Insolvency Service encouraging customers to claim debt relief order refund if they paid the fee but didn’t submit their application

• Thousands of people are still due a refund for debt relief order applications they paid for but did not submit. 

• The Insolvency Service has written to everyone due a refund, but some customer contact details may have changed. 

• Refunds totalling £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 to customers who paid a fee for a debt relief order (DRO) but did not submit their application.  

Thousands of people are due a refund after the Government scrapped the £90 application fee for DROs in 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. Applications for DROs are made through authorised debt advisers or charities. 

The agency is trying to refund money to individuals who paid towards an incomplete application going back to 2016 and is encouraging customers to submit their claims before the end of March 2026. 

Letters were sent to eligible customers in March, May, and November last year, but much of the money remains unclaimed.  

Caroline Shanahan, senior leader in the Personal Insolvency Team at the Insolvency Service, said:  

We've tried to contact customers due a refund, but very few have come back to us. We know some people may have moved or changed their contact details since their application – which makes it tricky for us to contact them. But they can still apply for a refund if they paid towards a DRO application that was not submitted, 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 customers may have paid the fee and started an application but then chosen not to submit it or started the application but then opted 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. Some customers will be due a straight £90 refund for the fee, while others may be owed more or less, depending on whether they paid in full, or made multiple incomplete applications.  

If you are owed a refund 

If you think you are due a refund after making a DRO fee payment but not submitting your application, please contact dro.preorder@insolvency.gov.uk 

To request payment into your bank account or building society, please include the following details:  

• Debt Relief Order application number (if known) 

• Your name 

• Your address 

• Your telephone number 

• Bank/building society Name 

• Account name (as shown on bank statement) 

• Bank account number (full 8 numbers) 

• Bank sort code (full 6 numbers) 

• Building Society roll number (if applicable) 

All applications will be fully verified against system information to prevent fraudulent claims.  

If you would like to request a cheque instead of bank payment, please state this in your email. 

If your contact details have changed since making the application, please include your previous name and address alongside your current details.  

If the 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 to the 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 

• Letters were sent to individuals due a refund in March, May, and November 2025. Some customer details will have changed since 2016, so we have been unable to directly contact everyone due a refund.  

• Information about the refunds is available on the Insolvency Service website, along with further information about DROs. 

• You can check information on Insolvency Service-related scams and fraud online. 

• Anyone with questions can call the Insolvency Service customer service helpline to request information on the refund process on 0300 678 0015. It is open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm and on Fridays from 9am to 3pm.