Bailiff AdviceUK consumer guidance
Principal scope: England and Wales
Scotland and Northern Ireland use different procedures
HomeBreathing Space and Enforcement

Civil enforcement information

Breathing Space and Enforcement

A standard Breathing Space is started by an authorised debt adviser and normally provides up to 60 days of protection. A mental health crisis Breathing Space has different eligibility and duration rules.

Telephone consultation £35Identify the enforcement action

What it can do

Once a creditor is notified that a qualifying debt is in a Breathing Space, the creditor and its agents must apply the statutory protections. Most enforcement action and contact in relation to the debt must pause, and most interest, fees and charges are frozen for the protected period.

What it does not mean

  1. Not every debt qualifies.
  2. The website cannot start a Breathing Space.
  3. Simply asking for debt advice does not itself create the moratorium.
  4. Ongoing liabilities may still need to be paid.
  5. A creditor may seek review or court relief through the statutory process.
  6. The protection ends or can be cancelled in defined circumstances.

How to access it

Contact a debt advice provider authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide debt counselling, or a local authority that provides qualifying debt advice.

Sources

  1. GOV.UK: Debt Respite Scheme guidance

Review status

Legal content reviewed against the sources identified on this page on 27 July 2026. The next review is due on 27 July 2028.