Deal with your priority debts

At present, the Benefits Service do not provide debt or money advice but we have listed some details below that you may find helpful

It is best to reach agreements on priority debts before you make any offers on non-priority debts. That way, you know whether you have anything left for non-priority debts and how much.  

You should: 

• Contact your priority creditors as soon as possible. Make a repayment offer if you can. If you do not know how much you can afford, tell them you are dealing with the situation and will make an offer soon. Often, the quickest way to contact creditors is by phone but make sure you get written confirmation of any agreement. 
• Start making payments as soon as you can, even before the creditor has said whether they will accept your offer. Receiving payments often encourages a creditor to accept the offer. 
• Clear priority debts as soon as possible, because the extra powers the creditors have could result in other financial difficulties in the future. Payments to priority debts should be higher than payments to non-priority debts.