had my OR interview today

sententia_2

Today I had my OR interview so I’m sharing my own experience. I requested (because of my mental health situation) to have my interview conducted face to face rather than over the phone.

I had previously sent them my financial records and cut up cards as required. The lady I saw was personable but professional and didn’t act judgementally.

She confirmed my name and address, what assets I had declared and my pension details.

She then went through each of my creditors asking why I had obtained that credit and what it had been spent on. This took about 1 hour. I was as honest as I could be as to what I could remember. She also spent time asking about who my mental health condition had effected my perceptions and actions over the past few years, and took time to read the supporting letter statementing my psychiatric problems.

She said they’d written to my bank saying they had no interest in my account and that they had recommended I should be able to keep it. It was a basic bank account with Yorkshire Bank I’d opened prior to bankruptcy.

She then went through my budget. She asked about the car, accepted that I needed it for work, and granted me an exemption. She noted that I had recently used a credit card to replace my computer, but said that I could also keep that as I needed it too communicate given my mental health condition. She also actually improved the amount I should be allowed for food and heating. The only thing she cut the clothing allowance from £40 to £20.

She then said she intended to propose a three year IPA calculated at 66% of my surplus income and asked if I was happy to sign a draft agreement to come into effect on January first.

So all in all, much less of a frightening experience for me than I might have expected. I think I was fortunate to have an examiner who understood the impact poor health and have on a persons financial management.

I don’t know what further enquiries they now need to make, but hopefully having gone through everything face to face I hope there isn’t too much more I have to worry about.

brightonbelle62

Hi, thanks for posting your experience, very helpful....

I was wondering if it would be helpful for me to get supporting reports for the OR when I have an interview?? I have had mental health problems since about 2002 and this has definately had a negative affect. Hopefully everything's stable now and finally dealing with this mess. I mentioned MH on my bankruptcy statement but kept it brief - should I expand??

sententia_2

if your mental health condition has impacted on you getting into a financial mess - absolutely! They are interested in the reasons for why you did things. If you can evidence this and a doctor is willing to make a declaration to that effect then I'd say yes. I'm not 100% through the process yet so the proof of the pudding as to whether they've treated it seriously and taken it into account will come later. At the end of the day there's always the possibility that I get smacked with a BRU irrespectively of the fact that I'm an official fruit-loop! (i'm being self-deprecating ! )

Sunk

Glad you got through the interview:beer:

Rylynn

Pleased it went okay for you. Hope everything else does now as well.

Take Care.

RL

Queen

I'm really glad it all went ok, what value did they put on your car, out interview by telephone is next Tuesday so starting to get all stressed but I can only answer the questions honestly.

fiveyearplan

Well done Sententia! Glad it went okay. Were you happy with the IPA draft?

sententia_2

Queen wrote: »

I'm really glad it all went ok, what value did they put on your car, out interview by telephone is next Tuesday so starting to get all stressed but I can only answer the questions honestly.

because of the high mileage on my car (125k!) she valued it at £875

sententia_2

fiveyearplan wrote: »

Well done Sententia! Glad it went okay. Were you happy with the IPA draft?

yes, the IPA draft was fine and reasonable