i England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We do not charge you for advice, but you make payments to your insolvency practitioner once your IVA is in progress.

Individual voluntary arrangement (IVA)

Individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs)

An individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) is a formal agreement between you and the people you owe. It helps you repay your debts at an affordable amount.

IVAs are arranged by StepChange Voluntary Arrangements, part of StepChange Debt Charity. In Scotland, a protected trust deed is a similar solution. This has different benefits, risks and fees.

IVAs are legally binding agreements that can help you deal with your debts. You can only get one with the help of an insolvency practitioner (IP).

How does an IVA work?

You build a budget with your IP to see what you can afford to pay towards debts
You make an offer of payment to the people you owe
If they agree, they set fees to be included in your payments
You pay off your debts through either a 60 or 72 month repayment plan or a one-off payment (lump sum IVA)
Any leftover debts are written off at the end

Clare Lindley and James O'Carroll of StepChange Voluntary Arrangements are licensed to act as insolvency practitioners in the UK by the Insolvency Practitioners Association.

How an IVA helped Kevin

"Debt never used to be something I worried about. I worked in the financial sector in Canary Wharf and was on a really good wage, and because of this, credit was very easy to get hold of. I quickly started using credit cards to support the lifestyle I had, and I made sure to make the payments I needed towards them each month. However, things fell apart when I was made redundant twice in a row."

Read Kevin's story

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How can I apply for an IVA?

You need to get free debt advice before applying for an IVA. Our IVA subsidiary, StepChange Voluntary Arrangements, can help if an IVA is the right option for you.

They will review your finances and make a proposal to your creditors. There are no upfront fees and we do not charge for debt advice.

Fees are detailed in your IVA proposal, which an IP will assist in drafting. Any fees have to be approved by creditors. Your IP will explain what fees you need to pay for your IVA.

Our IVA costs and fees follow industry standards. There are no fees if you decide not to go ahead with an IVA.

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KL on TrustPilot says:

"Professional, Caring, and Great Help. Service was fantastic throughout. Communication was always quick and clear when setting up my IVA with Voluntary Arrangements. Everyone I came into contact with made me feel supported every step of the way, which made a world of difference. Thank you for all your help."