My SOA

normanna

I have made no assumptions - your SOA and responses to others when suggesting cuts does look like wanting your cake and eat it. You'll be glad to hear I won't be responding further.

Willing2Learn

Kimberley wrote: »

Will i be made to go on a pre payment meter for fuel?

MSE Cheap Energy Club

utterly_ashamed

Always seems to be conflicting advice re: SOA. E.g how to ‘bump up’ living costs acceptably to avoid IPA but then another thread you’ll be told where you need to cut down!

I’m in a similar position to you Kimberly - not trying to avoid paying there’s just no way I can service my debts fully anymore. I know I’ll get an IPA though because of my earnings. I’ve made the decision to go down the BR route it’s now just looking at what allowances are acceptable to the OR - not where I can make savings. Totally futile exercise in my case!

I assume the worst that can happen is the OR says which allowances they deem acceptable or not and you go away and try and reduce them if necessary.

Other useful advice I’ve seen is to claim for every section you can eg. Emergency fund, holiday etc.

Also - ignore judgemental replies - most people on here are very nice and helpful 😊

Kimberley

utterly_ashamed wrote: »

Always seems to be conflicting advice re: SOA. E.g how to ‘bump up’ living costs acceptably to avoid IPA but then another thread you’ll be told where you need to cut down!

I’m in a similar position to you Kimberly - not trying to avoid paying there’s just no way I can service my debts fully anymore. I know I’ll get an IPA though because of my earnings. I’ve made the decision to go down the BR route it’s now just looking at what allowances are acceptable to the OR - not where I can make savings. Totally futile exercise in my case!

I assume the worst that can happen is the OR says which allowances they deem acceptable or not and you go away and try and reduce them if necessary.

Other useful advice I’ve seen is to claim for every section you can eg. Emergency fund, holiday etc.

Also - ignore judgemental replies - most people on here are very nice and helpful 😊

Thank you for that 🙂

luvchocolate

Good morning...Some of us on here have been through B.R and we have an idea of what will be allowed, others think its a cost cutting exercise.
I was allowed £25 for hair which is less than I put on my S.O.A but I managed to pinch the extra from other allowances.

Definitely get a yearly pre paid for all your prescriptions.
Surely you can cut down the gardening bill not much to do through the winter months I doubt you will be allowed so much, but sometimes its worth leaving in to see what the examiner says.

No you will not need to have a pre payment meter for fuel.

If you include your mobiles in your B.R the contracts will be cancelled and then get a cheap Pay as you go.

B.R is also about learning from past mistakes and budgeting to make sure going forward you can cope.

macman

Car permit (parking?) £480pa? Seems very high.
You are paying far too much for your energy and internet: renegotiate or move to cheaper tariffs. Mobiles: £55pm means a very high end smartphone, sell it and you can get a basic smartphone for £50, then a SIM only contract for a fiver.
Clothes £60pm?
You have a vets bill and pet insurance totalling £540pa, why do you have both?
Sky: you don't need subscription TV, get rid of and use Freeview or Freesat.
Living expenses: bankruptcy only voids your historic debts. If you continue to live beyond what your income allows, then you will get into debt again. There are only 2 ways to avoid that: reduce your expenditure and/or increase your income.

utterly_ashamed

You can’t sell a phone whilst it is still in the contract period. It’s basically a hire purchase agreement. The phone isn’t hers to sell as yet.

System

Kimberley wrote: »

If I need to cut back I will but many on here have said they give you a reasonable living allowance

One which allows you to afford food etc but not flipperies such as pet insurance and £55 haircuts or paying for other people's mobile phones or for someone to do your gardening.

If you stopped paying for your son's mobile phones and the pet related stuff other than food and did your own gardening which unless you're disabled you're quite capable of doing you could afford to repay your debts without going in an IVA etc.

utterly_ashamed

I’m not sure that’s right. Even by cutting those costs completely out she still wouldn’t have enough spare to cover even the minimum payments which she’s stated are around £550 per month.

Craig1981

utterly_ashamed wrote: »

I’m not sure that’s right. Even by cutting those costs completely out she still wouldn’t have enough spare to cover even the minimum payments which she’s stated are around £550 per month.

it is to cut those costs for the application itself.

however, IMHO, there is some high end needless costs like gardening (two children still at home that can surely lend a hand?) £55pcm mobile phone contract, good decent phone with contract well under £30 a month. Haircuts - Cellys is a £9.90 place - cut and dry £20

if the OP is deciding to go BR, then there is definite savings that need to be made in order for this not to happen again ongoing