To be able to apply for IVA advice the client must have a salary or earnings which are above a stated minimum and have liabilities of a total value of not less than a specified amount and not greater than a specified maxima, and such figures will change from one insolvency practitioner to the next. Usually earnings should be proved to cover the repayments after necessary bills have been paid including mortgage payments and council tax. The average minimum debt is around £2,000 although this may vary. A ceiling of fifty thousand pounds is sometimes stated, though by making use of a broker or intermediary the client will be steered towards the appropriate source to handle their individual situation.