What should I do if I cannot pay a bill?

The instinct is to avoid the problem, and it is the one thing that reliably makes it worse. Providers have processes for this and generally prefer an arrangement to an escalation. This describes a practical approach and is not financial or legal advice.

Safety

Step by step

1. Contact the provider before the payment is missed.Before, not after. Most have hardship teams and far more flexibility with someone who gets in touch early.
2. Work out which bills carry the most serious consequences.Rent or mortgage, energy, council tax or rates, and court fines generally have more serious consequences than unsecured credit. Those are the priority.
3. List everything you owe with the amount, the provider and the deadline.It is uncomfortable and it is the only way to make decisions rather than react.
4. Get free advice from a recognised debt charity or advice service.Free, independent and confidential. Never pay a company to arrange something you can arrange yourself.
5. Ask specifically about a payment plan or a breathing-space arrangement.Many providers offer reduced or paused payments for a period. You have to ask; it is rarely offered.
6. Check whether you are entitled to support you are not claiming.Benefit entitlement, energy support schemes and council tax reduction are commonly unclaimed. An advice service will check this properly.
7. Keep a written record of every conversation.Date, name, what was agreed. It matters if there is a dispute later.
8. Do not take on new credit to cover existing debt without advice.It sometimes helps and frequently makes things worse. That is precisely what free advice is for.

Tips

• Energy suppliers cannot generally disconnect vulnerable customers and have specific obligations — say if anyone in the household is vulnerable.
• Ignoring court paperwork has serious consequences and removes options that are otherwise available. Always respond to it.
• Free advice services can often negotiate on your behalf and are taken seriously by creditors.

Common mistakes

• Avoiding contact with providers — It removes the flexibility they would otherwise offer and accelerates escalation.
• Paying whoever is shouting loudest — Priority should follow consequence, not pressure. Housing, energy and council tax or rates generally come before unsecured credit.
• Paying a company for debt advice — Free, independent advice is available from recognised charities and is generally better.

Questions people ask