months bank statements and x3 months wage slips then see what they say as a friend of a friend has just informed me that when she rang up credit fix to inform of a new job and increase they told her it would just be looked at on her next review.. I’m hoping to do that and deal with what they say then I’m aware they may then ask for more paperwork then abd il just deal with the repercussions then do you think? Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think you should tell them now. Just email them.
Louise says
Hi I’m with Eban Gate who took over Vanguard, I’m due my first review this year (May/June I think) and I have no idea what to expect I’ve no clue as to what they used as a bases when I started my IVA as I never got a copy of my expenses, I’ve changed jobs and am paid fairly similar my rent/bills have not changed although I had to put a different amount on my application as that’s what Vanguard told me to so my rent/bills on the application is very low in comparison to what i actually pay, I tried telling them it was wrong and got told to leave it until the review, my partner has nothing to do with my debts and doesn’t live with me and I’m currently pregnant it’s completely stressing me out as I don’t want to fail the IVA but I’m terrified they will increase my payments and I don’t know what I’ll do once I’m on maternity and have far less income
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That sounds very difficult. Are you managing the payments now? How large are they?
How large are the debts that went into your IVA?
When is the baby due? (congrats by the way – some things are more important than money
Louise says
Payments are £130 a month which is currently manageable, debt was 20k+ Baby is due September time
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Can I ask how you are managing at the moment ir the amount allowed for rent and bills is very low? This normally means people struggle.
Is there a reason you want for an IVA not bankruptcy?
Melissa says
Hi,
We have our review coming up soon. My question is – does money paid to family for childcare count as expenditure? My mum has offered to look after our twins for a small sum each month (cheaper than other childcare and but she couldn’t do it for free). We would love to take her up on the offer but I’m not sure if it would count as an expenditure or if it would have to be with a registered childminder or nursery.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think you need to discuss this with your IVA firm. You can point out that otherwise your expenses will be larger if you have to pay someone else more.
TC says
Hello
My IVA was £80 a month. I got a payrise of 20p per hour, increasing my monthly salary by about £30. I informed the IVA company, who now tell me I should be paying £274 a month!!! How does a £30 a month pay increase mean I have to pay 3 TIMES more for my IVA??
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You should ask your IVA firm how they have calculated that!
Is this your first review? Are you buying or renting? DO you have a car?
TC says
Hello
No it’s not a review, I just informed them I had a payrise as they said I should let them know if my income changes at all. I rent and I do own a car
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So just go back to them and ask how they have arrived at this large increase.
Diana W says
Hello,
I recently had wage rise by 10% (allowed to retain) total £276 more per month. In the same time my maintanance money decresed by £100. During my annual review I was told that £176 difference in my budget becoming available surplus and my mothly payment will be increased by £176. Am I not allowed to keep any of my wage rise at all?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That depends on the T&Cs of your IVA. Many people are allowed to keep half a pay rise. Go back to them and challenge them on this.
Claire says
I have been told by my IVA practitioner that any extra income/bonuses we get to keep after paying 50% to the IVA. If I have received money from the sale of shares as a result of my employer selling part of the company (we had no access to these shares, it was only decided when the company decided to sell) would I be entitled to keep 50% of this also? Or will the full amount be expected to be paid in
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Your IVA firm was aware of these shares?
Claire says
No, they didn’t really exist until the company decided to sell, we never bought them or anything, they were only made available once the company sold up
Sara (Debt Camel) says
ok then I am afraid you have to tell your IVA firm about this and ask them. I don’t know if they will treat this as income – they may treat it as a windfall, in which case it may all have to be paid into your IVA.
Claire says
Thank you for the reply, one more question, are we in a position, as in are we allowed to stop the IVA, as in let it fail, use the shares money to clear our HMRC debt (only reason we went down this route) and then deal with the other creditors ourselves directly, is that allowed??
Sara (Debt Camel) says
No. (Well not unless your IVA firm says you can, which is highly unlikely.)
That would be in breach of your IVA – you have to tell the IVA firm what is happening, not try to get round this.
If you fail an IVA deliberately because you have received a windfall, this is one of the unusual situation where your IVA firm may decideto make you bankrupt.
Claire says
I understand it is in the practioners interest to keep us on the IVA as they get money from it but I thought if we could prove that our creditirs would get more money this way it would be a viable option, not trying to keep the windfall but using it to pay the bigger debts which then allows more money to go the other creditors
Sara (Debt Camel) says
This may feel like a logical option to you but it isn’t going to work.
You and your creditors have signed up to the IVA. And while I don’t often feel sorry for IVA firms, they have incurred costs setting this up and you can’t just choose to abandon the IVA so the IVA fees are not paid.
And from your creditors’ point of view, how do they know you would not just keep the shares money and offer them a low monthly payout?
