A monthly payment IVA normally lasts 5-6 years. However it may be possible to settle the Arrangement early if a lump sum can be raised.
Included in this article:
- How to settle and IVA early
- What amount of cash is required?
- Where can the money you need come from?
- Can you use a windfall you have received?
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How to settle an IVA early
Once a monthly payment IVA starts it usually lasts for 5-6 years. It is however possible to reduce this period. The Arrangement can be settled early with a lump sum.
While the Arrangement is running you can offer to pay your creditors a one off cash payment. In return they then agree that no further monthly payments will be required.
Once the cash is handed over the Arrangement is completed. The outstanding debt is written off and you are no longer bound by its terms.
Settling your IVA early means you have no further annual reviews of your circumstances. In addition any subsequent increases in income or windfalls you receive are yours to keep.
How much cash is needed to settle an IVA early?
The key question is how much cash will be required to settle the IVA. There is no one answer to this. The amount required is different in each case and will depend on your specific circumstances.
As a rule of thumb you will need to pay an amount equal to the total of your outstanding monthly payments. So for example if you are paying £200/mth and have 24 months to go you would need to offer £4800 (£200 x 24).
You circumstances may have changed meaning you are no longer in a position to maintain your IVA payments. In this situation your creditors may be prepared to accept a lower amount.
The amount required to settle your IVA must first be agreed with your IVA company. Most will consider a sum equivalent to your outstanding payments. However others may demand more.
Where can the money you need come from?
The cash required to settle your IVA early can come from a number of places. However it cannot be money that your creditors would normally be entitled to.
As such, the most common source is a gift or loan from a family member or friend. Money offered in this way is only available to your creditors to settle your Arrangement. In the absence of such an agreement they would not be able to get their hands on it.
If you are a home owner it may be possible to release equity from your property. If you can raise cash in this way your creditors will often be prepared to take this to settle the Arrangement immediately
Remortgaging to settle an IVA will require the assistance of a specialist broker. Call us (0800 077 6180) or complete the form below for help with this.
Can you use a Windfall to settle your IVA?
If you receive a windfall during your IVA it will normally have to be paid into the Arrangement in full. The injection of the extra funds does not reduce length of the agreement and you have to continue making your payments.
That said some windfalls can be used to to settle an IVA early in specific circumstances. One example of this is a redundancy payment. If you lose your job you may be able to offer the redundancy money you have received to settle your Arrangement.
However this will only be the case if it is clear you will be unable to get a new job (perhaps due to ill health or your age). Where you can get back into employment it is very different. You will be allowed to keep some of your redundancy money to maintain your living expenses and IVA payments. The rest will have to be paid into the Arrangement.
It is not usually possible to settle an IVA early after receiving a windfall. This money usually has to be paid into your Arrangement on top of your normal monthly payments.
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Thanks for your reply James, my Iva company have been really helpful and have even stopped my payments until meeting takes place (I didn’t ask or know until the direct debit didn’t go out). Just very nervous about the whole thing I would really like to see the back of my IVA, just trying to settle the old nerves before the meeting takes place 28 days is a long time. Thanks again for your time
No problem at all David.
Given your IVA company are happy I am sure it will be OK. Please let me know how it turns out.
My dad has offered to pay off our iva. Would he have to show his bank statements
Hi Sharon
If a third party offers to provide a lump sum to settle your Arrangement the IVA company will usually need some documentation. This is to comply money laundering regulations.
As such your Dad will have to prove his identity with a copy of his passport or driving license. He is also likely to have to prove that he has the funds required and that they are coming from a known source such as a UK bank account. As such a copy of the bank statement showing the funds may be required.
Hi was wondering if u could help me plz? Iv got 4 months left of my iva and wanted to pay the rest of the 4 months off. Would the iva company want to see bank accounts ect like they do every year or would it be best for my better half to pay it for me? Thanks for information
Hi Ian
Whether you want to settle early or just pay the final 4 payments as normal your IVA company will still need to do a final review of your income. They need to do this to confirm nothing has changed and you paid the correct amount during the last 12 months. If your income has remained the same since the last review then you should be able to settle early based on your current payments. However if it has increased you may have to pay more.
In other words you will have to show your bank statements before your completion certificate can be issued whatever you do.