How will a Debt Relief Order affect my credit score?

Details of your DRO will be added to the Insolvency Service’s Individual Insolvency Register, although the DRO will not be advertised in your local paper or in the London Gazette as Bankruptcy is.

Details of your DRO will stay on this register for a further three months after the DRO has ended.

Details of the DRO will also be added to your credit file and will remain on there for six years from the commencement of the arrangement. This will impair your ability to obtain credit in the future and may make getting bank accounts more difficult.

However, it is important to keep in mind that if you’ve already missed payments then your credit score is likely to have already been affected. Remember, the consequences of not dealing with your debt problem are far more serious than finding it difficult to obtain future credit.

You can read more about Debt Relief Orders and whether one is suitable for your situation in our Debt Relief Order section.

Debt Advice Foundation is a registered UK charity offering free, confidential support and advice on any aspect of debt, including Debt Relief Orders. If you need to talk to someone about Debt Relief Orders or would like to discuss the alternatives, please call to speak to an adviser.