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Airborne Legend wrote:I just wouldn't tell them, the army isn't really organised enough to check sh*t lie that.

Possibly the worst and most inaccurate advice possible!

If you lie about anything during the entrance procedure you will be liable to prosecution! (whether your application is successful or not!)

Every single person joining the military is subject to financial scrutiny whether you're aware of it or not! That's what DVA exists for, not just screening people for higher levels of security clearance.

Unfortunately for you IVA is frowned upon in the forces even though it is a government led incentive for people to recover from serious debts!

The best advice I can give you is to be up front at the AFCO, don't lie, explain the circumstances and highlight the fact that you are taking responsible,positive measures to rectify your situation by signing up to a government approved scheme! Have any copies of your IVA contract available and attempt to convince them that your other qualities outweigh this temporary financial state! Exceptions have been made in the past and if you have a skill set or attributes they really want then you never know!

If they say no, they may give you the option to re-apply when you are closer to completion of your agreement.

Whatever you do, do not attempt to hide it under any circumstances as even if you are not prosecuted you will find yourself permanently disbarred from service!

Good luck and best wishes!

I dont think Airborne Legend ever said LIE, he just said dont tell them. I never got asked about my finances when I joined. And nowdays personell debt is alot more apart of life than when I joined.

I would still tell them, always best to be honest.

Yes personal debt is a lot more common these days, so that will probably be taken into account. After all, you used to be immediately permanently banned from joining up if you'd ever taken any illegal drugs, and that rule has relaxed a little.

H_N gives good advice.

Hyperlithe wrote

After all, you used to be immediately permanently banned from joining up if you'd ever taken any illegal drugs, and that rule has relaxed a little.

Very true, when I was in training we had a brief on Drugs. Our Troop Ldr asked if anyone had taken drugs. Being sensible lads everyone apart from one said nothing. That one lad who seemed proud of the fact he did was back on Civvi street with in a few days. Nowdays your taken on with the understanding that you never take the stuff again.

Depends what you've taken HCR, if it was a joint or two at uni, you're usually ok, LSD or Heroin is a definite "Not on your life mate", and I don't know about anything in between.
You're right though, you do have to prove to them that you know it was a stupid thing to do, and you agree with the zero tolerance policy 100%.

well have just been on the interactive 'ask a recruiter' chat thing on the army website and ask whether the army would recruit someone with an IVA and was told 'no' when i asked what is the reasoning behind it they 'well, that is the rules'

so there we have gents, question answered. I hope this helps anybody else that is in a similar situation.
I really do think that they should make more of an effort to point out this critical bit of criteria, as it can save people a lot of time.

maybe i will have better luck with the ta

gt1980, I would personally double check, perhaps with your AFCO. As people have said on here, many are not even asked about finances. I was under the impression that the only mention is about bankruptcy on the security clearance form.

MrC wrote:gt1980, I would personally double check, perhaps with your AFCO. As people have said on here, many are not even asked about finances. I was under the impression that the only mention is about bankruptcy on the security clearance form.

Funny u should say because a person has sent me pm as they work in afco themself and they believe it's not cut and dry as it's made out to be.
An IVA is seen as bankruptcy by some institutes but the bare fact is that it is not bankruptcy, as with bankruptcy you lose all assets, but at the end of the day you don't pay any liquid funds back however an iva is monitored by an insolvency practitioner and all personall expenses are taken into account from hair cuts to mortgage payments then the surplus cash left over from cost of living is paid to the practitioner then that is divided out to the creditors, so in essence you are still making payments but the worry and stress is taken away.

sorry to rant on about it but should have a fairly concrete answer on monday, yet still, I now have a meeting at my afco on thursday and we'll doubley find out

I'd say the previous advice of 'If they dont ask then dont tell' is probably best.


It's not something they ask about on the forms, so I doubt it is a bar to entry, but you may get misinformation along the way if it is brought up.


Don't be dishonest, but answer the questions you are asked. If it was a bar to entry, I'm sure they would ask.


Good luck either way...

MrC wrote:I'd say the previous advice of 'If they dont ask then dont tell' is probably best.


It's not something they ask about on the forms, so I doubt it is a bar to entry, but you may get misinformation along the way if it is brought up.


Don't be dishonest, but answer the questions you are asked. If it was a bar to entry, I'm sure they would ask.


Good luck either way...

They ask on the Application Forms if you have any debts you will not be able to pay if you join the Army and if you have ever been Bankrupt.

just_me wrote:

MrC wrote:I'd say the previous advice of 'If they dont ask then dont tell' is probably best.


It's not something they ask about on the forms, so I doubt it is a bar to entry, but you may get misinformation along the way if it is brought up.


Don't be dishonest, but answer the questions you are asked. If it was a bar to entry, I'm sure they would ask.


Good luck either way...

They ask on the Application Forms if you have any debts you will not be able to pay if you join the Army and if you have ever been Bankrupt.

well i'm not bankrupt, i have an iva which everything is budgeted so i can meet all my current financial responsibilities, even if i got accepted into the army and starting wage of 780p/m i can afford it as the wifes wages wuld cover all bills and she'd live of my money as i assume i wouldn't have mch time to spend, am i right in thinking that

I know two lads who have an IVA in our Regiment. And they have not been brown lettered. And IVA's are advertised in Soldier Mag so it must be kind of excepted. But this is people who are already in and might be considered good lads who the Army needs and as they have found help and are sorting out there mess, they are considered good enough to keep the jobs. For a civillian who is applying they might look at it differently. But all you can do is go for it. And all the Army can do is say no. Stop asking people on here who at the end of the day dont really know. I dont know. Just apply and dont lie. But that doesnt mean tell them if they dont ask

So we now have, pretty much, a definative answer.

An iva is not a bar to appointment but it is a little hurdle to overcome, in terms of questions asked on the application form, 'would you difficulty making payments to any financial commitment if you joined the army' and 'ave you ever been made bankrupt' . my answer to both is No. But as said it's down to how much you repay to the IVA, however contributions to an IVA will reduce if when you joing the army u had to take a drop in pay.

Tricky situation I think, i do agree slightly with the ask no question hear no lie, but if you don't fill out the Financial details they do ask you why, because i completely missed that question (don't ask how i've no idea) and they kept asking 'are you sure you've no debt?

But then again if you fall in to hard times later on in you're career in the army and have a court hearing or anything like that i can see the army saying 'You didn't tell us, we expected honesty we're not helping' Don't know if they can do it but it's what would personally expect.

Maybe ask a relative to help out with a few bob and see what they say then.. pretty sure a aunt or uncle won't send the heavies round for some thumbs.