What is a Debt Management Plan?
A Debt Management Plan or DMP is an informal agreement between a debtor and their creditors. A DMP could help to reduce outstanding debts over a fixed period of time at a lower repayment level to help people regain control of their finances. An income and expenditure of the individual or household is taken into consideration and the surplus or the individual’s disposable income is then distributed to creditors (less any fees due) If the individual’s circumstances change, payments may be lowered or raised accordingly making the plan is totally flexible and there is no binding contract.
Advantages of a Debt Management Plan
Fair and open way of sharing payments, widely understood by creditors.
The debt management company will help you prepare your plan, including agreeing the level of your household and personal spending based on guidelines, which can then be used to put your case to the creditors.
The debt management company will negotiate with creditors on your behalf, so offers are more likely to be accepted and interest frozen than if you try to do this yourself.
You may be able to vary your payments if your circumstances change.
You
make single payments
each month or
quarter to the debt
management company,
which is responsible
for administering
all payments to your
creditors.
Any monthly payment you make should be passed on to creditors within 5 working days. Some debt management companies do not charge you a fee.
What People Are Saying
Things to Consider
The debt management company cannot force creditors to accept your proposal or freeze interest. A plan is not binding on creditors who refuse to take part in it, but they cannot refuse to accept any payments made to them.
You remain
liable to pay your debts until they
are paid in full.
Creditors
could still take enforcement action
against you, for example by getting
a county court judgment and then an
order, which creates a charge on
your home*, even if you are keeping
up your payments under the plan,
unless they agree not to do so.
You may not be
able to make reduced offers if your
circumstances worsen and you can no
longer afford your agreed monthly
payments.
A plan can
last for several years. However,
some creditors may be prepared to
freeze interest for only a shorter
time. If interest and charges cannot
be frozen for the full length of the
plan, then the total amount you end
up paying under the plan could be
more than the original amount of
your debts, and could extend the
lifetime of the plan.
*Having a charge on your home means that if you do not repay the debt, the creditor has a claim on the proceeds if the property is sold.