How is my Partner affected by my IVA?

How is my Partner affected by my IVA?

Your partner is not included in your IVA. However they could still be affected by the Arrangement in a number of ways.

Included in this article:

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Is your Partner’s Income included in your IVA?

If you are living with a partner or spouse their income has to be declared in your IVA application. This is because the amount you pay into the Arrangement is calculated using the household disposable income.

Legally speaking your partner is not responsible for paying debts in just your name. However their income has to be included in the income and expenditure statement to show that they are contributing their fair share towards the household bills.

The fact they contribute to the bills is then reflected by splitting the household disposable income between you. This is done using the same percentage split as your income contributions. Your share will have to be paid into the IVA. Your partner can keep theirs to pay for their own commitments.

Some creditors require that 100% of household disposable income is paid into an IVA. They argue this reflects the fact that both you and your partner have benefited from the money you borrowed.

Struggling to get your head round all of this? We can help. Call us (0800 011 4712) or complete the form at the bottom of the page. The advice is free and confidential.

What happens if your Partner has their own Debts?

Your partner may have debt in their own name. Where this is the case they should be allowed to continue paying it from their share of the household disposable income.

There will only be an issue with this if their monthly debt payments are greater than their share. If so it might be possible for them to continue with their payments if savings can be made from your agreed household expenditure budget.

If not and your partner cannot afford to continue paying their debt you may need to consider a Joint IVA.

If your partner has debts but no income of their own or your creditors demand that 100% of the household disposable income is paid into your Arrangement you will have to consider a Joint IVA.

What if you and your Partner have Joint Debts?

Joint debts are things like joint overdrafts or bank loans. Both parties are joint and severally liable for the repayment. If one party does not pay the other is still responsible for 100% of the outstanding balance.

You must include any joint debts in your IVA. However because the Arrangement only protects you this will result in a problem for your Partner. The creditor can and will continue to chase them for the money.

If they have their own source of income it may be possible for them to continue making the payments from their share of the disposable income. If not then you will need to consider a Joint IVA.

Where you and your partner have joint debts it is common to start a joint IVA. However this is not compulsory.

How is a Jointly owned Property affected by an IVA?

If you are a home owner you will need to agree to try and release equity from your property as part of your IVA. However if it is jointly owned you only have to consider your share of any equity. Your Partner’s share is protected.

You must ensure that your partner understands you may have to release equity as part of the Arrangement. If they refuse to allow you to do so it could result in the failure of your Plan.

Even though your Partner is not obliged to touch their equity one option you might consider is releasing some of their share to settle your Arrangement early. The offer can be made because it is based on money your creditors would not otherwise be entitled to.

Want more advice about how your partner will be affected if you start an IVA. Give us a call (0800 011 4712) or complete the form at the bottom of the page. Its free and confidential.

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37 thoughts on “How is my Partner affected by my IVA?

    Roger Harris says:

    My partner has a new job and will not declare their income to me (we are in a rocky patch) We are still paying our shares of the household bills. How can I declare their income at the next review?

      Hi Roger

      Technically if your partner is not party to your IVA they are not under any legal obligation to give updates about their income. Your IVA company cannot force them to do so. The terms of your IVA state that you must inform your IP if your income changes (not that of third parties).

      Given this my advise in this situation is at your next review you should state their income as unchanged. If your partner will not disclose their income to you then it is reasonable to assume that it has stayed the same. There is very little more you can do.

    Celest says:

    I’ve had my IVA for 3 years now, earlier this year my partner moved in and am being asked to submit my income and expenditure and bank statements for my yearly review if I send these documents they will know that my situation has changed. Does my partner income have to be calculated? Because the debts are mine way before him?

      Hi Celest

      If your partner has moved in with you he is not responsible for paying your debts or your IVA. However the fact that you are now both living together probably does make a material difference to your income and living expenses budget. As such it could affect the amount you can afford to pay into your IVA.

      On the face of it the fact he has moved in means he can and should contribute to some of the household living expenses (for example the rent, utility bills etc). This means your costs should go down and your surplus income (and therefore IVA payment) might go up.

      Given this your IVA company will probably want to review a new income and expenses budget based on the now household income and expenses (ie both your incomes and a combined living expenses). Any household surplus income would then be split between you and your partner. Your share will be the basis for your ongoing payments.

      One way to avoid having to provide information about your partner’s income and expenses is to say that he is basically living with you as a lodger. However this might be counter productive because you would then need to show this addition income in your expenses budget. This would almost certainly have the affect of increasing your surplus and therefore IVA payment.

    Curtis says:

    I have an IVA for the next 5 years! I got This IVA whilst single! I’m now moving in with a new partner into her mortgaged home! I recently lost my job during COVID. Will me being on an IvA affect her to remortgage her house next year?

      Hi Curtis

      If you move into your partner’s property, the fact you have an IVA does not affect her credit rating in any way. You need to think of is as though you are simply a lodger. If she wants to remortgage the property next year your IVA will not affect her ability to do so.

    Donna says:

    I am in an iva and going through a divorce. we have just had a review and are making separate payments towards this. However I have been told today by the iva if my ex signs his share of the house over to me there is equity in the house and I am liable for an extra year while he doesnt have to pay anymore. Is this the case.?

      Hi Donna

      I assume from what you have said both you and your husband are in an IVA? Given this, if you are both homeowners, I am sure there will be an equity release clause in both your IVAs.

      Basically this means you have agreed to review the value of your property and any equity in it in the 5th year. If there is equity then you would need to try to release this by remortgaging. If this is not possible then both your IVAs are extended for 12 months instead.

      If the house is signed over to you as part of a divorce half way through your IVAs, different IVA companies may have different views on how this should be dealt with.

      However your company seems to be saying that they will then no longer treat him as a home owner. If this happens, then his IVA would end at the end of the 5th year. However you would still be a home owner. As such if you can’t release equity in year 5 your IVA would be extended as per the terms of the agreement.

    Jan says:

    Do I need to prove my partners reduced income on my new income/expenditure account. We share a household but they are not party to the IVA

      Hi Jan

      Was your partner’s income originally used in the calculation of your surplus income that you pay into your IVA? If so you should let the IVA company know if their income has reduced because it would mean you have less surplus income and would struggle to make your payments.

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