i This advice is for people living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For Scotland, read about sequestration (Scottish bankruptcy).

After bankruptcy

What happens after bankruptcy

Bankruptcy normally lasts for 12 months. There are restrictions during this time.

During bankruptcy you cannot:

Borrow more than £500 from a lender without telling them you are bankrupt
Be a company director
Buy a council house using the ‘right to buy’ scheme
Change the name of your business if you are self-employed
Leave the country without permission if you live in Northern Ireland

Restrictions can last longer if your bankruptcy is because of dishonest or reckless behaviour. The official receiver (OR) will extend them using a ‘bankruptcy undertaking’ or ‘order’. It lasts for two to 15 years.

Things to know after bankruptcy

You are not responsible for the debts included in your bankruptcy after it ends.

Some debts are not discharged in bankruptcy and will not be written off. Such as:

Criminal fines
Child maintenance arrears
TV Licence non-payment

You need to keep paying these.

Bankruptcy discharge

Bankruptcy usually lasts for 12 months. You are automatically 'discharged' at the end.

The court can stop you from being discharged if you do not cooperate with the OR. This could be if you don’t give them the information they need, or you try to hide assets. You stay bankrupt until you cooperate with them.

Discharge in England and Wales

You do not get formal proof of being discharged
You can ask the OR for a 'certificate of discharge' but there may be a fee for this

If you went bankrupt before April 2016:

You can get a 'certificate of discharge' from the court that approved your bankruptcy. There is a £70 fee.

Discharge in Northern Ireland

Your bankruptcy is registered at the Registry of Deeds in Belfast.

You can leave the register by:

Completing 'Form 13'
Lodging it with the Registry of Deeds
Paying the £8 fee

Worried about bankruptcy?

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Bankruptcy register

Bankruptcy is public information.

In England or Wales:

Your bankruptcy stays on the Insolvency Register for three months after your discharge.

Details of your bankruptcy are also published in The Gazette.

This is an official ‘newspaper of record’ that lists official notices
This information is available for free on the Gazette website
The details appear in Google search results for your name

In Northern Ireland:

Your details stay on the Bankruptcy Register for three months after your discharge.

Details of bankruptcies are published every Friday in the Belfast Telegraph.

Bank accounts after bankruptcy

Your bank account usually closes after bankruptcy. You need to open a new account with a different bank.

Read our guide to bank accounts after bankruptcy for more information.

Credit files and bankruptcy

Bankruptcy stays on your credit file for six years from when you become bankrupt. Because of this, it is hard to get credit after bankruptcy.

Find out more about credit cards for bad credit.

Your home after bankruptcy

The OR may want to sell your house if there is equity in it. They have three years to do this.

They may let you keep your home if there is still no equity after two years and three months.

Making payments after bankruptcy

You may have to make payments after your bankruptcy.

The OR checks if you have any money left over after essential household costs
They set up payments through an income payment arrangement (IPA)
These start before you are discharged and last for three years

Free bankruptcy advice

Going bankrupt is a big step. Use our online debt advice tool to find out if it is right for you.