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Thinking about an IVA?

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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.

Getting an IVA

Individual voluntary arrangement. IVA fees and charges

An individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) is a debt solution that lets you pay what you can afford towards your debts each month. There are fees, but they are included in your monthly payments.

StepChange do not charge for debt advice, but some companies do. We will explain how an IVA works and what the fees are if it is the right solution for you.

StepChange Voluntary Arrangements is our IVA subsidiary.


  • There is no charge for advice and support before you set up an IVA
  • You do not pay fees if you do not go ahead with an IVA

Is an IVA right for you?

IVAs are available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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.

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.

mum at the table with bills

Thinking about an IVA?

We can help. Free, online debt advice available now.

Get debt help

What are IVA costs and fees?

Every IVA costs money to set up and run.


  • 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
  • They can be different from one case to the next
  • You must agree to fees before your IVA is approved

StepChange IVA fees follow the industry standard for IVAs.


  • We deduct these fees from your monthly IVA payment
  • There are no upfront fees
  • There are no charges if your IVA is not approved

Different IVA companies have different fees. They may take the fees at different times too.

Make sure you understand all fees and charges before you agree to an IVA.

What do IVA fees cover?

The costs involved in an IVA are:


  • A Nominee fee
  • This is the cost of helping you put the IVA proposal to your creditors
  • You only pay it if your creditors approve
  • It is based on who your creditors are and your monthly payment amount
  • It is either the first five payments into the IVA or £2,000
  • A Supervisor fee
  • This is 15% of any further realisations
  • It covers the ongoing costs of the IVA
  • It starts after the nominee fee is paid
  • Disbursements
  • These are expenses paid to third parties

What are IVA disbursements?

Disbursements are expenses during your IVA and include things like:


  • Insurance
  • To protect any money paid to your IVA
  • System maintenance fees
  • Registration fees
  • To register the IVA with the Insolvency Service
  • Legal advice specific to your case
  • The cost of any property valuations or land registry fees

These fees are not refunded if:


  • You pay your creditors in full during the term of the IVA or
  • The IVA fails

Your fees are confirmed when your proposal is drafted.

They must be approved by the people you owe.

Who provides the IVA?

StepChange Voluntary Arrangements provide our IVAs.

They are a subsidiary of the Foundation for Credit Counselling (FCC), our registered charity.


  • The charity is a non-profit organisation
  • It is funded by contributions from the financial services industry

StepChange Voluntary Arrangements gift aids any profits from IVAs to the FCC. This help us provide debt advice for free.

We may send you to a provider called McCambridge Duffy if:


  • You live in Northern Ireland, or
  • You are self-employed
mum at the table with bills

Thinking about going ahead with an IVA?

Free, online debt advice available now.

Get debt help

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.