# Personal Insolvency Living Allowances - Don't believe the hype



## frostie (25 Apr 2013)

In recent weeks, the media and politicians have been highlighting the  criteria of acceptable living expenses under the new Personal Insolvency  Act. 

Reports suggest a person may be required to quit their job in  order to reduce expenditure on childcare, they may have to surrender  their car if there is adequate public transport locally, and they will  have to live on a set amount of money every week to cover food,  clothing, utility bills and other normal family expenses.

This has caused some anxiety and stress for those seeking to avail of  the new debt relief mechanisms contained in the Act, but it must be  understood that this is not as black and white as it has been described,  and is similar to process of evaluating the circumstances of a  distressed debtor under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP).  The difference is that under MARP, the banks have been negotiating  directly with the borrower, and not the intermediary – the Personal  Insolvency Practitioner (PIP), whose responsibility it is to obtain the  full financial picture of the debtor.


 Accepted levels of living expenses, called ‘trigger figures’ already  exist in the UK, and are used extensively by Insolvency Practitioners  and Citizens Advice Bureaux when compiling the Common Financial  Statement under Insolvency laws there, so it is not surprising that our  own Insolvency Service is following the same course.


 The purpose of the ‘trigger figures’ in the financial statement are  that they are designed to serve as a guideline to Personal Insolvency  Practitioners in terms of how much a family should be spending on normal  living expenses, such as food, electricity, heating oil and medical  expenses. They are designed to ensure that applications made under the  new Insolvency Act are as efficient as possible, and that questionable  expenses are explained at the earliest stage.


 The idea is, that a PIP along with the debtor, will work through the  various expenses that the debtor has, to be submitted to their  creditors. An expenditure of €600 per month on food and groceries would  not be unreasonable for a family of two adults and two dependents.  However where there are only two adults in the household, €600 would be  considered unacceptable. This would be alerted to the PIP that is  unlikely to be accepted, without some explanation, for example where a  coeliac person or someone with Crohn’s disease has specific dietary  requirements, and foods can be more expensive.


 As another example, if you are unemployed living in an urban area,  and spending €200 per month on fuel would be questioned, however if you  live in a rural area, this would probably be acceptable, as they have to  leave kids to school or use the vehicle every time they go to the  shops.


 Similarly, where a family has a vehicle, it will not normally be the  case that the vehicle should be sold, unless the vehicle is not fit for  purpose, or a cheaper alternative may be available. It is unlikely that a  debtor would be able to keep a 2011 BMW, however the family could trade  down to a more reasonable or economical vehicle. Remember that in  bankruptcy, you are allowed to keep a vehicle up to the value of €2000.


 The surrender of private health insurance is a contentious issue, but  it may not necessarily have to be surrendered, as there are other  factors which PIPs will have to take into account, for example if there  is a history of illness or the age of the debtor, as an illness could  cause an acceptable arrangement to fail.


 You may not be allowed to have a full Sky package, but that does not  mean you have to cancel it. You may be allowed to keep the basic  package. You are entitled to have a life, not just an existence.


 This process is also not a new concept. Prior to the introduction of  the Personal Insolvency Act, we already have extensive experience of  assisting debtors restructure their debts through informal arrangements,  and this process is well established when negotiating with creditors.  It is certainly not reinventing the wheel, but it will come under more  scrutiny over the months and years ahead, once the new Insolvency regime  takes effect.


 It  must be remembered though, that the new reliefs available, such as the  Debt Settlement Arrangement and the Personal Insolvency Arrangement are  negotiations in themselves. PIPs must be fair to both the creditor and  the debtor alike, and by acting as the intermediary will be required to  get the best outcome for both parties. It will mean concessions on both  sides, and it will not work unless both parties to the negotiation are  realistic.

www.frost.ie


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