SOA Advice please - panicking once more

stressedandconfused_2

:(:( Hi, I will be filling in my SOA on Wednesday, OR interview next Monday 28th - so am sure I will be back to you lot for more invaluable advice...

In the meantime, can anyone tell me what is an acceptable weekly grocery allowance? (me, OH and 5 year old)

Online car valuations are coming in between 1700 - 2800! But they dont allow for the fact the car is a bit of a mess, covered in dents, the interior is shabby etc - how much does your car have to be worth for them to let you keep it?

Are child's subscriptions, ie ballet and swimming lessons allowable?

Dental costs - I personally have some work that needs doing (not cosmetic!) could this be allowable?

Just another billion questions to ask, but will be back to you if thats OK. That's if I can stop hyperventilating!!! Am just dreading the OR meeting - the clerk told me its fine to take my forms and paperwork to the meeting rather than post in advance. Does this mean they will review it all when I have gone and this thing will drag on and on,or do they look at it there and then and decide my fate... I am going on holiday (shock) on 16th October, a family do being paid for by my father in law, booked over a year ago, I am not paying for it) and I suspect this is going to be somewhat ruined. Can I tell them this, I wont be contactable!

In desperation.... THANKS!!

peachyprice

stressedandconfused wrote: »

:(:( Hi, I will be filling in my SOA on Wednesday, OR interview next Monday 28th - so am sure I will be back to you lot for more invaluable advice...

In the meantime, can anyone tell me what is an acceptable weekly grocery allowance? (me, OH and 5 year old) £350

Online car valuations are coming in between 1700 - 2800! But they dont allow for the fact the car is a bit of a mess, covered in dents, the interior is shabby etc - how much does your car have to be worth for them to let you keep it? The OR uses Parkers guide and generally uses the lowest valuation to take into account selling fees etc.. £2k is the most they usually allow.

Are child's subscriptions, ie ballet and swimming lessons allowable? Yes, £5 per child per week.

Dental costs - I personally have some work that needs doing (not cosmetic!) could this be allowable? You are generally allowed £20 per month for medical which covers dentist and prescriptions.

Just another billion questions to ask, but will be back to you if thats OK. That's if I can stop hyperventilating!!! Am just dreading the OR meeting - the clerk told me its fine to take my forms and paperwork to the meeting rather than post in advance. Does this mean they will review it all when I have gone and this thing will drag on and on,or do they look at it there and then and decide my fate... I am going on holiday (shock) on 16th October, a family do being paid for by my father in law, booked over a year ago, I am not paying for it) and I suspect this is going to be somewhat ruined. Can I tell them this, I wont be contactable! Yes, you are allowed to go on holiday, just tell, them the dates. Once the interview is over most contact will be by post anyway.

If they haven't had your forms before the interview there will be things they cannot make a decision on until after, i.e your car. I would, if you possibly can, try to get the forms to them before. When we had our F2F the examiner had already gone through them and shown her recommendations to the OR so could tell us there and then that we could keep the car and the house and that we wouldn't have an IPA.

In desperation.... THANKS!!

Hope that helps some.

RichesToRags

I think housekeeping which would include toiletreis, cleaning products etc would be about £500 ish per month - Better putting too much than not enough as you will have no fall back credit.

Use the Parker guide for your car and the valuation for 'private poor'

Around £5 per week is allowed for out of school activities, but if it's more you can always try to argue your case, if not sucessful the difference can come out of your surplus.

Yes you are allowed dental costs but these would have to be on a monthly basis over the year rather than a lump sum

Good luck!

Holes_in_my_pocket

i disagree by putting to much down reason if they cut that allowance back to allowed amount then you suddenly happen to have a surplas and could end up with a IPA

RichesToRags

I though 500 was about average anyway for 2 adults and 1 child, 200 per adult, 100 per child.

Doesn't it work the same way if you cut it back yourself? If you're going to have too much surplus it doesn't really make a difference whether you cut it or the OR does

Holes_in_my_pocket

If its around correct amount then use surplas on haircuts holiday etc dentst or whatever so they cant cut back that just my opinion and logic

RichesToRags

They are already allowable expenses aren't they? I guess you know better than me as I'm fairly new to all this, maybe my logic is flawed. Hey ho back to the drawing board.

tigerfeet2006

Sorry Peachy can I beg to differ on the groceries and say £450. It's usally £500ish for 2A and 2C and around £400at a push for 2A (official figure is a tadge lower but £400 seems to be accepted mostly.) so inbetween for 2A and 1C.

TotalDespair

Just a thought on allowances, £400 pcm for 2 Adults fine, was just thinking how much the government allows 2 Adults to live on when there unemployed and on JSA, good job the OR dont think down that route or we would be on the breadline and most deffo in more debt, the OR allowances are quite generous for shopping/grocereries or am I gonna be shot down in flames here?

Just adding the footnote Im a mean frugalistic type because of my income being so low so maybe £400 pcm for two adults to a spend as you like person might not be enough...

peachyprice

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

Sorry Peachy can I beg to differ on the groceries and say £450. It's usally £500ish for 2A and 2C and around £400at a push for 2A (official figure is a tadge lower but £400 seems to be accepted mostly.) so inbetween for 2A and 1C.

Sorry TF, I was comparing it to the £450 we spend on 2 adults & 3 children in reality, not what the OR will allow

MicheH

TotalDespair wrote: »

Just a thought on allowances, £400 pcm for 2 Adults fine, was just thinking how much the government allows 2 Adults to live on when there unemployed and on JSA, good job the OR dont think down that route or we would be on the breadline and most deffo in more debt, the OR allowances are quite generous for shopping/grocereries or am I gonna be shot down in flames here?

Just adding the footnote Im a mean frugalistic type because of my income being so low so maybe £400 pcm for two adults to a spend as you like person might not be enough...

My mother in law is on JSA and was very angry at the allowable expenses being so high when they're expected to live off a pitance. Our argument was that DH is working and getting a reasonable salary, there's no comparison between the two I guess