IPA on hold - 8 months to gi

wonderpupp

Self bankrupted October 2018, (closed business 2014 and pulled the pin trying to pay off old debt while working)
IPA imposed November 2018 with Clarke wilmott. Discharged from BR after 12 months. Got pregnant, not planned, but hey was financially stable and future looking bright)  went on maternity leave dec 19 got made redundant feb 2020 apparently brexit. Had to fight to get my SMP payments and redundancy pay. 

Agreed no ipa payments with CW from start of redundancy. IPA switched to Advantis sept 2020. They chased for payment, I explained agreement / change of circumstances wit OR / CW (which they knew nothing about) and (eventually) agreed still on hold while I’m on Universal Credit. (While caring for  newborn and tribunal for ex employer. Great stress!) 

IPA is due to end November 2021  - Advantis politely remind me there’s £6k left to pay when I contact them for an update, as I have no written/ email confirmation my payments are on hold with them. 

Will it just be written off at November 2021 (end of 3 years IPA)  or is this hanging over me for longer?  I get no straight answer from Advantis, and OR don’t seem to help because I’m discharged!
just want to be able to sleep without worrying about paying off 6k! 

Minkym00

Ignore what Advantis have told you, they’re just a debt collector and they don’t have a clue about an IPA actually works. An IPA is not a debt and you shouldn’t think of it that way.  If you were in arrears simply because you had the money and didn’t pay it over it would be different, but that is not why your payments were suspended.

An IPA is no longer applicable if your income reduces and you don’t have any surplus. The amount you originally agreed to pay is not suspended until you can afford to pay it, it is written off.

If you get a job before November then you are obliged to tell them, and your IPA will be assessed according to your new circumstances. If there is a surplus you need only pay that amount until November, at which point payments will cease completely. You cannot be made to pay this £6k, or any payments after November, as the legislation simply doesn’t allow it.

Remember you signed an agreement with the OR, not Advantis, and don’t hesitate to complain about them if needs be.