If you are unable to pay your debts, you should contact your creditor to let them know and see if they are willing to write off the debt.
This template is to be used for guidance and may not suit your specific situation. If you require more detailed advice and guidance, you can get more help.
If you need more help on using this tool, or you want to read about circ*mstances when you might use it, see Guidelines for using the letter templates.
Check if your creditor can still take action against you
Your creditors have a limited time to take you to court to repay a debt. For most debts, the time limit is 6 years. The time limit restarts if you write to your creditor or make a payment. If it’s a joint debt, this includes if the other person makes a payment.
If you haven’t got court papers after 6 years, your debt becomes ‘statute barred’ - this means your creditor can’t take court action to get their money back.
Don’t use this letter if:
Check if the time limit has passedor will pass soon. If you’re not sure,talk to an adviser.
Sam Hoolin
8 Park Avenue
Arlton
AL1 4CA
01632 960001
sam123@mail.com
Giltham City Bank
24 Station Road
Giltham
GT16 3LP
1 June 2024
Your reference: LL/ANO/Reminder1
To whom it may concern,
Account name: Sam K Hoolin
Account number: 12345678
I am sorry that I am unable to keep up my monthly payments to your company. This is because:
I am on long term sick and unable to work. I have claimed benefits and am waiting to hear the outcome of my claim. My situation is unlikely to improve.
I enclose a copy of my financial statement. This shows my income and expenses. You will see from this information that I am unable to make any offer of payment.
Unfortunately, my circ*mstances are unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future and I have no assets to sell to help clear my debt. I am therefore asking you to consider writing off my debt as I can see no way of ever repaying it.
If you are unable to agree to this, please explain your reasons.
Thank you for your help and I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Sam Hoolin
Page last reviewed on17 March 2021
FAQs
I am therefore asking you to consider writing off my debt as I can see no way of ever repaying it. If you are unable to agree to this, please explain your reasons. Thank you for your help and I look forward to hearing from you.
How do you write off a bad debt request letter? ›
I am/We are writing to you because I am/we are in financial difficulties. My/our financial statement is enclosed. Briefly explain the reasons for your financial difficulties and why you do not expect them to improve sufficiently for you to make payments to credit (non-priority) debts in the future.
How should I respond to a debt collection letter? ›
I am responding to your contact about a debt you are attempting to collect. You contacted me by [phone/mail], on [date]. You identified the debt as [any information they gave you about the debt]. Please stop all communication with me and with this address about this debt.
What is the best way to write off a bad debt? ›
How to deduct bad-debt loss. Generally, you can't take a deduction for a bad debt from your regular income, at least not right away. It's a short-term capital loss, so you must first deduct it from any short-term capital gains you have before deducting it from long-term capital gains.
How do I write a letter to settle a debt? ›
Your debt settlement proposal letter must be formal and clearly state your intentions and what you expect from your creditors. You should also include all the key information your creditor will need to locate your account on their system, which includes: Your full name used on the account. Your full address.
How to ask for debt forgiveness? ›
The borrower can apply for debt forgiveness on compassionate grounds by writing about the financial difficulties and requesting the creditor to cancel the debt amount.
Can I ask my creditors to write-off my debt? ›
You can ask the people you owe to write of your debts if this sounds like you. Some creditors may agree if: They understand you will not be able to pay. They see you have no assets to sell.
What is a drop dead letter? ›
Send a 'drop dead' letter
You have the right to ask them to stop contacting you. To do so, you can send what's sometimes referred to as a “drop dead letter” — a written notice to the debt collector informing them you want no further contact. By law, debt collectors are required to follow this request.
What should you not say to a debt collector? ›
Don't provide personal or sensitive financial information
Never give out or confirm personal or sensitive financial information – such as your bank account, credit card, or full Social Security number – unless you know the company or person you are talking with is a real debt collector.
What is an example of a debt validation request? ›
Debt Validation Letter Example
I am requesting that you provide verification of this debt. Please send the following information: The name and address of the original creditor, the account number, and the amount owed. Verification that there is a valid basis for claiming I am required to pay the current amount owed.
Do Debt Validation Letters really work? Yes, they do. When a debt collector receives a Debt Validation Letter, they are legally required to provide validation of the debt. Debt Validation Letter's work best when they include a cease and desist clause that forces a lawsuit.
What is the 11 word phrase to stop debt collectors? ›
If you are struggling with debt and debt collectors, Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC can help. As soon as you use the 11-word phrase “please cease and desist all calls and contact with me immediately” to stop the harassment, call us for a free consultation about what you can do to resolve your debt problems for good.
What is the best thing to say when dispute a collection? ›
I am writing this letter to bring to your notice the following information added to my credit report. The [dispute item] along with the [creditor's name] are falsely added to my credit report without my prior knowledge. The mentioned details are incorrect and I request you to revise the report after due diligence.
How do you ask for a debt to be forgiven? ›
The borrower can apply for debt forgiveness on compassionate grounds by writing about the financial difficulties and requesting the creditor to cancel the debt amount.
Can I ask my creditors to write off my debt? ›
You can ask the people you owe to write of your debts if this sounds like you. Some creditors may agree if: They understand you will not be able to pay. They see you have no assets to sell.
Can you really get debt written off? ›
This is called a composition order. You can ask the judge for a composition order or the judge may decide to give you one after looking at your financial circ*mstances. You can usually only get one if you won't be able to pay all your debt off in a reasonable time.
What happens after 7 years of not paying debt? ›
The debt will likely fall off of your credit report after seven years. In some states, the statute of limitations could last longer, so make a note of the start date as soon as you can.