www.iva.co.uk

I have been looking into benefits today and it would seem we are entilted to about half our rent on housing benefit. I am going to fill in the 23 page forms and claim it, which would allow me to be a little more honest doing our budget. But the cccs budget thingy didn't have a section for income from housing benefit, do you think i just decrease my rent to what we actually pay. I didnt over estimate on my original budget i under estimated on things like food and clothes etc to actually make it look like we have some surplus income worth looking at. With the extra £300 towards our rent we would actually have a monthly figure worth submitting.

It's always best to be honest about your income and expenditure as you'll be setting your IVA up to fail from the beginning, do claim all your benefits you're entitled to and once your benefit is granted ensure all figures go off to your IP x

Agree with Lesley. Don't under estimate your outgoings, be totally honest. Otherwise you are setting up yourself to fail an IVA.
Im actually so paranoid I think I would declare I spent a pound and won it back on a scratchcard![:D]

Show the housing benefit as income, and the rent at its full value.

What a nice surprise for you - I wonder how many other people could be claiming housing benefit that don't realise they can.

Definitely echo everyone's comments about putting true figures. I know you wanted your case to look worthwhile but remember it is only you and your family who have to live on the numbers and if they don't provide enough you'll end up being one of the few IVA nightmares we hear about. Hopefully now with this new additional income you actually do have a proposal that is both reasonable and realistic.

Best of luck with it,

Thanks all. I am going to print all the forms etc out at work today and all the info I need and send it off. See what happens from there. It'll take a while to go through mind you. I assumed that as we both work this is not something we could claim but apparently we can. It'll help until I get my baby to full time school and can get back to work nearly full time.

Tina S wrote:

What a nice surprise for you - I wonder how many other people could be claiming housing benefit that don't realise they can.

Definitely echo everyone's comments about putting true figures. I know you wanted your case to look worthwhile but remember it is only you and your family who have to live on the numbers and if they don't provide enough you'll end up being one of the few IVA nightmares we hear about. Hopefully now with this new additional income you actually do have a proposal that is both reasonable and realistic.

Best of luck with it,

A hell of a lot of people could be claiming a lot of things but they dont realise it.

Paul