Debt Relief Orders (DRO) - Information & help thread

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  • sourcrates
    sourcrates Posts: 28,878 Ambassador
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    mitchell2802 wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I have recently been advised to apply for a DRO via stepchange, I paid the £90 on the barcode on friday at around 4pm and rang step change immediately to advise them, the advisor went through my forms with me and told me he would submit my application, would he have done this right away?

    Does anyone know how long it is currently taking to get a decision from the OR?

    Is the register updated immediately as soon as the decision is made or just daily, I seem to be checking the register all the time, I am so anxious about things



    Thank you


    Hi,


    There was a time when this all used to happen within 48 hours, but recent changes to procedure, and a big influx of people requesting DRO`s, has lead to some delays, I dont know the current waiting time with stepchange, or even if there is one, but once submitted, its usual to be on the IR within 2/3 days, so try and stay calm.


    The advisor would not submit an application if there was any chance it would fail.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter
  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 20,494 Forumite
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    mitchell2802 wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I have recently been advised to apply for a DRO via stepchange, I paid the £90 on the barcode on friday at around 4pm and rang step change immediately to advise them, the advisor went through my forms with me and told me he would submit my application, would he have done this right away?

    Does anyone know how long it is currently taking to get a decision from the OR?

    Is the register updated immediately as soon as the decision is made or just daily, I seem to be checking the register all the time, I am so anxious about things



    Thank you
    The OR's finance procedure is currently shut down for some sort of maintenance. It is due to be back online on Thursday so I would be surprised if you get confirmation before Friday and possibly not this week.

    If your intermediary was unwise enough to submit the application last Friday then there is a small risk of automatic rejection before the facility comes back online.

    The OR has said, that if that happens they will rectify the situation without needing to re-submit.

    So there may be a few applications that will be rejected, then accepted! To avoid the confusion I'm not submitting anything at the moment but will probably start again tomorrow
  • mitchell2802
    mitchell2802 Posts: 3 Newbie
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    Oh no really ��

    Do you think I should call them and ask if they submitted it? They never said anything about the systems been down etc just that I would have an answer in a max of 10 days
  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 20,494 Forumite
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    edited 19 March 2019 at 3:55PM
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    mitchell2802 wrote: »
    Oh no really ��

    Do you think I should call them and ask if they submitted it? They never said anything about the systems been down etc just that I would have an answer in a max of 10 days

    It sounds like they submitted it then.

    The system checks for the £90 payment for a maximum of ten days, then rejects it.

    There's nothing any of us can do. They said the system would be back on Thursday:
    We've been informed that, owing to changes for our colleagues at the Redundancy Payments Service, the Insolvency Service's finance system will need to be shut down from 17:00 on Friday 15 March to Wednesday 20 March. This will have the following effects:
    • We will be unable to approve new Debt Relief Orders for the duration of the closedown. This will affect orders submitted from Friday 15 March onwards. We will resume processing on Thursday 21 March.
    • We will not be able to respond to any balance enquiries
    • We will not be able to process any refund or transfer requests
    Any applications submitted before the closedown that reach the 10-day limit without payment during this shutdown will automatically be cancelled; this is a system interaction we cannot stop. We will however review all cancelled applications after the shutdown ends and, where the fee had been received during the shutdown period, we will process the application as normal.
  • mitchell2802
    mitchell2802 Posts: 3 Newbie
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    Thank you, that's really helpful.
    I was a little worried something was wrong as I hadn't heard anything, hopefully my application will be processed when everything returns to normal.
    Until then I'll just try to remain calm, I've had high court enforcement agents around a few times so my stomach is in knots all the time, I've made my children aware of what's happening as they were here when they were trying to get in. Step Change just told us not to unlock the door, I feel like a prisoner at the moment so I'm looking forward to drawing a line under this and moving forward.
  • Joa1210_2
    Joa1210_2 Posts: 21 Forumite
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    Im just wondering if someone can tell me what happens when you submit DRO?
    More specifically what happens after? do you have an interview as per BR? or are they happy to use the information you send to the advisory service?
    do you have a NT tax code as per BR?
    many thanks
  • ToxtethO'Grady
    ToxtethO'Grady Posts: 342 Forumite
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    Im just wondering if someone can tell me what happens when you submit DRO?
    More specifically what happens after? do you have an interview as per BR? or are they happy to use the information you send to the advisory service?
    do you have a NT tax code as per BR?
    many thanks


    There is no interview the intermediary completes the application on your behalf and they will ask for the relevant information.


    You do not have an NT tax code however your need to be aware of the criteria for a DRO
    - debts under £20,000
    - £50 or less left after your living expenses each month
    - you cannot be a homeowner
    - assets £1,000 or less
    - car of £1,000 or less
  • A_new_Start_2
    A_new_Start_2 Posts: 131 Forumite
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    Hello.
    I am in some debt, about £5,700 I think.
    I work but my earnings leave me with a £170 (roughly) shortfall which I can't see much possibility of improving.
    I have been on StepChange site and filled in the Debt Remedy form.
    The advice was to contact all creditors to request reduced payments which I have done, all except TSB who went home early today.
    But they are all fairly short term, 3 - 7 months.
    So the next advice on StepChange was DRO.
    I fit all the criterior except it appears my car (which I need to get to work) is worth about 1500.
    Is there any leeway in the value or do I need to sell it?
    Is there anything else I can do?
    If anyone can advise, I'd be really grateful.
  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 20,494 Forumite
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    It's true that you can't have a DRO if you have a car worth £1500, as you don't meet the basic criteria.

    But is it worth £1500? The valuation should be done through Parkers Guide, private poor is an acceptable figure and you can (for a small fee) adjust this for higher mileages.

    Yes you could sell this car (at market price) and buy a cheaper one. There are two asset limits of £1000 so a £750 car and £750 in other assets incl cash, would qualify.

    However, in your case, your debts are small, you have an asset and significant income. You may have other options. If you post a statement of affairs on the debt free wannabe board, others will take a look and advise.
  • jess85
    jess85 Posts: 2 Newbie
    edited 26 April 2019 at 2:37PM
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    Hi,

    I have a quick question: Is it possible for one of my creditors to issue me a Default Notice ("under Section 87 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974") after my DRO has begun (and after they have acknowledged it)? I have received a letter telling me this is what they are going to do (as well as send the default information to credit reference agencies). I haven't received any similar communication from the other creditors on the DRO.

    Thanks for any help.
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