News

Debt Respite Scheme And How It Affects You

Jan 31, 2021

The government has set out details of its new Debt Respite Scheme - also known as Breathing Space - which is due to come into force on the 4th May 2021.

This will give someone in 'problem debt' the right to legal protections from being chased up by creditors - and as this applies to the rental sector, it is likely to protect tenants from being chased up by landlords or their letting agents. 

The new details as set out on the Gov.uk website say there will bear two types of breathing space, either

·        a standard breathing space

or

·        a mental health crisis breathing space. 

standard breathing space is available to any individual with problem debt and gives them legal protections from creditor action for up to 60 days. 

“The protections include pausing most enforcement action and contact from creditors and freezing most interest and charges on their debts” says the government guidance.

Individuals can access this standard breathing space - which the government states “is not a payment holiday” - only through an approved debt adviser registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, or via a local authority if it is approved to offer this kind of advice to its residents. 

An individual who applies for such a ‘space’ can get no more than one a year.

mental health crisis breathing space is only available to a client who is receiving recognised mental health crisis treatment. 

If an approved mental health professional certifies a client is in mental health crisis treatment, the client or someone else might ask for a mental health crisis breathing space on the client's behalf. 

The mental health crisis breathing space has some stronger protections than the standard breathing space. It lasts as long as the client's mental health crisis treatment, plus 30 additional days thereafter, no matter how long the crisis treatment lasts.

If you’re a creditor - that is, a landlord with arrears owed - and if you’re told that a debt owed to you is in a breathing space, you must stop all action related to that debt and apply the protections. 

These protections must stay in place until the breathing space ends.

In addition, if you receive a notification of a breathing space debt that you have sold to another creditor - so for example, you may have sold your buy to let property to another investor or owner occupier - you must tell that creditor the breathing space has started and give their contact details to the debt adviser.

“If you do not do this as soon as possible, you’re liable for any losses the debtor or the assigned creditor have as a result” says the government advice.

For more information please see below:

Link for Creditors - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/debt-respite-scheme-breathing-space-guidance/debt-respite-scheme-breathing-space-guidance-for-creditors

Link for Money Advisors - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/debt-respite-scheme-breathing-space-guidance/debt-respite-scheme-breathing-space-guidance-for-money-advisers

We will further update you on this scheme as we receive more information nearer the time.

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