IVAs in Northern Ireland

Are IVAs Available in Northern Ireland?

Yes. IVAs are available to residents of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland they run under the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 rather than the Insolvency Act 1986, but in practice the process is the same: a licensed Insolvency Practitioner proposes an affordable arrangement, your creditors vote, and if those holding at least 75% by value of the debt that votes agree, it becomes binding. You pay for a set term, usually five or six years, and any remaining included debt is written off.

What Works the Same Way

Almost everything you will read on this site applies in Northern Ireland: eligibility, how payments are worked out, the treatment of your home and equity under the current rules, annual reviews, and what happens if the arrangement completes or fails. The how an IVA works guide and the FAQs are all relevant to you.

What Is Different in Northern Ireland

The main differences are around the alternatives and the official bodies:

• Debt Relief Orders are stricter. In Northern Ireland a DRO is for qualifying debts under £20,000, with savings no higher than £300 and no vehicle worth more than £1,000, and it costs £90 to apply. In England and Wales the limit is now £50,000 with no application fee, so the NI thresholds are much lower.
• The official bodies are separate. Insolvency in Northern Ireland is handled by the Department for the Economy’s Insolvency Service and the High Court in Northern Ireland, with its own insolvency register, rather than the Insolvency Service for England and Wales.
• Scotland is different again. If you live in Scotland, IVAs do not apply at all, see our Scotland guide for Trust Deeds and the Debt Arrangement Scheme.

Free Debt Advice in Northern Ireland

This is important: National Debtline covers England, Wales and Scotland, not Northern Ireland. If you live in NI, use a service that covers you:

• Debt Action NI (delivered by Advice NI), free debt advice for Northern Ireland, on 0800 028 1881;
• StepChange, the free debt charity, which covers the whole UK;
• MoneyHelper, government-backed guidance, on 0800 138 7777;
• Citizens Advice, with bureaux across Northern Ireland.

We would always encourage you to speak to one of these before agreeing to any debt solution.