About our online portal

After selecting an IVA as your chosen debt solution, you will get a welcome email with a link to the StepChange VA online portal. You can use this to submit information and upload documents needed to get started with your IVA application.

Not had the email from us?

To get a login you can: 

• Call 0800 0722 333 or
• Email ip@stepchange.org

You can start, stop and restart at any time. And you can keep uploading documents as you need to.

Getting started

When you click on the link in the email, you will see a welcome screen with a pop-up box. This tells you a bit more about how the portal works and gives you the option to opt out.

To opt in, select Continue. Now you will be able to go to the welcome screen where you can find out what to expect as you get started.

This is the easiest and quickest way to complete your application. If you prefer not to use our online portal, a member of the team will be in touch to talk you through your options.

On the next screen, you will be able to download a copy of our IVA fact sheet. We will also send you an email with a copy after you have uploaded your documents through the portal.

Authority to act

We need you to complete this form to record that you are happy for the team at StepChange Voluntary Arrangements to set up and take care of your IVA for you. It also means the team can:

• Contact you while you are on an IVA
• Share your financial information with your creditors, if needed

Make sure you read all the information before you sign. Then you need to:

1. Click the blue ‘Start’ button at the bottom of the page
2. Use your cursor to write your signature. The date will be filled out for you
3. Click ‘Sign here’

Confirm your identity

We need you confirm you are happy for us to carry out a credit reference search and identity check.

We need to do this to make sure anyone applying for an IVA is really who they say they are.

It also gives us a full picture of your debt history, supporting what you have already told us, filling in any gaps to make sure your IVA is right for you.

Your household

It is important that we get a full picture of your household budget. This helps us make sure your budget reflects the real income and spending of your household, so the contribution you make to your IVA is fair, reasonable and sustainable.

Please try to complete this section as fully as possible.

If you live with a partner, we will need to know about their income and their contribution towards household spending.

Your partner will not be included in your IVA simply because you provide this information, and we will not contact them about your IVA.

We understand it is not always easy to provide all this information. We do know that it could be difficult. Such as if your partner works away, or this could cause you harm.

If you cannot provide a full household budget for you and your partner, please get in touch with us to let us know:

• The percentage or amount they pay towards household bills
• If your bills are not split evenly, the reason why

Your debt history

This is your opportunity to give your creditors a full picture of your financial difficulties.

It is up to you how much you want to tell them, but sharing more information about your situation can help your creditors make a fair, informed decision about your IVA application.

You can explain here what happened that led to you having problems with your debts.

You can also let us know about any health issues or anything else that might make it harder to pay what you owe or make the IVA application process difficult for you.

You can also tell us about any steps you have already taken to deal with your debts.

Uploading your documents

We will now ask you to create an account. To do this, you will just need your email address and to create a password.

Here are more details of the documents you will be asked for.

Uploading proof of income

Income means any money you get from your job, pension or from benefits. If you have more than one job, make sure you send proof of all earnings.

Make sure all documents show:

• Your name
• How much you get paid
• The dates you are paid

For earnings from jobs please upload:

• Wage slips covering the last three months. If you are paid weekly, send the last 6 weeks of wage slips
• If you have recently started a new job: You can send your new employment contract showing what your salary will be
• If you are self-employed: Your tax return from last year 

For earnings from benefits please upload:

• Your full benefit award notice

  If you do not have your award notice, we may be able to use a bank statement showing your latest benefit payment. However, for Universal Credit, it is very important you send screenshots of every page of your entitlement letter.

The portal has three separate boxes to upload your proof of income. You can add more than one file to each upload box if need to.

Uploading bank statements

We will need information about all your bank accounts.

  It is very important you share your full bank statements for the last three months. Your application could be delayed you do not do this. For example, if you upload your documents on 1 April: You must upload statements from 1 January to 31 March.

The portal has three separate boxes to upload statements. You can add more than one file to each bank statement upload box if you need to.

We cannot accept partial bank statements or statements with hidden transactions.

The easiest way to get these is from your online banking app. You can upload clear, unblurred screenshots or scanned copies showing:

• Your full name
• The date of the statement

Uploading proof of household bills

Gas and electricity

Please confirm your meter readings are correct and up to date.

Water

You need to upload a recent water bill showing how much you pay and the date you pay it.

Uploading supporting documents

It is up to you what you upload here. If a section does not apply to you, you can move on to the next one.

Hire purchase

If you are still paying for any vehicle through a hire purchase agreement, please upload a copy of your original agreement. This needs to show:

• The date of the first payment or the date it was signed
• The length of the agreement
• The payment schedule
• Any balloon payments

Student loan

If you have a student loan, please upload a copy of a recent statement.

Shared ownership agreement

If you have a shared ownership agreement, please upload a copy of your agreement. You need to make sure this shows the percentage you own.

Help to buy scheme

If you have a ‘help to buy’ agreement, please provide proof of this. You need to make sure this shows:

• The percentage of the loan, and -
• When your repayments will start

Your lender will be able to provide you with a copy if you do not have it.

Uploading proof of assets

If you have any assets, we will need proof of these. Assets are things of value, like antiques, jewellery, vehicles etc.

Please let us know:

• What each asset is
• How much it is worth
• When you got it
• For vehicles: The make, model and year. If you can, please share an independent valuation

Evidence for what these assets are worth could be:

• Payment receipts
• Valuations, such as for insurance
• Other examples of the sale value, such as a shop or auction listing

Mortgage statement

If you have a mortgage, please upload a statement dated within the last 12 months. We need to know:

• How much is owed on your mortgage
• The monthly payment
• The remaining term and interest rate

  If this is a fixed rate mortgage: This must show the date the fixed rate ends and any early repayment fees.

Secured loan statement

If you have a secured loan, please upload a statement dated within the last 12 months.

This needs to be the full document showing the amount you pay.

Family and friend debts

If you owe any money to a friend or family member, this is seen as a debt and is included in your IVA.

Please let us know:

• Their full name
• Their full address including postcode
• Their email address
• Their relationship to you
• The balance of the debt owed

What happens next?

After we have all your information, our team will check through everything carefully.

We will then send you a link to book an appointment with one of our advisors.

During this call, they will answer all your questions and address any concerns you may have.

We want to work with you to make sure you are getting the best possible advice for your situation.

If an IVA is right for you, we will put together an IVA proposal. This is a document with full details of your debts and financial situation which is shared with your creditors. We will explain how this works.

If an IVA is not right for you, please don't worry. We can still support you with a debt solution that is better for your situation.