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IVA windfalls: inheritance, bonuses and unexpected money

Money that arrives during an IVA is not automatically yours to keep. The terms you signed decide — and they were written for exactly this moment.

Written by The My Debt Cleared editorial teamLast reviewed 23 August 2026Jurisdiction England, Wales & Northern IrelandEditorial policy
IVA terms include a windfall clause: unexpected sums — an inheritance, a win, compensation, a significant asset — must be disclosed to your supervisor and are typically paid into the arrangement above a small de minimis set in your terms. Regular extra income such as overtime and bonuses is handled separately, usually shared under your terms once it exceeds the thresholds they set.

What counts as a windfall

One-off, unexpected value: inheritances, lottery and gambling wins, compensation payments, redundancy beyond what your terms treat as income, assets you acquire. The defining features are that it was not in the original budget and it is capital rather than earnings. Your own arrangement’s wording governs — read it, because modifications at approval often tightened it.

Overtime, bonuses and pay rises

Earnings are the annual review’s territory rather than the windfall clause’s: sustained increases feed the review, and your terms typically require a share of significant extra income above set thresholds during the year. The honest operating rule for all of it is the same: disclose first, argue categories second.

Why disclosure wins

Concealing a windfall is a breach that can fail the arrangement after years of payments — and a supervisor who finds out later can pursue what was hidden. Disclosed early, a windfall can even work for you: a sum large enough may settle the arrangement early and finish the whole thing.

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