Another go at an SOA

rufus79

Well, I am hoping to go to court on, or very soon after, 29th June (as that is payday!). I still don't have a job to go to, so am still working on an estimated income of £600-800 per month, which is likely to vary if I end up temping.

Here we go...

Rent (inclusive of bills) £330
Housekeeping £200
Health/dental/optical £ 25
Clothing £ 40
Haircuts £ 10
Travel £ 40
Phone £30
Contingency £25

Total £700

Any suggestions??

Thanks

NekoZombie

I recently had my houskeeping knocked down from 200 to 184. I would up clothing allowance to £40, as that is what you are allowed. Also £40 holiday, £10 drycleaning. Do you have home insurance maybe? Optical, I was allowed £4 per month towards one eye test a year and a modest pair of sunglasses. Prescritpions £15. Dental I was allowed £32. You will not be allowed the contingency, or at least I wasn't.

rufus79

Have updated clothing - was a mistake, had meant £40.

rufus79

Ok, i have just worked out my exact health etc figure, and it comes to almost £40. If I can provide evidence, is this likely to be accepted at all?

Prescriptions (prepayment averaged over a year) £8.33
Dental (£189 NHS charge, averaged over a year) £15.75
Optical (contact lenses inc checkups ) £15.50

Total £39.58 rounded to £40

fermi

rufus79 wrote: »

Ok, i have just worked out my exact health etc figure, and it comes to almost £40. If I can provide evidence, is this likely to be accepted at all?

Prescriptions (prepayment averaged over a year) £8.33
Dental (£189 NHS charge, averaged over a year) £15.75
Optical (contact lenses inc checkups ) £15.50

Total £39.58 rounded to £40

That would seem reasonable, especially if you can provide proof.

The guidelines the OR's claim to work from say:

Prescription charges

Where the bankrupt is liable to pay for prescriptions and is claiming for multiple item monthly prescription charges, the official receiver/trustee should assess whether the costs claimed are in excess of the average monthly prescription costs available under either a six-month or annual pre-payment certificate. These prepayment certificates can provide a considerable reduction in the monthly cost of prescriptions where an individual has to pay for more than five prescription items in four months or 14 items in 12 months.

Dental and optical treatment

Where the bankrupt can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the official receiver/trustee that he/she has no NHS dental service practically available to them (for example where they live and/or work in a remote area), this type of expenditure may include items such as a dental payment plan for treatment at a privately run dental practice, however this should only be considered where there is no practical NHS alternative.

So the fact that you are using prepayment for prescriptions, and NHS dental treatment, show you are doing everything to keep the costs as low as is reasonable.

NekoZombie

Ok, so how about holidays? As I said, £40 for that.:D

rufus79

NekoZombie wrote: »

Ok, so how about holidays? As I said, £40 for that.:D

I didn't even think of holidays - I just don't have them! Unless you count a weeks camping in Norfolk! (£50 for the week inc breakfast - bargain!).

fermi

rufus79 wrote: »

I didn't even think of holidays - I just don't have them! Unless you count a weeks camping in Norfolk! (£50 for the week inc breakfast - bargain!).

It's worth putting them in.

If you don't then the OR will definitely not allow you anything for them.

Holidays

Whilst extravagance is not endorsed in this respect, it may be considered a reasonable domestic need to allow the bankrupt and his/her family to benefit from a non-extravagant holiday as a break from routine. Expensive or luxury holidays (particularly if the holiday is abroad) are likely to cause offence to creditors but an allowance of between £60-£80 per month (amounting to £720-£960 per annum) for a household of 4 people should allow the bankrupt and his/her family sufficient funds to take a moderate annual holiday. Should the bankrupt consider this allowance insufficient to fund a holiday, he/she should be informed that any additional holiday cost that he/she may wish to incur must be funded from the amount of surplus income left with him/her after deduction of the assessed IPA/IPO contribution.

rufus79

So I guess £25 would be somewhere to start for just me?

fermi

rufus79 wrote: »

So I guess £25 would be somewhere to start for just me?

Sounds about right.

It's an individual decision by each OR as to what they allow.
Some may allow you more, some less, and some none at all.

Whatever they allow you, if anything, is a bonus.

REMEMBER: There are no fixed "entitlements" for the OR to work from when it comes to reasonable expenditure. Their guidelines are ONLY guidelines, NOT rules.

NekoZombie

No, £40. I'm single, no dependents and that is what I was allowed. Rufus, you have to ask for what you are entitled to, cause no-one will just give it to you. Plus I suspect you have got used to 'making do' while you were servicing your debts; the last thing you want is to have your SOA so tight you can barely afford to live and possibly get into debt again. Remember, bankruptcy is a fresh start - you can expect to live like the average person now, and that includes holidays!