Claire says
Makes sense, plus I know this way it had an end date, thank you for your help, it is much appreciated
David says
I’ve been told my payments will go up by £30 but my income is the same and some of my expenses are a bit more so I don’t think this is right and my electric and gas will be going up to. Who can I appeal this to?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That doesn’t sound fair. I suggest you go back and ask your IVA firm to look again at this, point out your income hasn’t changed and your expenses have gone up so say you think your monthly payment should reduce.
Your IVA firm can reduce your monthly payment by 15% without having to get approval from creditors.
Most people’s energy bills will be going up. But unless yours already has, you can’t ask for your payment to reduce now. If your next bill is higher or if you are on a prepayment meter and you are told the charges are going up, then you can ask then for your IVA payment to reduce. You don’t have to wait until the annual review next year.
Amir Chughtai says
Hi
I entered an IVA in August 2021, having followed a YouTube advert, which claimed these were government backed. This was misleading for me. This was with Creditfix. I must say, the service i have received so far is unpredictable. It’s seems they need to view my payslips and bank statements every quarterly? Is this the norm? Also i feel like I’m trapped in this deep well, and see no end in sight. I’m nearing retirement age in 7 yrs, and therefore feel extremely despondent, depressed.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Are you renting or buying?
Are the monthly IVA repayments affordable at the moment? How large are they?
Are you self employed, it is unusual to have your bank statements looked at every 3 months.
Amir Chughtai says
Hi
I’m currently living with parents, and in FT employment. Minimum payments are currently £110 per month, but even this is difficult. With cost of living increasing , and domestic fuel costs rocketing up. Life is difficult. On the edge.
Creditfix, tried to increase payments to £15/month, but I declined to accept their revisions. So December payments were not changed.
Please advise why Creditfix want to review quarterly and what rights i may have ?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Do you own a car – how much is it worth?
Are you paying rent to your parents or part of the bills? So you need to be paying more?
Are you happy to carry on living with your parents for the rest of the IVA?
Did your income go up, if not, why did Creditfix ask for more?
What you wrote wasn’t quite clear – did they ask for an extra £15 a month? or increase the payments to £115? or £150?
Teresa says
Hi,
I entered into an IVA in June 2021. In August 2022, I will start to receive my state pension. Should I tell the company at my first annual review that this will be happening, or wait until August, or until my 2023 annual review?
Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Will you still be working?
Do you get any benefits at the moment?
What was said when your IVA was set up about drawing this pension?
How large are your current IVA payments and are they affordable with bills and prices going up?
Are you buying or renting?
Teresa says
I have not been working – I am being supported by my partner, who also owns the house (I do not pay any rent). I didn’t think to mention the pension when the IVA was set up. The payments are manageable, but obviously, fuel, power and food prices have increased considerably. My payments are 360 a month and my pension I estimate will be £600 pm.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
How large were the debts that went into the IVA? Do you own a car? Any assets to protect?
Is your health not good or is it hard to find work?
Is your partner near to retirement?
(I do get round to answering your questions, but it’s good to see more of the picture.)
Teresa says
Debts were over 44000 – had to give up work due to clinical depression, which persists. My partner owns a car, I don’t have any assets apart from personal possessions. My partner is retired and receives a state and private pension (the latter would pass to me in the event of their death. The IVA company is aware of this, and it was taken into account when drawing up the IVA. My state pension will be the only regular income which will be solely in my name.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Last questions
The house. Did your partner own it before you met? Have you made any contributions to it – paid part of the deposit, paid for a new kitchen etc? Is the mortgage paid off, how long ago? And how long have you not been working?
Teresa says
Yes, my partner owned it before we met, the mortgage was also paid off before we met. My contributions have been more in the way of everyday expenses, food, etc., rather than anything to do with the actual house itself. I last worked about 5 years ago and am now 65.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
With your pension, you need to tell the IVA firm when you get it and they will probably expect at least half of it to be paid into the IVA.
Based on what you have said, I think you may have been missold this IVA and you should have been advised to go bankrupt.
In bankruptcy with no income or just a statement pension you would not be expected to make any monthly payments at all. Your partner’s house is not at risk if he owned it with no mortgage before you met. You should certainly have been told clearly by the IVA firm what would happen when you started to get your pension and it sounds as though they did not mention this.
I think you should talk to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 about this and your options now.
It may be that your best option is to tell the IVA firm you will not be making any more payments and you want the IVA to fail – that takes 3 months. During that time you can save up the payments you would have made to the IVA and use them to pay your one-off bankruptcy fee after the IVA has failed.
National Debtline can talk through the pros and cons of this and of course look at your full situation in detail. Do tell them about your depression, which may make it difficult for you to make decisions. They are very nice and friendly, unlike IVA firms they are not pushy, the decision on what to do will be up to you.
