Statute Barred Debt Checker UK (Free 2026 Tool)

Statute Barred Debt Checker: Has the Time Run Out on Your Old Debt?

Written by Hamid Ali, MSc Accounting & Finance, Founder of DebtShift · Updated 3 November 2026 · Rules checked against the Limitation Act, the FCA Handbook and National Debtline on that date

A letter arrives from a company you’ve never heard of, chasing a credit card you closed six or seven years ago. You’d forgotten it existed. Now there’s a number on the page and a line about court, and you don’t know whether you still owe it. Not morally. Legally.

Sometimes the honest answer is that they’ve run out of time. Enter three dates below and the checker tells you where the debt stands.

On this page: the checker · the three dates · what resets the clock · where it starts · sample letter · collectors · if a claim arrives · debts that never expire · Scotland and NI · questions

The checker

\u2713 Free to use. No account, no sign-up and no bank link. You only give an email if you choose to have your result sent to you.

The three dates you need

Find, or estimate, these: the date of your last payment to the creditor or to anyone collecting for them; the date you last put a written acknowledgement of the debt in front of them; and the date the default notice ran out. That last one is the start line for most credit-card-style debts, and it is often later than people think (see below).

Bank statements show the last payment. Your credit file with Experian, Equifax or TransUnion usually shows the default date, which is a good clue even when the account has been sold. A result of “likely statute barred” rests on the dates you enter. A creditor holding evidence you don’t have could dispute it, so treat it as a strong starting point, not a ruling.

What resets the clock, and what doesn’t

Joint debts have their own twist. National Debtline says a payment by one person restarts the clock for both, while a written admission by one restarts it only for that person. Talk to the other person before anyone pays anything.

Where the six years actually start

Not on the day you missed your first payment. In Doyle v PRA Group the Court of Appeal decided on 23 January 2019 that, for a regulated credit card debt, the clock starts when the time allowed in the default notice runs out. A default notice must give at least 14 days. So a card you stopped paying in January may not start its six years until March or later, depending on when the notice was sent and expired. That’s why the checker asks for the default notice date.

What to send if you think it’s barred

Put it in writing, by recorded delivery, and keep a copy. A phone call leaves you at the mercy of how the conversation is written up. The letter should deny that you accept the debt, say it appears statute barred, and ask them to stop. Avoid payment offers, “I’ll sort it soon” and any sentence that sounds like an admission. National Debtline and StepChange publish free template letters too. Here is plain wording you can adapt:

When the collector keeps going

The FCA rules for firms collecting consumer credit debts (CONC 7.15) are blunt. A firm must not try to recover a barred debt in England, Wales or Northern Ireland if the lender has not been in contact with you during the limitation period. It must not suggest you could be taken to court for a debt it knows is out of time. And it must not keep demanding payment after you have said you won’t pay because it is statute barred. The exception: if the lender was in regular contact with you during those six years, a firm may carry on.

If a firm ignores this, complain to it in writing. If it won’t fix it, take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman. For what else collectors can and can’t do, use our rights tool.

If a court claim arrives

Do not ignore it, and do not assume the judge will spot the date for you. The limitation period is a defence you have to raise in your reply, so say clearly that the debt is statute barred. The form carries a short deadline. If a judgment has already been entered against you, the six-year rule does not help in the same way, and you may need to apply to have it set aside. Phone National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 or StepChange on 0800 138 1111 the same day. If the debt turns out to be live and you can’t pay, our bankruptcy and DRO checker shows the formal options, and what happens if you stop paying walks through the stages.

