LONDON, Jan. 27 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
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Thousands ofpeople are still due a refund for debt relief order applications they paid for but did not submit.
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The Insolvency Service has writtento everyonedue a refund,but some customer contact detailsmayhave changed.
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Refundstotalling£500,000 are available going back to 2016 for those who did not finish the application process.
The Insolvency Service is trying to refund£500,000 tocustomerswhopaid a fee fora debt relief order (DRO) but did notsubmittheir application.
Thousandsof people aredue a refund after the Government scrapped the£90 applicationfeefor DROsin April 2024 to make things easier for those struggling with debt.
A DRO is an alternative to bankruptcy, allowing people to make a fresh start if they have less than £50,000 of personal debt.Applicationsfor DROs are made through authoriseddebt advisers or charities.
The agency is trying to refundmoney toindividuals who paid towardsanincomplete application going back to2016andis encouraging customerstosubmittheir claimsbefore the end ofMarch 2026.
Letters were sent to eligible customers in March,May,and November last year,but much of the moneyremainsunclaimed.
Caroline Shanahan, senior leader in the Personal Insolvency Team at the Insolvency Service, said:
We'vetried to contact customers due a refund, but very few have come back to us. We know somepeoplemay have moved or changed their contact details since their application -which makes it tricky for us to contact them. Buttheycanstill apply for a refund if they paid towards aDRO applicationthat was notsubmitted, they just need to get in touch and let us know.
We're hoping to get as many refunds processed as possible before the end of March 2026, so if you think you are owed a refund, please do get in touch.
Refunds are available as customersmay have paid the fee and started an application but then chosen not tosubmitit orstarted the application but thenopted for a different debt solution.
Up until April 2024, payments were made by the individual as part of the application process, either in full or in instalments.Somecustomers will be due a straight £90 refund for the fee, while others may beowed more or less, dependingon whether they paid in full, or made multiple incomplete applications.
If you are owed a refund
If youthinkyou are due a refund after making aDRO feepayment but notsubmittingyourapplication, please contactdro.preorder@insolvency.gov.uk
To request payment into your bank accountor building society, please include the following details:
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Debt Relief Orderapplicationnumber (if known)
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Yourname
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Youraddress
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Yourtelephonenumber
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Bank/buildingsociety Name
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Accountname (as shown on bank statement)
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Bankaccountnumber (full 8 numbers)
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Banksortcode (full 6 numbers)
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Building Societyrollnumber (if applicable)
All applications will be fully verified against system informationto prevent fraudulent claims.
If you would like to request a cheque insteadof bank payment, pleasestatethis in your email.
If your contact details have changed since making the application, please include yourpreviousname and address alongside your current details.
Ifthe fee payment was made by a charity or third party on your behalf, please provide the details of the organisation that made the payment.
You can also write tothe agency, including the above information in your correspondence, at:The Insolvency Service DRO Team, C/O Met Office, Fitzroy Road, Exeter, EX1 3PB.
Further information
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Letters were sent to individualsdue a refund in March, May,and November 2025.Some customer details will have changed since 2016, so wehavebeen unable to directly contact everyone due a refund.
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Information about the refunds is available on theInsolvency Service website, along withfurther information about DROs.
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You can checkinformation onInsolvency Service-related scams and fraudonline.
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Anyone withquestions can call the Insolvency Service customer service helplineto request information on the refund processon 0300 6780015.It is openMonday to Thursdayfrom9am to 5pm andonFridays from9am to 3pm.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
