Guide To Completing The Debt Enquiry Sheet

The examples on this page are for clients who are home owners, click here for examples for rented properties or others.

See a completed example of the Debt Enquiry Sheet here

DATE / ADVISER / BUREAU OFFICE
Office use only, do not fill in.

NAME(S)
Your name& partner/spouse (if applicable)

ADDRESS
Your actual address or contact address

TELEPHONE
Landline / mobile numbers

NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HOUSEHOLD

ADULTS
Number of adults in the property - you / spouse / partner

CHILDREN
Number of dependant children living in your home

NON-DEPENDANTS
Number of non dependant children or boarders/lodgers, etc.

IF NECESSARY CAN WE CONTACT YOU BY PHONE (including messages) / BY POST (Y/N)
Check due to confidentiality & safety issues

DATE OF BIRTH
Your date of birth

NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER
Your national insurance number

EMPLOYMENT
Your employment status

HOUSING STATUS

RENT
Type of landlord/tenancy - Private or Social
Social landlord eg. local authority (council)/housing associations

MORTGAGE
(Actual or approximate figures)

O/S Mortgage
Outstanding balance of first mortgage

2nd Mortgage
Outstanding balance of second mortgage (if applicable)

Secured Loan
Outstanding balance of any secured loan(s) (if applicable)

Charging Order
Any charging order balances secured on the house

LA Redemption
Any outstanding balance where the property has been purchased under a council right to buy scheme involving a discount (these type of schemes usually involve a 1-5 year discount payback if you sell the property within this time).

Negative / Positive Equity
Negative or positive equity figure in property (short approximate calculation)

Services
Have you served in any of the armed forces? Assistance may be possible via The Royal British Legion.

Priority Debts

MORTGAGE / SECURED LOAN ARREARS

The actual or approximate amount the mortgage / secured loan is in arrears - for example - if the contractual monthly mortgage / secured loan payment is £500 and two payments have been missed then the figure to be recorded would be £1000

Check if the lender (mortgage and secured loan) has started possession proceedings - basically there are five stages - (record details and key dates along with arrears)

Letter from the lender informing you of the arrears and requesting payments
Letter from the lenders solicitor informing you that legal action will commence
Notice of possession hearing date has been sent by the court to you
The possession hearing has already took place and a Possession Order has been made by the court (usually 28 days)
An Eviction Warrant has been issued by the court and delivered to you by the court bailiff (this has to be after the Possession Order period has elapsed)

CHARGING ORDER

This is where a creditor has taken legal action through the court and effectively turned an unsecured debt into a secured one (usually on your home). As with mortgage and secured loans your home (or other property) may be at serious risk if the terms of a Charging Order are not maintained.

As with mortgages, record the actual or approximate arrears / details / key dates relating to any Charging Order(s).

RENT

The actual or approximate amount the rent is in arrears - for example - if the contractual monthly rent is £400 and two payments have been missed then the figure to be recorded would be £800 (rent arrears can also be counted in weeks - for example if the weekly contractual rent is £75 and the client is five weeks behind then the figure would be £375).

Check if the landlord has started possession proceedings - basically there are four stages to remember- (record details & key dated along with arrears)

Notice Seeking Possession (section 21) issued by the landlord
Notice of Possession Hearing date has been sent by the court to you
The possession hearing has already took place and a Possession Order has been made by the court (usually 28 days)
An Eviction Warrant has been issued by the court and delivered by the court bailiff to you (after the Possession Order period has elapsed)

COUNCIL TAX

The actual or approximate amount of council tax arrears - this should include the current account AND any previous years accounts.

Also check whether you have left any unpaid council tax at any previous addresses with Local Authorities in other parts of the country as council tax arrears remain a priority debt irrespective of where they have accrued.

The stages for unpaid council tax (record details and key dates along with arrears amount)

Warning letter(s) from the Local Authority / District Council
Liability Order applied for / obtained via the Magistrates Court allowing further recovery action including Attachment of Earnings (AOE) & bailiffs
Bailiffs - letters / Walking Possession Agreement (goods levy)
District Council refer account back to Magistrates Court / possible prison

FINES (Magistrates)

Examples of Magistrates Court Fines are non payment of TV License, driving offences and other criminal offences. Record the actual or approximate figures and details of any key dates / recovery action such as bailiff involvement or pending warrants.

