A plain English explanation of what we do, using a real-world example

If you are in an IVA and you are struggling to afford the payments, or you have a feeling that something about the way it was explained to you wasn't quite right, you are not alone. We see this every week.

This page explains what a forensic IVA document review is, how we carry one out, and what our report contains.

We've used a sample case, Mr John Smith, to show you exactly what we look at and why it matters. You can download the full anonymised sample report at the bottom of this page.

How Mr Smith's case illustrates this

Mr Smith is 73. He lives alone in rented accommodation in Manchester. His only income is the state pension, and Manchester City Council pays Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support on his behalf because his income is too low to manage otherwise. He has a heart condition, Type 2 diabetes, and ongoing mental health difficulties. He owns nothing of value.

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In September 2023 he was placed into a six-year IVA to deal with around £17,500 of credit card and loan debt, paying £100 a month. He has struggled with those payments ever since.

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When we reviewed his case, here is what we found.

The sums never added up

We ran the numbers against the official Standard Financial Statement guidelines. Even with Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support covering his biggest bills, Mr Smith's pension still falls around £330 short each month of what he reasonably needs to live on, food, heating, his diabetic diet, prescriptions, and so on.

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In plain English: there was no spare £100 a month to give to the IVA company. Every payment he has made has come out of money he needed for essentials.

What a forensic review can lead to

For cases like Mr Smith's, our factual document review report may identify:

• Factual issues in how the IVA suitability was assessed and recorded

• Inconsistencies between the figures in the documents and standard guidelines

• Information about alternative options that does not appear in the paperwork

• Procedural concerns that you may wish to raise with a regulated professional

Our report sets out what the documents show. You decide what action to take. Where regulated advice, legal representation, or claims management is required, we will signpost you to an appropriately authorised professional.

What it costs you to find out

A forensic document review with Speak For You costs nothing to start. We review the documents and provide a factual findings report. If factual concerns are identified, we set them out clearly. If no concerns are identified, we will tell you that too.

If you would like us to review your IVA documents or a relative's, please get in touch.

What is a forensic IVA review?

A forensic IVA review is a careful, line-by-line examination of your IVA documents — what was recorded, what information was included, and whether the paperwork follows the rules and standards that apply.

We look at three things:

• Your situation when the IVA started — your income, your household, your health, your age, your assets, and whether vulnerability factors were recorded.

• What the IVA documents show — whether alternatives were recorded, whether the budget figures were realistic, and whether the paperwork follows the rules that govern Insolvency Practitioners.

• What factual questions your documents may raise — which you may wish to discuss with a regulated professional.

If the review identifies factual concerns in your documents, our report will set out clearly what we found.

He qualified for a Debt Relief Order from day one

A DRO is a government scheme for people with small debts, low income and no assets. It clears the debts in 12 months. Today it is completely free to apply for (the fee was abolished in April 2024).

Our document review found that Mr Smith met every single qualifying test — his debts were well under the limit, he had no surplus income, and he owned nothing. Yet this does not appear to have been recorded or explained in his paperwork.

This is the kind of factual issue our review identifies. What action to take based on those findings is a matter for Mr Smith and any regulated professional he chooses to consult.

The council's own benefits award was the proof

This is the part that matters most. When a local authority pays your rent and your council tax for you, they are officially confirming that your income is too low to cover them unaided.

That is documentary evidence, from the council itself, that Mr Smith could not afford an IVA contribution on top. A properly conducted suitability assessment should have spotted this immediately.

Who this service is for

If you recognise yourself or a family member in any of the following, a forensic document review may be worth having:

• You are retired or on a low fixed income and you are in an IVA

• You have a long-term health condition, disability, or mental health difficulty

• You live in rented accommodation and you don't own any significant assets

• You are struggling to keep up with the monthly payments

• You feel that what is in your documents does not fully reflect what you were told at the time

Contact us

If you want us to review your case documents with no pressure and no cost, you can:

• Call 0800 707 4296

• Email admin@speakforyou.co.uk

• Or request a call-back through this page

You lose nothing by having your documents reviewed.