Debt review status check: how to do it yourself and what the result means

Many websites offering a debt review status check want your ID number before showing you anything, and what follows is often a sales call rather than an answer. You don't need them. Your status sits in official records you can reach yourself; this article covers how to check them, what each result means, and what to do about a flag you never agreed to.

Check your status through official channels

Your credit report is where your status is held, and you can get it yourself. The National Credit Regulator keeps the national record of registered debt counsellors and may also be able to point you in the right direction. A registered debt review application shows on your credit profile as a flag, so the report tells you at a glance where you stand. You're entitled to a free report from each bureau every year; ask TransUnion, Experian or another bureau directly.

You'll still have to prove your identity to the bureau. That's different from giving your details to a marketing site: the bureau already holds your record, and it isn't there to sell you debt counselling. If one report looks clear but you still suspect a review, check another bureau, because flags take time to reach everywhere. Our self-check before you borrow guide covers what else in the report deserves a close look.

The Regulator also keeps the national record of registered debt counsellors. Ask it, in writing if possible, whether it can confirm anything registered against your name, so you have the reply to refer back to.

What a pending status means

A pending status means an application exists but nothing has been finalised: a counsellor has formally notified your creditors that you applied, and the process is at an early stage.

You may have signed something at a branch, over the phone or online, possibly without realising what it was. If you recognise the application, you still get to choose whether to continue. Stopping now is usually possible, though the counsellor can charge for work already done, so ask for the fee position in writing first.

If it's yours but you're unsure about the counsellor named on it, you can compare registered debt counsellors before going further.

What an active review means

An active review means the process is fully underway: your counsellor found your repayments unaffordable, notified your creditors, and set a single reduced monthly payment, divided between them.

That payment usually goes through a payment distribution agency, which passes the money on. While it runs you generally can't take on new credit, and the creditors in it usually can't take legal action over those accounts. If a month goes wrong, tell your counsellor before the payment fails, not after.

Emergencies still happen, and borrowing your way out of one is rarely possible while the flag is active. Our guide to loans for people under debt review covers what you can realistically do instead.

A review that should already have been lifted

A review that should already have been lifted is an out-of-date flag: you either finished repaying the debts in it, or the process ended without an order, and your record hasn't caught up.

When you settle everything, your counsellor should issue a clearance certificate confirming the debts are paid, and the bureaus should then remove the flag. The same applies if a court found you weren't over-indebted, or you withdrew before an order was granted. Keep your copy.

Don't wait for someone else to fix a stale flag. Send your certificate or the court's outcome to the bureaus yourself and ask for the record to be updated. It can take a while to clear everywhere, but it should clear.

What to do about a flag you never agreed to

A debt review flag you never agreed to should be challenged in writing as soon as you spot it; these records get harder to untangle the longer they sit.

Work through these steps:

• Ask the credit bureau for the details behind the listing: which counsellor registered it, when, and on what basis. The bureau is obliged to investigate a disputed listing and can tell you its timeframe.
• Check that the counsellor named is genuine and registered. Our guide to checking a debt counsellor's NCR registration shows you how.
• Contact the counsellor for a copy of the application they hold. If they can't produce your signature, ask in writing for the record to be withdrawn.
• If you get nowhere, complain to the National Credit Regulator. It registers and disciplines counsellors, and a review created without your consent is exactly the kind of matter it deals with.

Not every surprise flag is deliberate. Some are a name mix-up, or someone else using your ID. The details on the record will tell you which is more likely.

Where to go from here

Your next step depends on what the check showed. A pending application is a decision point: continue, or stop it early. An active review means keeping the payments going and raising problems early. A stale flag means chasing your clearance certificate. A flag you never agreed to means a written dispute, taken to the Regulator if needed.

Whatever the result, a registered counsellor can help you act on it. You can browse and compare debt counsellors in our directory to find one worth the first phone call. Before signing with any of them, ask one question: how do I check my own status while this runs? A straight answer tells you something. A vague one tells you more.

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