Debts that never run out the same way

Income tax and VAT owed to HMRC have no time limit in England and Wales (Scotland’s usual period is 20 years). Council tax follows its own rules: in England and Wales a liability order should not be sought more than six years after the tax fell due, and once one exists there is no time limit on enforcing it; in Scotland it is generally a 20-year debt. County court judgments do not become statute barred, although after six years the creditor normally needs the court’s permission for some enforcement steps. A Scottish decree can be enforced for up to 20 years. Mortgage shortfalls run for 12 years on the capital and six on the interest in England and Wales. If your debt is one of these, the six-year rule does not apply to it.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland. The period is five years. If there has been no decree or court action, no payment and no written admission in that time, the debt stops existing rather than just becoming hard to enforce (National Debtline Scotland; FCA CONC 7.15.3). The checker works with England and Wales dates, so for Scottish debts use it as a rough guide and call National Debtline.

Northern Ireland. The FCA says the limit is generally six years there too, and a barred debt still exists, but the legislation is separate (the Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989). Rules on the details can differ, so check with Advice NI before you rely on an England and Wales answer.

Four examples (made up, built on the real rules)

Likely barred. A default notice expires on 20 April 2019. No payments, no letters, no court claim. Six years later is 20 April 2025, so on 3 November 2026 the debt is about 18 months past the limit.

The clock restarted. Same debt, but £10 is paid on 15 February 2022. That was inside the six years, so the clock restarts and now runs to 15 February 2028. A debt that looked finished has about 15 months left.

Paid too late to matter. Same original debt, but the £25 is paid in September 2026. The debt had already run out in April 2025, so the Limitation Act says the payment does not bring the right to sue back. Paying it just moved £25 to the creditor for nothing.

Joint debt. Two people share an overdraft. One pays £50 in 2023. That restarts the clock for both, even if the other never paid or wrote a word.

Questions people ask at 2am

Does a statute barred debt disappear from my credit file?
Not automatically. Your credit file keeps a default for six years from the date of default, and that is a separate clock from the limitation period. A debt can be statute barred and still show on your file, or drop off your file while still being enforceable, depending on the dates.

I paid £5 last year. Is it all ruined?
It depends on when the six years ended. If they had not ended when you paid, the payment restarted the clock from that date. If the debt was already statute barred, the Limitation Act says a later payment or acknowledgement does not revive the right to sue (section 29(7)). Work out the date first. The checker above does this.

Can a debt collector still ring me about it?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland a barred debt still exists, so they can write. FCA rules say a firm must not try to recover it if the lender has not been in contact with you during the six years (CONC 7.15.4), must not suggest you face court action it knows is no longer possible (7.15.7), and must stop demanding payment once you say you will not pay because it is statute barred (7.15.8). If the lender has been in regular contact, a firm may carry on (7.15.5).

The debt was sold. Does the clock start again?
No. The new owner takes the old timeline. If the clock started in 2019, it is still the 2019 clock when a collection firm buys the debt in 2023.

How do I find out when I last paid?
Search your bank statements for the last payment to the creditor or to any collector acting for them. Ask the current owner for the full account history, and say clearly that you are requesting records and not confirming you owe the debt. Your credit file also shows the default date, which is a useful clue to the default notice date.

Should I ignore the letters until it expires?
No. If a court claim is issued while the debt is still in time and you do not respond, they can get a judgment against you. A judgment can be enforced long after six years. Check the dates properly, then reply in writing.

Does this work the same in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland uses its own legislation, but the FCA describes the limit as generally six years there too, and a barred debt still exists. Scotland is different: the period is five years and, if there has been no court claim, no payment and no written admission in that time, the debt stops existing. The checker is built around England and Wales dates, so use it as a guide elsewhere and ask National Debtline or Advice NI.

Sources and when we checked

Checked on 3 November 2026. Payment and acknowledgement rules: Limitation Act 1980, section 29 and section 30. Collector rules: FCA Handbook, CONC 7.15 (last updated 1 April 2014, still in force on 3 November 2026). Clock start: Shelter summary of Doyle v PRA Group [2019] EWCA Civ 12. England and Wales detail, joint debts, CCJs: National Debtline. Scotland: National Debtline Scotland. This page gives general information, not legal advice. Confirm your own dates and options with a free adviser.