DRO application, the nuts and bolts of it.. 15 May 2020 at 11:35AM in Bankruptcy & living with it 14 replies 401 views

maxmycardagain

How does one actually GET a DRO if they have downloaded and completed the application form?

Does it have to be posted off and if so, how and when does the fee have to be paid?
cheers

Stay safe pumpkins, summer is coming

fatbelly

There is no application form as such. Your intermediary enters the details on an insolvency service website, you pay the £90 on a barcoded letter at the post office (or at present due to the lockdown you can pay it by BACS) and then the intermediary presses the button.

maxmycardagain

So who is an intermediary? 

fatbelly

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/getting-a-debt-relief-order

mwarby

maxmycardagain said:

So who is an intermediary? 

An intermediary is a registered organization which carries out debt counselling (is they offer debt advice).

The intermediary for a DRO not only offers advice as to whether a DRO is suitable, but they help to gather and more importantly verify the information required. The idea being that once the case gets to the insolvency service they have confidence that you are insolvent, that your listed debts are correct, and that your budget is correct and within the guideline amounts(or if if not there is a good reason why they aren't). An intermediary would normally be quite careful in keeping to the guidance, as if they didn't their right to process DROs could be revoked

The insolvency service do some checks of their own (eg they pull your credit history), but the checks your intermediary does is part of the reason the fee is so low (they don't need to interview you or go over your budget)

You can find a list here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/getting-a-debt-relief-order/getting-a-debt-relief-order#find-a-debt-adviser most folk here seem to use Stepchange or CAB (although there were reports that with CAB it could take a while,this would vary from office to office, as presumably only trained debt counsellers/advisors can do this)

maxmycardagain

fatbelly said:

There is no application form as such. Your intermediary enters the details on an insolvency service website, you pay the £90 on a barcoded letter at the post office (or at present due to the lockdown you can pay it by BACS) and then the intermediary presses the button.

 if theres no form what did i download from stepchange? 

mwarby

You still need to communicate your affairs to the intermediary.Ive never done it but I’d also guess at some point they would want a signed form confirming your details and truthfullness of the information you have given them

I think what fat belly meant is that there’s no government/insolvency service official form like there is for bankruptcy 

fatbelly

That's correct. If you're going with stepchange you will have to ask them  what hoops they want you to jump through before they are prepared to submit your application.

MalMonroe

I have done it and there are forms, yes. But StepChange helped me. In the first instance I did not download or complete any forms, I phoned them and spoke to one of their agents who explained what could be done for me and how StepChange could and would help. I can assure you that there are no particular 'hoops' to jump through. The fact that one of the UK's official debt agencies is acting on your behalf (as your intermediary) helps enormously. With information I gave, they filled in an application form and sent it to me so I could complete it, check and sign it and then take to the Post Office with the fee (I think it was £90 at the time and I was so poor I had to pay it in three parts) prior to submitting. I had been worrying for years before that about my financial position and once I'd spoken to the person at StepChange, I felt so much better because I had been told that there actually WAS a way out of my situation. You need to first of all contact StepChange, no amount of advice from this forum will help. The phone number is 0800 138 1111. The sooner the better. You can arrange everything over the phone, no meetings to attend. I've done a DRO and I won't pretend it's all plain sailing because you will be persona non grata financially for six years (yes, it may be discharged after a year but it still remains on your credit file for a further five) but after that you're free! I started in 2013 and now I'm  freeeeeeeeeee!!! Come join me! *ahem*

Shaunw1987

Great advice I've just contacted stepchange and been advised a dro is the way forward for me I'm waiting to get my forms filled out so I can send them back how did you go about proving your car is worth x amount and how did you find keeping your surplus less that 50 pounds a month for the year do you get reviewed every month? 

maxmycardagain

Shaunw1987 said:

Great advice I've just contacted stepchange and been advised a dro is the way forward for me I'm waiting to get my forms filled out so I can send them back how did you go about proving your car is worth x amount and how did you find keeping your surplus less that 50 pounds a month for the year do you get reviewed every month? 

Theres is an online download form