Teresa says
Many thanks for your help and advice, Sara. It’s certainly worth thinking about.
Lisa says
I am self employed and took out an IVA in August 2021. I am coming up to my annual review and preparing for that and my financial year ahead. Since I set up my IVA my self employed income has gone up, but so has my expenses. What I am wondering today is if you are allowed to save for a prudent reserve? This would be about 2-3 months of savings to cover ‘holiday pay’ or ‘sick pay’ or something else that came up which left me unable to work for some time but I would still be able to pay my expenses. Do you know if that is allowed if you have an IVA as a self employed person?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
This would have been a good question to ask before you started the IVA.
You certainly should be allowed to put aside money for increased taxes and for lower/no income for reasonable amounts of holiday. But you need to talk to your IVA firm about what a reasonable amount is. Sickness, I don’t know.
You also need to talk in August about how much your energy bills will be going up in October – at the moment it looks like about 25% but in August there should be a better estimate.
Lisa says
Thanks Sara for your reply. Yes I definitely should have asked that question before I started the IVA. I was in quite a muddled headspace and fearful of my debts and financial situation so I guess I wasn’t thinking clearly. I know that I am allowed to save £20 for general savings. I will ask in my review about being prepared for potential sickness or holiday/time off. Thanks for the tip about energy bills. I currently live with my parents but it would be good for me to contribute there if I can seeing as it’s going up so I will have to add that to my budget in August.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You are living with your parents? Do you have any assets to protect in an IVA? How much are you paying a month?
Did you take debt advice from a proper adviser not an IVA firm before setting this up?
Lisa says
Yes I am for now. Though plan to move with my partner at the end of this year or early next year.
I don’t have assets.
I was paying £72 a month, now £59 a month and end of the year it will be £200 a month (that’s how it’s currently laid out but I know it can change after review)
I took verbal advice from the IVA firm only. Did a bit of online research also.
My partner and I are planning to get married next year too. I need to ask advice from IVA company about allowances to save for a (small) wedding.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
This IVA sounds like it may be a disaster. They want to you pay more, they won’t be happy with you having higher bills because you move out from your parents. And they won’t let you save up for a wedding.
If you have no assets to protect and also expected your home situation to change in the next few years then this IVA was almost certainly a very bad option when you started it. And you may have better options than continuing with it.
I suggest you talk now to Business Debtline https://www.businessdebtline.org/ about whether failing the IVA and going for a Debt Relief Order instead (either now or when you move in with partner) would be more suitable.
Nicole says
Hi there,
I’m also in a bit of a situation, I did my IVA last year (November time) and I’ve just received a request for an annual review.
During this summer, I’ve visited a friend of mine in Amsterdam and I really liked it there. I was then asked if I fancied moving there permanently and I decided to take on this opportunity given all the chaos in the UK (fuel increase, gas & electric prices etc.) However, I managed to keep my job and work remotely from here, but I never informed my IVA of this.
I am now worried that this can go against me and they can send me to jail.
I have kept same salary, but now paid to an international bank due to paying taxes in this country.
Do you know what can happen during the first annual review? Should I fail my IVA and then go bankrupt and try to pay my debt other way?
I still want to continue paying it, I’m more worried that I haven’t informed them for moving abroad and changing bank accounts.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You can’t be sent to jail. Not telling your IVA firm something is not a criminal offence.
Are the current payments affordable? Have your living costs reduced from what were listed in your IVA at the start?
Can I ask how large the debts are that went into your IVA? Do you have any assets, eg a house with equity or a car?
Maz says
Hi,
I started an IVA with Carrington Dean in 2020 and then it was changed over to Ebengate. I’ve been paying them £95 a month but on my bank account the money goes to Creditfix. I haven’t ever had a yearly review with them in 2 years ie they haven’t asked for payslips or bank statements etc. I changed jobs but my wages haven’t gone up that much. They sent me my last annual report in Dec 2021. I’ve read bad reviews about this company on trust pilot and I’m worried. Are they legit?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
They are an IVA firm. It is surprising you haven’t had an annual review. If your wages haven’t gone up much, are you struggling to make the £95 payments because of bills and prices going up? If you are, there is help available
Maz says
Hi Sara,
Thanks. I have had my IVA for 2 years now, this being the second year. The first year I didn’t have a yearly review nor did they ask for any payslips or bank statements so I’ve just continued on paying the £95. This year I did start a new job but not a massive payrise maybe an extra £300 a month. They haven’t been in touch re doing a yearly review this year yet. I am ok with the payments at the moment. I also noticed I am not on the IVA register either? Will they up my payments due to my payrise? I haven’t said I’ve started a new job & was waiting until the yearly review to advise them as I’m not sure what to do as this is my first ever IVA and hopefully my last.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You aren’t on the Insolvency Register? This is very off – I think you need to ring them and find out what is happening.