Debt Management

Protocol Debt Management Plan

A Debt Management Plan can help you get your life back

A debt management plan (DMP) is an informal arrangement that can help you pay off unsecured debts, such as credit cards and payday loans, within a reasonable time period.

You could benefit from a DMP if you’re struggling with multiple monthly repayments.

DMPs are managed by debt management firms.

A DMP makes life easier because all your unsecured debt repayments are consolidated into a single, affordable, monthly amount. If a DMP is the best way to manage your debts, we’ll agree your new payment amounts with your creditors and deal with all their letters and phone calls. This takes away much of the stress and hassle of managing your debts, so you can focus on getting your life back on track.

Also, creditors will often agree to reduce or freeze interest and charges on your debts because you’ve committed to paying them off in full. This means your repayments will go towards reducing your balance, rather than interest and charges.

All about Protocol Debt Management Plans

Protocol Debt Management Plans (PDMPs) are a new type of DMP that the government has developed with the Insolvency Service. They were introduced in October 2013. PDMPs are designed to protect people struggling with financial problems from the unscrupulous practices and upfront fees imposed by some debt management companies.

Debts.org.uk does not charge any set-up fee's that means that more of your monthly payment is distributed to your creditors from month one. We also have to assure creditors that all the repayment plans we put forward for consideration are sustainable.

With a PDMP, you don’t have to worry about upfront fees. You and your creditors will have the reassurance of knowing that payments will be made towards your debts from the first month your plan is in place. As a protocol-compliant firm, we’re also committed to distributing each of your payments within the first five working days of receiving a cleared payment from you.

In the event that you pay on a weekly or fortnightly basis, your payments are accrued until you reach your agreed monthly sum in the protected client account. 

Is a DMP the right option for you?

A DMP is a popular choice for people who want to consolidate several unsecured debt repayments into a single, affordable monthly amount. So if you have some disposable income and can commit to making monthly payments – possibly for several years – it could be an option.

DMPs are flexible as they’re not legally-binding, so you can cancel your plan and switch to another debt management solution in the future. However, their informal nature also means that creditors don’t have to accept them, and they could keep pursuing your debts in other ways. So a DMP isn’t right for everyone.

Some advantages and disadvantages of a DMP

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • It’s fairly quick to set up. We take care of all the paperwork.
  • You’ll make one simple, affordable monthly payment. We’ll agree new payment amounts with each of your creditors and distribute the payments on your behalf.
  • We may be able to reduce your balance and/or freeze interest and charges.
  • Telephone calls and threatening letters should gradually decrease as your creditors accept the agreement.
  • A DMP is informal so you can cancel it if you wish. It’s also flexible and can be used as a short term way of regaining control over your debts, or as a longer term solution.
  • Your creditors don’t have to accept it.
  • With lower payment amounts, it may take longer to clear your debts and the overall costs could increase.
  • Your creditors may not agree to freeze your interest or charges.
  • A DMP isn’t legally-binding so your creditors could still pursue your debts in other ways.
  • Your ability to obtain credit will still be affected. Any late payments and arrears will stay on your credit file for up to six years.
  • You can’t use a DMP to pay off secured debts such as mortgages and hire purchase agreements.
  • Whilst on a debt management plan you should not take out any additional credit

 

 

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