I & E Need Advice Urgently

chambers_2

Both my Husband and I have decided to go bankrupt after 12 months of getting nowhere. Unfortunately we have seperated and no longer live together, but are still good friends.

My I & E should be straight foward. I am on maternity benefit my only income and am living with my in-laws until after the baby is born and then I will try and get a job. Therefore I do not have much income for the OR to take.

My Husband has custody of our daughter who is 3 (this was mutually agreed due to my circumstances). He works full time and earns £1300 per month basic, he sometimes gets overtime but this is not guaranteed.

He receives £390 housing benefit, and £550 tax credits per month plus child benefit £78, I believe child benefit can't be counted when applying and IPO.

His outgoings are as follows:

Rent £900
Gas £50
Electric £40
Phone £30
Mobile £40 (contract)
Water £20
Council Tax £180
Housekeeping £250
Childcare £558
TV Licence £12
Contents Insurance £15
Petrol £50
Car Insurance £26
Car Servicing £20
Road Tax £15
Optitions £20
Haircuts £15
Prescriptions/Medicines £5
Swimming/Football Subs £20
Christmas/Birthdays £30
Clothes & Footware £40
Pet Insurance/Vets £15

His total out goings are £2351

Income without overtime (including benefits and child benefit) is £2328
Income with overtime (average but not guaranteed each week) is £2478

Does this I & E look ok. I am concerned about his rent being high for just himself and our daughter. However he was in cheaper accommodation (£775 the average were we live for two bedroom) but the landlady decided to sell. My Husband tried estate agents and they would not help as he is blacklisted. The council have said he is not high priority. Therefore someone his dad knows agreed to rent him a property which was originally £1200 per month (3 bedroom house) but said he could have it for £900 to help him out. As it was all he was able to find he agreed. I am worried the OR may question the rent, the last thing my daughter needs is to be up-routed again as she is happy in her new home.

Please any help or advice greatly appreciated.

Richard_S

Hi chambers,

Benefits are not usually taken into account as income, so your ex looks as though he's well under the threshold for having to pay an IPA.

As for rent, the O.R will view that in terms of what is acceptable in the area where he lives.

First impressions are that there's nothing to worry about. It'll be interesting to see what the other guys & gals think.

Richard

fermi

I can't see anything massively wrong with that either.

An OR might allow/disallow/tweak the odd thing or two (so it looks as if they are earning their money) but I don't think it will have a fundamental impact.

Saying that, I&E's aren't my strongest point so wait and see what others think.