IVA Finding It Tough & Extra Income Advice Please

getdebtfree

Hi all

Nearly two months in now must say finding it hard without an overdraft and credit cards, but at least we are living within our means sort of.

Although it feels hand to mouth and something always comes up that cost money..

Anyhow some advise please...

My wife is due to give birth in March and we have informed our IVA company of extra maternity pay we will get, and possibly additional tax credits and child benefit.

Now my question is...

When we first did our IVA I run through the income and expenditure with the team from my IVA company over the phone.

I missed a lot of our expenditure out I must say I forgot a few things but we were very happy with the amount we had to pay back.

Although things are tight for us..

But now we have extra income but I want to get our expenditure right so we are not left short with no lifeline..

Now we will be a family of six one of which will be a baby, btw we were ok financially when we conceived. Things went wrong towards the end of the pregnancy. Just had to put that in as had a very rude person on here telling me having another child was the last thing I should be thinking of.

So I never looked into this

but can someone tell me

Is there a guideline for each expenditure I have? I mean what is the maximum a family of 6 will be allowed for food

what is the maximum a family of 6 will be allowed for fuel?

what is the maximum a family of 6 will be allowed for clothes?

I mean now my IVA is approved and with my extra income I would like to know what all the maximum allowances are for each expenditure.

Thanks as usual everyone

getdebtfree

I just cant find it , Im looking for cccs budget guidelines for 2013. I can only find it for 2011 and things have gone up so much recently.

And also for their budget planner where do I find that? I went to the website but couldnt find an income and expenditure option.

can anyone help

as I want to get the guidelines right this time and be left with more money while our extra income lasts.

Thanks

getdebtfree

ah i think i found it, its changed

www.stepchange.org

Anondebtadvisor

The maximum for a family of 2 adults and 4 children is £669 per month for food and toiletries

Fuel is whatever it is but you may have to prove what you are spending

Clothes and footwear Maximum £113 per month

Depth_Charge

Anondebtadvisor wrote: »

The maximum for a family of 2 adults and 4 children is £669 per month for food and toiletries

Fuel is whatever it is but you may have to prove what you are spending

Clothes and footwear Maximum £113 per month

Hi

Interesting figures

I understand that the Common Financial Statement (CFS) amounts may be higher.

The Common Financial Statement is mentioned in the IVA protocol and used by agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.

If I heard right today I understand that the CFS figures may also be amended upwards soon.

People and families should not be struggling when they have entered debt payment arrangement plans.

Things are getting so difficult with the increase in the cost of living etc and any unexpected event or breakdown can just make the expenditure figures on paper look nonsense.

It will get worse, there has to be a rethink to help people or the IVA industry will just collapse, its looking in freefall now.

These are my honest opinions.

getdebtfree

Depth_Charge wrote: »

Hi

Interesting figures

I understand that the Common Financial Statement (CFS) amounts may be higher.

The Common Financial Statement is mentioned in the IVA protocol and used by agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.

If I heard right today I understand that the CFS figures may also be amended upwards soon.

People and families should not be struggling when they have entered debt payment arrangement plans.

Things are getting so difficult with the increase in the cost of living etc and any unexpected event or breakdown can just makes the expenditure figures on paper look nonsense.

It will get worse, there has to be a rethink to help people or the IVA industry will just collapse, its in freefall now.

These are my honest opinions.

Hi depth charge

Yes you know what it is a struggle on my postie wage

I hate taking tax credits to... but the cost of living is just ridiculus

everything just keeps going up

a big shop as we call it used to cost us 80 - 90 quid

to feed my family of 6 its EASY to spend £130 a week and thats still basic no good meats and all processed crap.

fuel I seem to be putting 30 quid in the car a week and thats just to and from work.

And everything else its just to expensive.

I just wanted the guidelines as we are getting maternity pay now as my wife was previously unemployed. But still entitled to it.

We just wanted the guidelines to what you can spend of course im not gonna max out on everything.

I found a cccs 2011 budget guide PDF

but living has gone up way high compared to 2 years ago..

Depth_Charge

getdebtfree wrote: »

Hi depth charge

Yes you know what it is a struggle on my postie wage

I hate taking tax credits to... but the cost of living is just ridiculus

everything just keeps going up

a big shop as we call it used to cost us 80 - 90 quid

to feed my family of 6 its EASY to spend £130 a week and thats still basic no good meats and all processed crap.

fuel I seem to be putting 30 quid in the car a week and thats just to and from work.

And everything else its just to expensive.

I just wanted the guidelines as we are getting maternity pay now as my wife was previously unemployed. But still entitled to it.

We just wanted the guidelines to what you can spend of course im not gonna max out on everything.

I found a cccs 2011 budget guide PDF

but living has gone up way high compared to 2 years ago..

Hi

Prices have rocketed since 2011 and are rising all the time, fuel is the prime example

I cant put up the CFS figures as Im not allowed to.

Hope you can work something out with your IVA.

Let us know how you go on

Wishing you the very best

getdebtfree

ill just have to go on the 2011 budget guide and what we spend and work out an average maybe try and give us a little bit of slack in there...

cheers

lucieloo

Hi , just thought id share something with you, i rang my iva company yesterday and told them i wanted to put a full and final offer in. To do this i had to do a i&e over the phone with them. My food is set at £520 from 5 years ago and i asked if i could up this as it wasnt enough for 2 adults and 2 teenagers and 1 10 year old she said she thought it was too high!!! i was so angry. She then went on to tell me that £70 for clothing for us all was too high. I am so mad i wanted to scream at her. She sounded really young so probably doesnt have no idea what a big shop costs. I know i got myself into this mess and i am doing something about it and i would continue to pay right up until every single penny that i owe back but they need to get into the real world!! good luck though x

FiatFan_2

I don't know what it is about this year, but I've started feeling quite under pressure with our budget. It felt like we had enough allowances to live comfortably and not feel to restricted by the conditions of the iva but things are changing rapidly.

Similar to lucieloo's position it turns out my job isn't as secure as I thought and I'm possibly going to be transferred elsewhere. Might give chance to re negotiate the I&E if my income changes before the annual review. Think they'll have a fit when they see some of our proposed amendments!

good luck with nr 6 getdebtfree, hope you get sorted with your IP

getdebtfree

FiatFan wrote: »

I don't know what it is about this year, but I've started feeling quite under pressure with our budget. It felt like we had enough allowances to live comfortably and not feel to restricted by the conditions of the iva but things are changing rapidly.

Similar to lucieloo's position it turns out my job isn't as secure as I thought and I'm possibly going to be transferred elsewhere. Might give chance to re negotiate the I&E if my income changes before the annual review. Think they'll have a fit when they see some of our proposed amendments!

good luck with nr 6 getdebtfree, hope you get sorted with your IP

Hows it going fiatfan?

Thanks for your replies as always

yes

our rent just went up 20 quid a month, food seems to have gone up 20 quid a WEEK...fuel is a fortune...

And utility bills dont get me started there...

well as we have this extra maternity pay I just wanted to make sure we get the right expenditure I missed a lot out originally.

at the moment are allowed £560 for food and housekeeping..

thats with 5 of us

now soon there will be six

more petrol, more rent, more food, higher utility bills...

dam im hoping we will be better off after new expenditure sheet..

I couldnt find the budget guidelines anywhere and CCCS were unhelpful this time

cheers

marcus