Understand how mental health can have an effect on debts, what to do if you find yourself in debt and ways to clear them.
Poor mental health can make managing money harder.
Worrying about money can make mental health worse.
Sign that your mental health is making managing money harder
Signs that your mental health is worsening due to money worries
For more information about money and mental health, you can visit the following websites:
It is important you do not feel ashamed. Many people have found themselves in debt at some point in their lives and have been able to overcome it.
It is important to get the right advice on how to reduce and clear your debt in a way that is manageable for you. There is plenty of help and support available.
It is important to make a note of all the debts you have including how much you owe, any actions taken by you or the creditor and when you started missing payments.
It is important to do this to see how you can maximise your income and make your money go further. This will also help to set up affordable payment plans.
You should immediately contact your nearest Citizens Advice if you've received court papers, are facing eviction or are expecting bailiffs.
If you have multiple debts, it is important to know that some debts have greater priority over others and must be dealt with first. Some debts have greater consequences such as:
priority debts are debts that have the most serious consequences if they are not dealt with. See below some priority debts that you should be aware of:
Non-priority debts are debts that have less serious consequences if they are not dealt with. See below some non-priority debts you should be aware of:
Whilst the consequences for non-priority debt are less serious, creditors can eventually take you to court or instruct baliffs to collect the money owed from you.
You may be able to reclaim bank charges if you were/are in financial hardship, charged disproportionately or in a cycle of charges.
Click here to find out more information.
Try being open about your circumstances (if you feel comfortable doing so) and your plan on how you might clear your debt with them. They may be willing to wait for you to repay them.
By letting creditors know you are vulnerable you may be able to get additional support or time to sort out your debt.
For more information on priority and non-priority debt and how to deal with them, visit the websites below:
Citizen’s Advice – Debts to deal with first
Money Helper – How to prioritise debt
For more information on dealing with debt, visit the websites below:
Citizen’s Advice – Debt and money
1. Review your income and your expenses
Take a look at the following guidances to see if there are ways you can increase your income and free up some money:
Maximising your income to see whether you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to.
Making your money go further to see how you can budget your money better, cut costs and save money on essentials.
2. Re-do your budget factoring in any savings you can make and your priority debt repayments
3. If you still have money left, see how much you can put towards non priority debts
For minor utility debts, these are some actions you can take to clear them:
Click here to explore grants available with your utility supplier. It is usually available if you are on a low income or are on benefits.
Set up a payment plan that is affordable for you.
If you are unable to make a payment, contact your supplier to advise them of this and when you will be able to make the next payment.
Before you contact any creditors:
It is important to get debt advise first because in some cases you may not need to do anything. For example for some debt, creditors have a limited time to take you to court to recover the debt; this is usually 6 years. The time limit starts again if you make contact with them. Therefore:
Don’t contact the creditor if:
if you do not pay off your debt you may recieve a "letter of enforcement" from the bailiffs to collect the money owed and charge additonal fees for collection.
A valid notice will include the correct name, address, debt, amount owed, give you at least 7 days notice before a bailiff visit and be written in a certain legal style.
Contact Citizen's Advice for more guidance.
You won't need to pay anything if the debt belongs to someone else or you have already paid the debt in full. Gather as much evidence as possible and send it to the bailiffs.
If you are vulnerable, they shouldn't access your property if you're alone and take property vital for your health. They should give you extra time to make a payment offer and ensure communication is accessible for you.
Click here for more information on who is considered vulnerable and what you can do.
If you let them in, they can take your property. Even if you don't let them in they can still take things that belong to you outside of your home like your car, talk to you, collect payments and give you documents.
They can't take property like:
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