Debt Relief Orders and Bailiffs

It takes up to six weeks from the date of your application to the Debt Relief Order (DRO) Intermediary to be submitted to the Official Receiver. Until the Order is made, the bailiffs can still enforce the debt, so you must protect yourself and your home from bailiffs. After that, bailiffs cannot pursue you for money unless it is child support or a student loan.

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The bottom Line:

A Debt Relief Order only stops bailiffs once the Order has been made by the official receiver, which can take around 6 weeks.

A DRO costs £90, and to qualify, you must not be a homeowner, owe less than £20,000, less than £50 spare income and have less than £1,000 assets

You can find a DRO intermediary by searching on the Internet, and you can apply for charity help with the £90 fee. Shop around.

If you do not qualify for a Debt Relief Order, then consider going through a bankruptcy.


An Individual Voluntary Arrangement, or an IVA can only be used to negotiate consumer debts. They are ineffective against Court fines, student loans and child support arrears.

A IVA can be used to help pay council tax arrears, traffic debts and high court writs, however they cannot be used to get round the enforcement power of a writ or a warrant of control. They can also be ridiculously expensive.