You have worked out that bankruptcy is probably your way out, and then you see the price: £680, paid before anyone will even look at your application. For someone who cannot pay a credit card minimum, that feels like a locked door.
Short answer. Bankruptcy in England and Wales costs £680: a £130 application fee and a £550 deposit. You can pay in instalments, but the full amount must be paid before you can submit. The fee cannot be reduced, but grants, charities and family can help, and a debt relief order has no fee at all if you qualify. Free advice: StepChange on 0800 138 1111.
This guide uses GOV.UK, StepChange and Citizens Advice, checked October 2026. It covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different fees, which are in the last table.
What the £680 is made of
| Part | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £130 | The cost of the application itself |
| Deposit | £550 | Goes towards the cost of dealing with your bankruptcy |
| Total | £680 | Paid online before you can submit |
GOV.UK says you can only apply online, and that you cannot submit until the full fee is paid. It also says you can pay in instalments if you cannot afford it all at once. So the order of events is simple: you start the application, pay it off in pieces, and only then send it.
StepChange adds two things that matter. The fee cannot be reduced, and court fees for insolvency and debt solutions are not refundable. Be sure you want to go ahead before the last payment goes in.
Where people find the money
Three routes come up again and again in the official guidance.
A grant or charity. GOV.UK tells you to contact a debt adviser about charities that may help. Citizens Advice says you might be able to apply for a grant or get help from a charity, and points to the grant search on Turn2us. It is worth an hour, because a grant is the one option that does not add to what you owe.
Family and friends. StepChange lists asking family and friends for help as an option. If someone gives you the money as a gift, you owe nothing. If it is a loan, it is one more debt, and quietly paying one person back ahead of everyone else is the kind of thing an official receiver looks at. Talk to an adviser before you accept a loan from family.
Saving it in pieces. This is the slow route, and it is the one most people end up on. Our own illustration: putting aside £20 a week gets you to £680 in 34 weeks. £40 a week does it in 17. £85 a month does it in 8 months.
| Set aside | Time to reach £680 |
|---|---|
| £20 a week | 34 weeks |
| £40 a week | 17 weeks |
| £85 a month | 8 months |
| £170 a month | 4 months |
If those numbers feel impossible, check the next section before you spend a month saving. And if you are tempted to stop paying creditors to build the fund, read what happens if you stop paying first, because the answer depends on which debt it is.
The way you raise it matters
After you are bankrupt, an official receiver looks at how you dealt with your debts beforehand. Citizens Advice says they check, for example, whether you paid some debts before others, spent or borrowed much more than you needed to, or gave a lender wrong information to get credit. You can still go bankrupt if you did those things, but you might have to follow the bankruptcy restrictions for longer.
That is why we would not put the £680 on a credit card or a payday loan. It is our view, not a rule in the guidance: new borrowing to pay for the way out of borrowing is the version of this that looks worst and does the most harm. A grant or a gift keeps your debt list the same length it was.
The free alternative: a debt relief order
A debt relief order, or DRO, has no fee in England and Wales (StepChange says so as of 6 April 2024, and GOV.UK says you do not need to pay for one). You stop paying your debts, including interest, for 12 months, and most of what is in the order is written off at the end. But you have to fit the rules.
| DRO test | Limit |
|---|---|
| Total debts | Less than £50,000 |
| Spare income each month | Less than £75 |
| Assets | Less than £2,000 |
| Vehicle | Not worth £4,000 or more |
| Home | You do not own your home |
| Residence | Lived or worked in England and Wales in the last 3 years |
| Previous DRO | None in the last 6 years |
You cannot apply for a DRO by yourself. GOV.UK says you apply through an approved debt adviser, and that is free too. If you tick every box above, a £0 route can beat a £680 one by a distance. For a side-by-side comparison, see our guide to DRO vs IVA and our plain-English how bankruptcy works guide.
The other costs people forget
The £680 is the entry fee, not always the whole bill. In our worked example in the bankruptcy guide, a person with £140 spare a month pays the £680, then about £120 a month for three years under an income payments agreement. That agreement is based on what is left after reasonable living costs, and it only applies if you have spare income. If your only income is benefits, or you have nothing left over after essentials, Citizens Advice says you do not have to make payments.
An IVA works differently. StepChange says there is no upfront fee, because part of each monthly payment covers the cost of the IVA and the insolvency practitioner’s fees. That sounds cheaper on day one, and it can cost more over its life, so compare the total before you sign.
Other costs are less direct. Your name goes on public records, and the bankruptcy stays on your credit file for up to six years, which affects what you can borrow later. Our guide on what you can keep if you go bankrupt covers the home, car and pension questions.
What the fee looks like across the UK
| Where | Bankruptcy | DRO |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | £680 (£130 + £550 deposit) | No fee |
| Scotland | £150 (called sequestration), and you may not have to pay it | Not applicable. Scotland has a Minimal Asset Process instead |
| Northern Ireland | £683 (£525 deposit, £151 court fee, £7 solicitor’s fee). A low income may get the fee waived on form ER1 but you pay the other costs | No fee |
Those figures are from StepChange. In Scotland, see our guide to the Debt Arrangement Scheme.
If you cannot raise the fee yet
Do not sit on it. Breathing space can give you time to arrange advice and the money. A debt adviser can also look at whether a DRO, a debt management plan or an IVA suits you better than bankruptcy. Start from our UK debt help hub for the full list.
Questions people ask at 2am
How much does it cost to go bankrupt in the UK?
In England and Wales it costs £680: a £130 application fee and a £550 deposit. You pay online and you can pay in instalments, but you cannot submit the application until the full fee is paid. Scotland is £150 and Northern Ireland is £683.
Can I get the bankruptcy fee waived?
In England and Wales the fee cannot be reduced, according to StepChange. You may be able to get a grant or help from a charity, and you can search for grants on Turn2us. In Northern Ireland, people on a low income can apply on form ER1 to have part of the fee waived.
Can someone else pay my bankruptcy fee?
StepChange lists asking family and friends for help as one of the ways to find the money. If they give it as a gift you owe them nothing. If it is a loan, think hard about whether you can repay it, and talk to an adviser first.
Is there a free way to clear my debts?
A debt relief order has no fee in England and Wales. You need debts under £50,000, less than £75 spare income a month, less than £2,000 of assets and no home of your own, among other tests. You apply through an approved debt adviser, not by yourself.
Can I get my £680 back if I change my mind?
No. StepChange says court fees are not refundable for insolvency and debt solutions. Be sure before you pay the final instalment.
Do I have to pay anything on top of the £680?
Possibly. If you have spare income, you may be asked to make income payments for up to 3 years. If your only income is benefits, or you have nothing spare after reasonable living costs, you do not have to make payments.
Will stopping paying my debts help me save the fee?
It might feel like it would, but the effects depend on the debt, and some creditors act faster than others. Talk to a free adviser before you stop paying anything, especially a priority debt like rent or council tax.
More UK help: how to pay off debt.
Disclaimer: DebtShift is an educational platform operated by H Ali Logistics Ltd, which is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This article is general education, not financial or legal advice. For free, impartial debt advice, contact StepChange on 0800 138 1111.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Apply for bankruptcy
- GOV.UK, Debt Relief Orders
- StepChange, Insolvency costs and court fees
- Citizens Advice, Check if going bankrupt is right for you
Last reviewed October 2026
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