What if I included benefit overpayments or priority arrears in my DRO?
Any benefit overpayments or priority arrears (household bills that you've fallen behind with) that were in your DRO application will have been written off at the end of the 12-month moratorium period.
Deductions from your benefits
If you're having a benefit overpayment or any household arrears deducted directly from your benefit payment, this should stop as soon as they receive notification that your DRO has been approved.
The Insolvency Service will send them this notification. This will mean that your income will go up a bit as the payments will have stopped. The DRO provider should have already taken this into account so you don't need to contact them or the Insolvency Service.
If you find that money is still being deducted from your benefits after your DRO has been approved then you should contact the benefits agency to let them know about your DRO.
It's worth being aware that Social Fund loans aren't included in a DRO. However, the DWP will normally stop Social Fund deductions during a DRO moratorium period.
Pre-payment meters
If you pay for your gas or electricity through a pre-payment meter and your arrears were included in your DRO, your utility company will need to adjust your meter to stop these payments being taken. They'll be informed about your DRO by the Insolvency Service. If they don’t update your meter promptly, contact your supplier directly to tell them about your DRO.
Priority arrears
If you include any household arrears in your DRO application (like council tax, gas or electricity) you can stop paying these as soon as it's approved.
If you normally pay your arrears by Direct Debit, you need to contact the company and ask them to change the amount you're paying so that it just covers your normal payment. If you pay by standing order, you’ll have to contact your bank to change the payments yourself.