help please-desperate after OR interview!

Richard_S

Hi chrissyxx,

Your son's O.R has certainly gone way beyond what is reasonable, and he should state unequivocally that he doesn't accept the O.R's budget. If he continues to refuse to accept it, and he should, then it will be put before a Judge to decide what is fair.

My guess is that once the O.R realises that your son is prepared to go to Court he will be far more prepared to agree to a workable budget.

What he's suggested is punitive, and totally unacceptable.

Regards

Richard

NekoZombie

Here is how I would work your sons I & E:

Rent (including a contribution to gas, elec, water and council tax): 250
Housekeeping: £100
Travel: 50 (to get the bus to and from work, and other short journey e.g. supermarket)
Child Maintenance: 140
Holiday: 40
Clothing: 40
Haircuts: 10
Dentist: 20 (including oral hygenist 2 times a year)
Eyecare: 4 (I claimed for a pair of sunglasses with UVA UVB protection and one eye test a year)
Mobile: 35 (£50 is a bit too much really)
Prescription could be added if your son needs to pay for them.

Total so far: 655 which just about puts you under the minimum level to claim an IPA if the salary maximum is £750.

The way I tackled it with my Or was to write a letter with a reason why I needed each thing. An example is:


Clothing £40

I am required to maintain a smart appearance at work – this amount goes towards work clothes, shoes, and, funds allowing, casual wear.

Mobile £35 (3 mobile)

I do not have a fixed telephone line, but use my mobile to make all calls. The amount I spend can fluctuate, but is usually £30 line rental with additional charges of approximately £5. I am happy to supply copies of my bills as necessary.

Richard_S

Excellent Post Neko,:A

You beat me to that one.:eek:

That is a budget that's fair and one that I'd be more than happy to justify before a Judge; I just can't see a Court not accepting that in it's entirety.

Rich

susiehasdebts

Hi,

I don't know much about the OR (haven't got quite that far yet), but it seems to me that he is paying too much child maintenance. I appreciate that he probably wants to keep relations with his child's mother good, but if it was through the CSA, they would only take 15% of his pay, so considerably less than he is paying now - also, as he is caring for his son while the mother works, perhaps he could negotiate with her, as he is saving her childcare. My ex is fairly skint, so even though money would've been great, i agreed not to take any until his financial situation improved (before anyone says anything - it wouldn't be nearly enough to save me from BR!!), in return for some childcare while i work. It seems that if he is paying maintenance, doing childcare and paying to pick up/drop off baby, that unless he is also getting some of the tax credits and child benefit, he is getting a raw deal!! Hope it all works out.

Oldernotwiser

susiehasdebts wrote: »

Hi,

I don't know much about the OR (haven't got quite that far yet), but it seems to me that he is paying too much child maintenance. I appreciate that he probably wants to keep relations with his child's mother good, but if it was through the CSA, they would only take 15% of his pay, so considerably less than he is paying now - also, as he is caring for his son while the mother works, perhaps he could negotiate with her, as he is saving her childcare. My ex is fairly skint, so even though money would've been great, i agreed not to take any until his financial situation improved (before anyone says anything - it wouldn't be nearly enough to save me from BR!!), in return for some childcare while i work. It seems that if he is paying maintenance, doing childcare and paying to pick up/drop off baby, that unless he is also getting some of the tax credits and child benefit, he is getting a raw deal!! Hope it all works out.

And, being cynical, the OR may not believe him!

G-G_4

You say £80 for petrol? Is that his car? If so he will need insurance, tax, mot and repairs money? Just a thought...

loopy_lou1

I live at home with my parents. I pay £200 rent, £180 housekeeping and £80 petrol and mine was not taken from me. I would appeal about this as it's unreasonable and the mobile! This man has a child. It does sound like your OR is a bit of an ogre could you speak to someone else in them office - or even ask to have your I&E amended - sounds really nasty.

welshpaula

i was allowed £18 a month for denplan and £11 a month for dog insurance if that helps ,just trying to think of more expenditure for him ! your or must have pms lol,good luck paula x

chrissyxx

Cant thank you all enough for all the help and support youve given us today. We were totally worried sick after the interview, and felt that bankruptcy had put son in an even worse financial position, so your support has been a life saver. He has now taken all your advice on board and redrafted a new budget sheet, to include a lot of the things we didnt know he could claim for, or that we had been paying for him. Astonishingly, and still being scrupulously honest, we find that now eligible (hopefully) outgoings actually total around £655, against an average take home of £660-680 (the £750 was when he was doing more hours). He has also written a letter to OR saying why he felt the proposals were unfair and saying that he disgreed with it. I just hope they dont think we are trying to pull a fast one by adding more outgoings and changing things! How I wish we had found this forum sooner! Thank you all again....will keep you updated!

TaxAvoider

Can I ask a tough question ..... was your son co-operative with the OR or did he go in there with a aggressive attitude ? the reason I ask is that in my experience, if you show a calm manner to anyone in authority, you get a lot more help than if you go in on the front foot so to speak. When I went into the OR Interview, she was so helpful it was amazing. I had not found this forum before, so I had no idea about I&E rules. The OR went out of her way to help me claim for as possible.

Good news that you are contesting it, be firm but polite and hopefully the judge will see things your way. At the moment all that will have been prepared is an IPA - Agreement , it is the court that makes an IPO - Order

Have you had the IPA letter back yet from the OR ? from memory, I recall that there were notes sent with it