Statutory Debt Repayment Plan (SDRP): Status and What It Will Offer

The Statutory Debt Repayment Plan was created by section 7 and Schedule 4 of the Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018. The Act gave HM Treasury the power to make regulations setting up a single statutory plan that would let an over-indebted individual repay their debts in full over an agreed period, with strong creditor protections during the plan.

Once launched, the SDRP will:

• Run through a regulated debt advice provider (likely an FCA-authorised debt adviser);
• Cover most personal debts (consumer credit, council tax, energy, water, BNPL — broadly mirroring the Breathing Space scope);
• Pause interest, charges, and enforcement action while the plan is active;
• Last up to 7 years based on the debtor's affordable monthly contribution;
• Be binding on creditors once accepted — they cannot opt out as they can with informal DMPs;
• Be revoked if the debtor misses payments without good cause, returning the creditor's right to enforce.

It will sit between the existing Breathing Space (a short moratorium for crisis-stabilisation) and Debt Relief Orders / IVAs / bankruptcy (formal insolvency). Roughly: SDRP for people who can repay in full given time and protection; DRO/IVA/bankruptcy for those who cannot.

The 2018 Act gave the Treasury the power to make implementing regulations, but successive consultations and updated draft regulations have not yet been laid before Parliament for approval.

The most recent public update was a Treasury Response to Consultation published in 2022 confirming the policy direction and the intention to lay regulations. Since then, the timetable has been extended several times — partly to give creditors and IT systems time to integrate with the SDRP, and partly because the underlying digital infrastructure (which will operate alongside the existing Breathing Space register run by the Insolvency Service) needs further work.

HM Treasury has not given a confirmed go-live date. Until the regulations are laid, debated, and the digital infrastructure is operational, the SDRP cannot be used.

If you are struggling with debt now, do not wait for the SDRP. Several existing options provide similar (or in some cases stronger) protection:

• Breathing Space — 60-day moratorium on most personal debts. Apply through any FCA-authorised debt adviser. Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space lasts as long as the crisis treatment plus 30 days. Read our Breathing Space guide.
• Debt Management Plan (DMP) — informal arrangement, often via a free provider (StepChange, PayPlan, Citizens Advice). No statutory protection but creditors usually accept reasonable proposals. Read our DMP guide.
• Debt Relief Order (DRO) — for people with low income and total debts under £50,000 (rising to £75,000 from June 2024). Costs nothing, lasts one year, then debts are written off. Strong creditor protection during the DRO. Read our DRO guide.
• Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) — formal, binding, typically 5–6 years. Insolvency practitioner runs it. Costs more than a DMP but fully binding on creditors. Read our IVA guide.
• Bankruptcy — formal insolvency, usually one year, restrictions during and after. Read our bankruptcy guide.

The right option depends on your total debts, income, assets, and personal circumstances. Use the MoneyHelper debt advice locator or call National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 for a free assessment.