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Hi all, I've just had my OR interview, with a very nice gentleman! As usual it wasn't half as bad as I was expecting! Didn't sleep a wink last night worrying - but just like the court date - I was worrying needlessly. He just asked about my loans and the reasons for taking them out, and went into why I think I got into serious debt. He asked what I'd purchased on my cards and I was honest and said I don't know! I don't have a flash house, had no major tropical holidays and don't have a wardrobe bursting with designer clothes! So I just explained that I got into debt by relying on overtime, supporting my dead-beat ex-partner and generally overspending! I was slightly disappointed that he's only allowing me 2K for a car, (my current car is worth around £6.5K) but I've got to wait for someone to contact me regarding it's value then I'll have the option for a friend to hopefully buy it back. But at least he allowed me a car so I'm grateful for that. I've got negative equity in my home so will have to wait for the regional office to contact me regarding the BI. Regarding my income and expenditure I've listed below what he's allowed:

Mortgage - £553
Housekeeping - £200 (I had £300 and he reduced it)
Gas/Electric - £80 (I had put down £45 and he increased it)
Water - £30 (I had put down £20 and he increased it)
Telephone - £55
Travelling to work - £60 (he said it was quite low!)
Clothing - £60 (usually only allow £30 but I explained that i'm 6ft tall with big feet so can't buy cheap clothes in "normal shops" so he made an exception and allowed it!)
Council Tax - £70 (I had put down £60 and he increased it)
Secured Loan - £273
Union Membership - £23
Dental/Prescriptions - £10
TV Licence - £12
Car tax and Ins - £40
Haircut - £20
Pet care - £20 (for 8 hamsters!)
Holidays - £20 (down from £50)
Parking - £32
Car Repairs - £40 (I'd missed this off and he added it!)

So whereas I had my I&E calculated as £1585, it's actually increased to £1611!

The only downside is that when I supplied the 3 months payslips as requested, I had had to do some overtime (which has all but gone over the last year), so he calculated my surplus income including this overtime. So whereas my basic monthly takehome is £1747 he calculated me as taking home £2142 making a surplus of £531 (I wish!!!!) I explained that if I did have this surplus every month I wouldn't be in this position!!!!! So I could expect a BRU of £370 a month which there is no way i can afford because I can't guarantee the overtime. But he did explain that it usually takes around 3 months to set the BRU up so if in the meantime my income changes, just to keep my wage slips and send them to the solicitor who's going to be dealing with the collection.

So now just waiting for the paperwork, and waiting to hear about my car and house. It's a big relief that the interview's over but now worrying about the BRU! [:(]

Glad it went OK for you!

I am still waiting here and worrying about whether we will get an Income Order too! I have not heard anything from the OR this week. At interview he never really mentioned paying anything back but the next day, we got a letter saying there MIGHT be a surplus!!! There isn’t really! I really slashed the budget and managed to get £20 surplus but we budgeted for a cheap car, I do not think he is going to allow running costs for a car! Even tho, we really do need one!

I am getting more stressed as the days wear on with no news! I fear my car will be taken away any day now and I will be left without one!!!!!

Stupid me, I forget to ring the Child Benefit people until too late, my payment for this month has already gone to the old bank account so I have lost that! I will be really short of money this month!!!!!!!!

Hi brasic

Why did you get a BRU??? I thought you had to do something really wrong to get that and its the first on this forum.

lily

Oh Jane, I have total sympathy for you - waiting is a killer!!! Can you ring the OR and explain about your child benefit? Surely they would allow you to keep this money? Also regarding your car, I don't think they just come and take it, by what the OR said this morning everything seems to take a few months to sort out. Is your car worth a lot or is it that you're just not sure that he's allowing you one? If you or your hubby need it for work then you should emphasise this to the OR. But I know it's horrible waiting, you just feel like your life is standing still. I stupidly thought that once I was made BR that suddenly everything would go away and it would be sorted there and then at the court!!! But do contact the OR and explain about your child benefit - I understand it's not classed as income - so they shouldn't really include it as an asset.

Hi BrassicLintuss - glad that's finally over for you.. Good luck with the BRU - just make sure you do no overtime for the next three months.

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Am glad to see that the hamsters were allowed £20 a month. Pets are important. I dont know what hamsters eat but imagine 8 of them get through quite a lot of it in a month!

Thanks Mike, I don't think overtime is an option anyway over the next few months! I used to be able to pick and choose when I worked overtime, but it's all but stopped - I only had to work overtime to catch up as I'd been off work sick for 5 months!

And as far as my hammies go I started off with 2 male hamsters (well that's what the experts at the pet shop said!), went to visit my parents for 2 weeks, came back and found 6 babies!!! So either my hamsters are a miracle of nature or the experts are so expert as sexing hamsters! So from the 2 hamsters costing me £15 to buy, it's cost me about 15 times that amount because had to buy 2 bigger cages! They live better than I do!!! But yes, pets are important, they certainly cheer me up anyway!

Jane
just call your OR - according to what i was told this morning (am in same position with child benefit going into old bank account) they give you this as its for your children as it were not personal funds and is not your income - the woman this morning told me that I need to call her if it does go in and she will release the funds for me - give them a call and see what they say x

The account was overdrawn and we were told on the phone to the OR that any money that will go in will be kept by the bank and we would have a hell of a struggle to get it back!

Its my own stupid fault really, I should have rung them last Friday but I was to busy stressing about my OR interview[:0]

I think you did well with your expenditure and it confirms that they are more generous than the IVA ones.

A food for thought perhaps we should look at some of those expenses as above for IVA's obviously tailored.

Interested in being allowed a holiday!

I think we could test the water and try something for Christmas and New Year and see what happens! Say as an example £10 per week!

Thanks for the info

Good Luck

Oh no I am so sorry - its not your fault you have been under so much stress some things are bound to slip by the by doesn't help when you have no money though I know

Yes Ray, I was quite surprised that it went up rather than down! Although it is a bit strange that when proposing my IVA I couldn't include any overtime and yet the OR has taken my last 3 months pay as what I normally earn! If I did have £531 spare a month surely I would be in an IVA????!!!!! Regarding the holiday allowance I did explain that this would be used to visit my parents who live abroad, I'd put down £50 as I try and see them at least 3 times a year but he said that the extra costs would have to be met from my surplus. Still, I'm very grateful to be given anything! As you say, if the IVA I&E was more flexible and perhaps a bit more generous then maybe less would fail and have to go down the BR route.

Hi
Regarding income and expenditure lets remember that as well as seeming to be more generous in BK you will only have to pay a max of 70% of your disposible income over three years compared to 100% over five years in an IVA,and I can,t remember anyone getting a holiday allowance in an IVA.
Seems strange
Regards


Andy Davie
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Andy

I think the reason for the holiday was because it was classified as going out to see parents!

I guess the trick is anyone going into IVA or bankruptcy is to send your family overseas!

Hi

Well done for getting through today brassiclintus,

Pippa