MoneyEase
Creditors must pause
They can’t chase you for payment or take enforcement action on the debts it covers.
Breathing Space
Sixty days where most interest stops and creditors have to back off, while you get advice and make a plan.
Breathing Space isn’t a debt solution on its own: it gives you time to find one, and you must be getting debt advice to use it. Available in England and Wales. Free, impartial debt advice is available from MoneyHelper.
Roughly how much do you owe?
Breathing Space at a glance
- Of protection from most interest, charges and enforcement.
- 60 days
- To apply. A debt adviser applies for you.
- £0
- A standard Breathing Space can be used once every 12 months.
- 12 months
- The mental health version lasts through crisis treatment, plus 30 days.
- +30 days
Figures from GOV.UK.
Why people use Breathing Space
Interest and charges frozen
Nothing new can be added to the covered debts while it lasts.
Bailiffs and court action stop
Bailiff visits and new court action over covered debts must stop.
Most debts covered
Credit cards, loans, overdrafts, and arrears on council tax and utilities are usually included.
Free to apply
There’s no fee. A debt adviser applies for you.
Time to plan
Sixty days to get advice and choose a lasting solution, without the pressure.
How Breathing Space works
Talk to a debt adviser
You need debt advice to use Breathing Space. An adviser checks it fits and applies for you.
Protection starts
Once it’s registered, your creditors are told, and interest, charges and action on your debts are paused.
Find a lasting solution
With the pressure off, your adviser helps you choose what comes next, such as a DMP or an IVA.
It ends after 60 days
Your creditors are told it has ended, and the solution you’ve chosen can begin.
Weigh it up
Breathing Space buys you time, not a way out on its own. Here is what helps, and the catch, side by side.
What helps
- Most interest and charges frozen
- Creditors can’t take action on covered debts
- Free to apply
- Not on your credit file or a public register
- Time to choose a lasting solution
What to weigh up
- It only lasts 60 days
- It doesn’t reduce or write off any debt
- You must keep paying ongoing bills, like rent and energy
- You need to be getting debt advice to use it
- A standard Breathing Space is once a year
Is Breathing Space right for you?
You’re likely a fit if…
- You’re struggling with debts and need time
- You’re getting, or ready to get, debt advice
- You live in England or Wales
- You haven’t had a standard Breathing Space in the last 12 months
It may not be right if…
- You’re already in an IVA, a DRO or bankruptcy
- Your only debts are secured, like a mortgage
- You’ve had a standard Breathing Space in the last 12 months
- You live in Scotland or Northern Ireland
What can come next
Breathing Space is the pause; these are the lasting routes. We’ll tell you which could work for you.
- InformalCan be used in England, Scotland, Wales
One affordable monthly payment, shared between your creditors.
- FormalCan be used in England, Wales
A legally binding agreement to pay what you can afford. The rest is written off.
- FormalCan be used in England, Wales
For a low income and few assets. Qualifying debts are written off.
Live in Scotland? A six-week moratorium gives similar protection there.
Questions about Breathing Space
What debts are covered?
Most unsecured debts, including credit cards, loans, overdrafts, and arrears on council tax and utilities. Secured debts like mortgages aren’t covered, though arrears on them can be.
What happens after 60 days?
Your creditors are told it has ended, and interest and action can resume unless a solution has started. That’s why the 60 days are for getting advice and choosing one.
Can creditors still contact me?
They can send statements, but they can’t chase you for payment, add interest or charges, send bailiffs or start court action over covered debts.
Is there a mental health Breathing Space?
Yes. If you’re receiving mental health crisis treatment, it lasts for as long as the treatment, plus 30 days, and an approved mental health professional can apply for you.
Does it affect my credit file?
Breathing Space itself isn’t recorded on your credit file or on a public register. Creditors can still report missed payments, though.
Is there free help?
Yes. MoneyHelper offers free, impartial debt advice, and you don’t have to use a company like ours to get help with your debts.
You don’t have to sort this out alone
Tell us roughly what you owe and we’ll show you what could help. It takes two minutes, won’t affect your credit score, and there’s no obligation.
Roughly how much do you owe?