Breathing Space UK: How to Get 60 Days Free From Debt Collectors in 2026
Updated July 2026 · England and Wales only · GOV.UK verified · 9 min read
By Hamid Ali · MSc Accounting & Finance · ACCA in progress · Founder of DebtShift
The phone won’t stop ringing. Letters land every day, and you’ve stopped opening most of them. If that’s where you are right now, there’s a legal way to make it stop — it’s called Breathing Space.
It gives you 60 days of legal protection from your creditors, completely free. Interest freezes. Enforcement stops. The calls stop. All of it legally, while you work out what comes next.
It doesn’t write off your debt — but it buys you the space to think and get proper advice without everything getting worse while you do it. Below is how it works, who qualifies, and how to apply today.
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Get My Free Plan →What Is Breathing Space?
Formally the Debt Respite Scheme, Breathing Space is a UK Government scheme that came into force on 4 May 2021, giving people in problem debt legal protection from creditors while they get proper advice.
It’s not a debt solution — the debt itself doesn’t go away. But for 60 days, creditors cannot add interest or charges, take enforcement action, or contact you about the debts included.
Key facts — verified July 2026
The Two Types of Breathing Space
1. Standard Breathing Space — 60 Days
Available to any adult in England or Wales with a qualifying debt. Interest and fees freeze, enforcement stops, for 60 days.
You must use the 60 days to work with a debt adviser toward a longer-term solution. Your adviser also carries out a midway review, between day 25 and day 35, confirming the scheme’s still the right fit and you’re keeping up with your ongoing bills — it isn’t a formality you can ignore, and things not tracking is exactly how it gets cancelled.
2. Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space — No Time Limit
If you’re currently receiving mental health crisis treatment, this version lasts for the full duration of that treatment plus 30 days after it ends — no 60-day cap, and no once-a-year restriction either.
An Approved Mental Health Professional — a social worker or psychiatric nurse approved under the Mental Health Act 1983 — has to confirm you’re receiving qualifying crisis treatment before you can apply. That’s a formal requirement, not just a GP’s note; you can start the referral yourself, but the signed evidence form has to come from the AMHP.
Who Qualifies?
To qualify for standard Breathing Space, your debt adviser must confirm you:
- Live in England or Wales
- Have at least one qualifying debt you can’t afford to pay
- Aren’t currently bankrupt or in an active IVA, DRO, or interim order
- Haven’t used standard Breathing Space in the last 12 months
- Genuinely need the protection — if your adviser thinks you could realistically manage with budgeting help alone, they may not grant it
Not available in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own route through the Debt Arrangement Scheme, run via the Accountant in Bankruptcy.
Which Debts Are Included?
Can be included
- Credit cards and store cards
- Personal loans and overdrafts
- Buy now pay later
- Council tax arrears already due
- Rent arrears
- Mortgage/secured arrears existing at application
- Utility bill arrears
- Benefit overpayments
- Payday loans
- Parking fines and penalty charge notices
Cannot be included
- Ongoing mortgage or rent payments
- New secured arrears building up after you apply
- Student loans
- Child maintenance
- Court fines for an offence
- Fraud debts
- Social fund crisis or budgeting loans
- Universal Credit advance repayments
Secured debt is the rule people get wrong most: mortgage or hire purchase arrears that already exist when you apply are covered — no interest on the arrears, no enforcement on them. What isn’t covered is your ongoing monthly payment going forward, or any new arrears building after Breathing Space starts. Keep paying the current mortgage or you risk losing protection on the arrears too.
Joint debts are covered even if only one of you applies — though it’s worth telling the other person. Guarantor loans work one way only: if you’re the borrower, the loan qualifies as your debt; if you’re the one who guaranteed someone else’s loan and haven’t been called on to pay, it isn’t your debt yet, so it isn’t covered.
How to Apply
You can’t apply directly to the Insolvency Service — it has to go through an FCA-authorised debt adviser, or your local authority, on your behalf.
STEP 01
Contact StepChange, National Debtline, or Citizens Advice
All FCA-authorised, all free. StepChange: stepchange.org or 0800 138 1111. National Debtline: nationaldebtline.org or 0808 808 4000. Citizens Advice: citizensadvice.org.uk.
STEP 02
Your adviser assesses eligibility
They review your debts, income, and situation, then submit the application to the Insolvency Service electronically. No court hearing required.
STEP 03
Protection starts — creditors notified
Once approved, creditors are legally notified and must apply the protections immediately. Your details go on the Insolvency Service’s Breathing Space register.
STEP 04
Use the 60 days properly
Work with your adviser to compare a DRO, an IVA, a Debt Management Plan, or a structured repayment plan. Breathing Space is a pause, not a solution — the goal is walking out with a plan agreed, not hitting day 61 back where you started.
No fee at any point in this process. If anyone asks for money to apply for Breathing Space on your behalf, walk away — it’s always free through a genuine adviser.
What Happens When It Ends?
Standard Breathing Space ends automatically after 60 days, or earlier if you cancel it, your adviser cancels it (for example if you stop engaging), or you no longer meet the eligibility criteria.
When it ends, normal creditor rights resume and interest can start again. That’s exactly why the 60 days need to produce a real plan, not just a delay. If you enter a formal solution like a DRO or IVA during that window, those arrangements carry their own protections that continue afterward.
Breathing Space vs Other UK Debt Solutions
Not sure a DRO would even apply to you? Check in two minutes with the free DRO & Bankruptcy Checker before comparing the numbers below.
| Breathing Space | DRO | IVA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt written off? | No | Yes — after 12 months | Yes — remainder after payments |
| Duration | 60 days | 12 months | 5–6 years |
| Cost | Free | Free | £2,500–£4,500 typically |
| Credit file impact | Minimal | 6 years | 6 years |
| Monthly payments | None required | None | Yes — 5–6 years |
Coming out of Breathing Space with a plan in place?
The Credit Repair Blueprint gives you a 90-day plan to start rebuilding your credit once the immediate pressure is off.
Get the Credit Repair Blueprint →Frequently Asked Questions
Does Breathing Space write off my debt?
No. It freezes creditor action and interest for 60 days — it doesn’t write off or reduce anything. The debt is still there when it ends. The point is protected time to find a solution, not erasing the problem.
Can I apply for Breathing Space myself?
No. It has to go through an FCA-authorised debt adviser or your local authority — you can’t apply directly to the Insolvency Service. StepChange, National Debtline, and Citizens Advice are all approved and free.
Will it affect my credit score?
Starting a Breathing Space doesn’t itself add a formal insolvency flag to your file. But any missed payments or defaults that led you to apply will already be showing — Breathing Space doesn’t make that worse, and it’s far less damaging than a DRO, IVA, or bankruptcy.
Does my mortgage get included?
Partly. Arrears you already have when you apply are protected — no interest, no enforcement on them. Your ongoing monthly payment still has to be paid throughout, and any new arrears building up after Breathing Space starts aren’t covered.
Can I use it more than once?
Standard Breathing Space is limited to once every 12 months. Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space has no such limit and can be applied for again if circumstances genuinely call for it.
Do I still have to make any payments?
Yes — it isn’t a payment holiday. Keep paying ongoing costs like rent, your current mortgage payment, council tax, and utilities. Miss those and your adviser can cancel the protection; it stops creditor action, it doesn’t suspend your actual obligations.
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Start My Free Plan →Related UK debt guides:
DebtShift is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Information verified July 2026 against GOV.UK and Insolvency Service guidance. For free confidential debt support contact StepChange, MoneyHelper, or Citizens Advice.
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