Ask non-priority creditors to write off a debt - letter

If you can’t pay your debt and it’s unlikely you’ll be able to pay in the future, you should contact your creditor to see if they will write off the debt.

To show you can’t pay, make a budget. You should send a copy of your budget with the letter.

If you think you might be able to pay the debt in the future, you can use the no money to pay creditors letter instead.

You should only use this letter for creditors of non-priority debts. Non-priority debts are things like credit card debts, overdrafts and other unsecured loans. Priority debts are things such as rent, mortgage, council tax, fuel bills or fines. Before you deal with your non-priority debts, you'll need to talk to your priority creditors and make arrangements to pay any arrears. You can find out more about how to deal with priority debts.

Check if this letter is useful for your specific situation. If you need more specific advice and guidance, you can talk to an adviser.

Important

Check the time limit

Your creditor has a time limit on when they can take action against you.

For most debts, the time limit is 5 years since you last wrote to them or made a payment.

Writing to them might reset the time limit, so you should check if the time limit has ended or will end soon.

If you’re not sure, talk to an adviser.

Writing your letter

To write your letter you’ll need:

• your creditor’s name and address

• your account number

• a few sentences explaining your situation

First you’ll fill in a form with some details about your debt. Your answers will go into your letter. 

You must write something in each box on the form, unless it’s marked as ‘optional’. If you don’t fill in a box an error message will appear at the top of the form and you won’t be able to continue until you fill it in.

We don’t store your information. If you go to another webpage before you’ve finished your letter, your answers will be deleted.

Sending your letter

There are different ways you can send your letter to your creditor. You can:

•  download it and attach it to an email

•  download it and print it out to send in the post

•  copy and paste it into an email or web form

You should save a copy of the letter for your records.

Example letter

First, you can see an example of the letter to get an idea of what you are writing. This is a finished letter, with example details in it.

This letter is for a joint debt - if you need to write to a creditor about a debt which is only in your name, use the letter to write off a debt instead.

Choose ‘Write letter’ to start writing your own version of the letter.

Write letter