Sample letters to creditors

How to edit our sample letters

Each letter has space for you to edit. Just add or delete text where needed.

It can be helpful to send a monthly budget with your letter. This shows you are paying what you can afford. Make sure your creditors know about changes to your finances.

Read our guide to making a budget.

I don't have Microsoft Word - can I edit the letters on my phone?

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You can! No matter what device you are using, you can still edit and use our sample letters.

To edit Word files on Android mobiles and tablets

• Open the document in Google Drive or Google Docs
• Tap the small pencil icon on the bottom right

To edit Word files on Apple mobiles and tablets:

• Copy the document to the Pages app
• Click anywhere to make a change

Make sure your creditors know about changes to your finances.

Telling your creditors you are dealing with debts

I would like to make a temporary payment arrangement

A temporary payment arrangement is when you offer to pay what you can afford for a short time. Don't forget to add details of how much you can pay and for how long.

Download the letter to offer a temporary payment arrangement

Request a payment suspension

Use this letter to tell the people you owe that you are experiencing financial difficulty and ask them to stop interest and charges.

Download the letter to ask creditors for a payment suspension

I cannot afford to pay my arrears, but I can make my monthly payments

Use this letter to tell your creditors that you cannot afford to pay your arrears, but you will still make your regular monthly payments.

Download the letter to tell creditors you cannot pay your arrears

I can pay some money toward my arrears on top of my monthly payment

Use this letter to tell the people you owe that you can make your full monthly payment, and you can pay a bit extra toward your arrears. This letter also lets your creditors know you cannot pay the arrears in full at this time.

Download the letter make an offer of payment to your creditors

Telling your creditors you are disputing a debt

Read our guides on:

• Finding out who you owe money to
• How to dispute debts

I need you to prove I owe money

Find debts covered by the Consumer Credit Act (CCA).

The law allows you to see the agreement, the terms and conditions and a list of everything you have paid.

Asking for this is called a CCA request. You will have to pay £1 for this.

This includes most consumer debts, like:

• Overdrafts
• Personal loans
• Credit and store cards
• Catalogues
• Hire purchases

Download the CCA request letter

I still have not had the information I asked for (CCA request follow up)

A debt becomes 'unenforceable' if your creditors do not send the information you asked for. This means they might not be able to take you to court.

It does not mean you can ignore the debt.

Download the CCA request reminder letter

I think my debt is 'statute barred'

England, Wales, and Northern Ireland only

A statute barred debt means a creditor cannot take you to court because too much time has passed since the debt was taken out. The creditor can no longer enforce collection of the debt.

Download the statute barred notification letter

I do not admit liability for this debt

Scotland only

Use this letter to tell a creditor if you think a debt is prescribed. A debt is considered prescribed if:

• The creditor could have sued for the full balance of the debt over five years ago
• No payment has been made by yourself, a third party, or a joint account holder in over five years

Download the letter to tell your creditor you think your debt is prescribed

I cannot pay my CCJ

England and Wales only

Use this letter to ask the court to look at what you pay each month and let them know you cannot afford to pay your County Court judgment (CCJ).

You can only do this if you sent back your claim forms on time and the court replied.

Read our guides to dealing with a CCJ.

Download the letter to ask to change CCJ payments

Dealing with harassment

I am a vulnerable person

If you are considered vulnerable according to the Taking Control of Goods: National Standards 2014, you can ask that the people you owe stop enforcement action.

Find out more about enforcement action.

Download the notice of vulnerability letter

Stopping automatic and recurring payments

I do not want my bank to take money from my bank account

In some cases, your bank can take money from your account to pay off arrears to other debts you have with them. This is called their right of offset.

You can write to protect the money you have with them.

Download the right of offset letter

I need to stop money going out of my account

Some lenders will keep taking money from you using a continuous payment authority (CPA). You can stop this by writing to them or to your bank.

Our page on cancelling recurring payments explains your rights in more detail.

Download the letter to cancel a continuous payment authority (CPA)

I want to cancel my hire purchase agreement

Use this letter to ask your creditor to cancel your hire purchase agreement.

Download the letter to ask your creditor to cancel your hire purchase agreement

I am in prison and cannot pay my debts

Use this letter to ask your creditors to stop regular payments and collection activity for the term of your prison sentence.

Download the letter to ask your creditor to put your account on hold while you are in prison

Offering settlements

I can pay off a debt in full

You may want to make a settlement offer if you receive a lump sum of money. Use this template letter to make an offer for the full amount.

Download the full and final settlement offer letter

I want to offer a settlement based on a percentage of the debt

You may get a lump sum that could cover part of an outstanding debt. You can offer this to a creditor as a partial settlement, and they may agree to write off the rest of the debt.

Download the partial settlement offer letter