Well my 2nd review has just been done and dusted, so only 3 more years to go.
Only question I have is why can't you add sports/hobbies allowance to your I&E?
I never knew I was allowed to add an allowance for this when I started my IVA until I read this forum and the budget guidelines, but when I asked if I could add it this year I was told no, it had to be included from the start and would just have to come out of my contingency.
If your contingency allowance was increased to take account of sports and hobbies your IP has an arguble case. If however your contingency is the guideline figure and there is nothing for sports and hobbies you are entitled to ask for it.
Thanks everyone. My contingency hasn't increased and remains at £50 a month as it has been from day one. Not sure if this is the normal figure for everyone?
Oh well, if they have said no and won't budge then there is not much I can do really. The argument from the IP was that creditors will not accept adding £10 for a hobby each month is classed as necessary if it hasn't been there from the start.
Last edited by SuperGert on Wed Jul 24, 2013 5:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Its hard isn't it. I wanted to add our children's spending money to our budget , but have been told twice now that the creditors wont like it and would need to take it out of our contingency fund also. We're with Payplan and also have a £50 a month contingency fund for a family of 4 !
Perhaps people should be aware of things like this when they are directed to insolvency firms by the banks. Independent firms may be better places to go for advice.
These firms should give the correct allowances at the start and these problems would not arise. It may depend on the ethos of the firms involved as to whether they try and maximise the return to creditors and thereby their fees and commission, or they act as honest brokers and try and reach a sensible agreement.
What does the contingency allowance of £50 actually cover SuperGert? And are you a single person, or married and with a family? Which firm are you with, and did you provide them originally with the figure for contingency, or was this something that they suggested to you?
This is not to say that you would be entitled to claim all of them at the maximum rate - just that these are levels that creditors would deem to be reasonable.
Well success with the allowance for sports and hobbies being added to my I&E, and they have allowed me £15 a month.
On the other hand however I am not allowed to claim £5 a month to cover school trips, even though the CCSS guidelines say that I am allowed £6. Apparently this too has to come out of my contingency as it is pro-rated because kids don't attend school for the whole 12 months of the year.
Oh well, you win some but not others, even though I am not asking to claim very much. I must admit though I am not sure where Payplan get there numbers from, and why advice about what can/cannot be claimed varied so much from each advisor
Well done on the sports and hobbies addition. I feel Payplan are being a bit tight on the school trips. I was allowed these by both my companies and my creditors even accepted their inclusion in the figures showing my D.I to have substantially reduced.
As for being pro-rated -- that is rubbish -- the guidelines allow for the fact that the school year isn't for 12 months --- £72 for an academic year doesn't go far anyway.
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
