What happens after Breathing Space ends?
Breathing Space pauses debts; it does not clear them. What you do in the final weeks decides whether the end of it feels like a cliff edge or a handover to a plan.
Applies to: England & Wales
What to do now
- Check your end date with your adviser now.
- Use the debt solution comparison to understand the options before your next appointment.
- Plan letters to creditors for the end date with the repayment offer letter.
When it ends
- Standard Breathing Space ends 60 days after it started.
- Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space ends 30 days after the crisis treatment ends.
- Either can end early if it is cancelled — for example because a debt solution covering all the debts has started, the conditions were not kept, or the adviser could not contact you. Creditors are told and can restart from the day after cancellation.
What restarts, and what does not
| After it ends | |
|---|---|
| The debt itself | Still owed in full. Nothing is written off. |
| Interest and charges | Can be added again from the day after it ends, but not for the Breathing Space period itself. |
| Requests for payment | Creditors and collection agencies can contact you again. |
| Enforcement | Bailiff action, court enforcement and other recovery can restart. |
| Legal time limits | A time limit that would have run out during the Breathing Space is extended until eight weeks after it ends. |
| Your credit file | No Breathing Space marker stays on it. Missed payments reported during it can show. |
Using the last few weeks
- Finish a full budget with your adviser — the budget calculator gets you most of the way.
- Check you are getting every benefit and discount — benefits and grants check.
- Ask the adviser which options fit your situation, and what each would cost and mean for your home and credit file.
- If an application takes time, ask whether it can be made before the end date so there is no gap in protection.
- Write to creditors with an offer before the end date if you are going to pay them informally.
The usual next steps
Common routes include reduced payments agreed directly with creditors, a debt management plan, a Debt Relief Order, an IVA, bankruptcy, or a full and final settlement if you have a lump sum. Each has different rules and consequences, so this is a list, not a recommendation — a free adviser can tell you which fit.
Can I have another one?
Not a standard one within 12 months of the last. A Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space has no such limit if you are receiving crisis treatment. Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space.
You never have to pay for debt advice. MoneyHelper (government-backed), StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice all give free, confidential advice with no obligation.
Common questions
Do I have to pay back the interest after Breathing Space?
No. Creditors cannot charge interest or charges for the Breathing Space period, unless a court allows it. They can start adding interest again from the day after it ends.
Can I extend Breathing Space?
A standard Breathing Space lasts 60 days and cannot be extended, and you cannot have another standard one within 12 months. A Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space lasts as long as crisis treatment, plus 30 days.
What if I have not sorted my debts when it ends?
Creditors can restart collection and enforcement. Talk to your adviser before the end date about writing to creditors or starting a debt solution, so you are not left without a plan.