Please note - sometimes people confuse Magistrates Court action with the County Court - the basic difference being that Magistrates Courts deal with criminal issues while the County Courts deal with civil issues such as County Court Judgments (CCJs).

ELECTRIC

The actual or approximate amount of electricity arrears (current address) and details of supplier recovery action, for example - contact and letters from collection department or agency / magistrate court warrant to disconnect supply issued / prepayment meter fitted

GAS

The actual or approximate amount of gas arrears (current address) and details of supplier recovery action, for example - contact and letters from collection department or agency / magistrate court warrant to disconnect supply issued / prepayment meter fitted

WATER

The actual or approximate amount of water arrears (current address) and details of supplier recovery action - for example - contact and letters from collection department or agency / County Court Judgment (CCJ).

TV LICENCE

Have you got a TV Licence /or are you behind with payments towards a payment scheme (Cash Easy Entrance Plan).

Record any amounts / details / key dates

TAX/VAT

Actual or approximate amounts of income tax / VAT owed and details of recovery action / key dates, for example any contact / letters / Statutory Demands and bankruptcy.

HIRE PURCHASE

Actual or approximate amounts of arrears and details of any recovery action / key dates - for example, any contact / letters / threat of legal action / repossession of vehicle or other goods.

CSA

Actual or approximate amount of arrears and details of any recovery action / key dates - for example - any contact / letters / bailiffs / magistrate court warrants.

OTHER (inc CCJs)

Other priority debts - for example - County Court Judgments.

Record amounts / details / key dates / bailiff involvement including warrants to seize goods or applications for attachment to earnings orders.

BUSINESS DEBTS (inc rates)

Actual / approximate amounts of business rates and /or other business debts - the procedure for the recovery of business rates is very similar to that of council tax arrears (record details & key dates)

Debts involving businesses can be complex therefore you are likely to need specialist advice from other agencies / professionals - for example Business Debtline / Insolvency Practitioner.

Non-Priority Debts

CREDIT CARDS
Approx combined balances - creditor names / stage of recovery / collection agencies

LOANS / OVERDRAFTS / CATALOGUES
As above

RENT (old properties)
Approx amount of arrears left at previous rented properties

SOCIAL FUND
Approx combined balances - benefit deductions or stage of recovery

BENEFIT OVERPAYMENTS
Approx amounts - benefit deductions / recovery action

TELEPHONE (old accounts)
Approx amounts / company names / recovery action

TV / SKY RENTAL (old accounts)
Approx amounts / details / recovery action

TAX CREDIT OVERPAYMENTS
Approx amounts / ongoing deductions / recovery

FAMILY & FRIENDS
Approx amounts / details / payments or recovery action

OTHER
Approx amounts / details / recovery action

APPROXIMATE TOTAL
Add all above together to give total non-priority debts

Assets

ASSETS (cars and vehicles)
Approx value(s) - type of vehicle / if needed for work

ASSETS (savings etc)
Approx amounts - details - savings / premium bonds / shares

ASSETS (other inc pensions)
Approx amounts - details - pension funds / others

ANY GUARANTORS (parents etc)
Y/N - anyone else who has signed as security for your debts - this can have serious consequences for those concerned

ANY PREVIOUS ADVICE
Y/N - previous or ongoing advice from CAB / CCCS / Payplan / Debt Management Companies / Insolvency Practitioner / Solicitors etc

BANKRUPTCY / IVA / Debt Relief Order (DRO)
Y/N - have you ever been or are currently subjected to Bankruptcy, an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) or a Debt Relief Order (DRO)?

REASON FOR DEBT
Record brief details - for example - job loss / redundancy / reduction in income / relationship problems / illness / over commitment

Income / Expenditure

INCOME (monthly)
Your income figures including benefits (actual or approximate).

EXPENDITURE (monthly)
Your expenditure figures (actual or approx amounts in line with standard allowance figures unless special circumstances)

ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE
Have you any special needs / health issues / possible assistance from other agencies / Macmillan etc

CLIENTS GP SURGERY
Details of your GP Surgery / doctor