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Dealing with a letter saying bailiffs will visit

Receiving a letter warning that bailiffs will visit can feel overwhelming and frightening. It’s easy to panic, but you do have options. A notice like this doesn’t mean bailiffs are on their way immediately—it gives you time to act. At Bailiff Helpline, we’ve helped thousands of people stop bailiff action at this stage, often before a visit ever happens. With the right advice and a clear plan, you can regain control and protect yourself from enforcement.

Let's Stop Bailiffs

Our Tips
on how to deal with a Bailiff Letter

Let's Stop Bailiff

Read the Letter Carefully

Check who sent the letter and which debt it refers to. Make sure it’s genuine and relates to you. If anything looks unclear or wrong, get it checked straight away.

Don’t Ignore It

Ignoring a bailiff letter won’t make it go away. In fact, failing to respond often leads to visits, higher fees, and more stress. Acting quickly keeps more options open to you.

Contact Bailiff Helpline for Advice

Speaking to an experienced adviser can help you understand your rights and options. We can check the letter, confirm if it’s valid, and explain how to stop bailiff action before it escalates.

Explore Affordable Payment Options

If you can’t clear the debt in full, repayment plans or formal debt solutions can prevent visits. Bailiff Helpline can negotiate directly with enforcement agents or creditors on your behalf.

Know Your Rights at the Door

Even if bailiffs do turn up, they cannot usually force entry for most debts. Keeping doors locked and refusing entry is your right, giving you time to arrange a safe solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What does a bailiff letter mean
    A bailiff letter, often called a “Notice of Enforcement,” means you have seven clear days before bailiffs can visit. It’s a warning that action may follow if the debt is not resolved
  2. How quickly do bailiffs come after a letter?
    Bailiffs must give at least seven days’ notice before visiting. This period gives you time to act—by paying, arranging a plan, or seeking advice to stop the visit altogether.
  3. Can I stop bailiffs after receiving a letter?
    Yes. You can stop bailiff action by paying the debt, setting up an affordable repayment arrangement, or entering a formal debt solution. Taking action quickly is the best way to prevent visits.

Take Action Before Bailiff Do

Ignoring Bailiff can lead to further enforcement action. The sooner you act, the more options you have.
Let's Stop Bailiffs
You will be contacted by Bailiff Helpline which is a trading style of My Debt Plan Ltd.

My Debt Plan Ltd provides insolvency solutions to individuals, specialising in IVA’s. All advice given is following an initial fact find, tailored to your individual circumstances and provided in reasonable contemplation of an insolvency appointment. Our advice on your options is always free and we will notify you if a solution you choose has a fee associated with it. Where you are not suitable for an IVA, we may refer you to one of our trusted partners who specialise in alternative solutions.

Registered address 2nd Floor Blenheim Court, Cheadle, Cheshire, England, SK8 2JY Company Registered in England and Wales Number 10992838 Data Protection ZB284067.

Lucy Novo Deakin of My Debt Plan Ltd and Adam Charles Southard of SLWB Ltd are insolvency practitioners in the UK licensed by the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA).

*Of 2,381 IVA cases approved between January-December 2023, the average expected write off assuming successful completion is 74%.
A debt write off amount between 25% and 75% is realistic, however, the debt write off amount will differ for each customer upon their individual financial circumstances and is subject to approval of their creditors. Any remaining qualifying unsecured debt in your IVA will be written off, however some unsecured debts will be excluded, such as court fines, child maintenance and student loans, therefore you will need to continue paying these both during and after the IVA.

To find out more about managing your money and getting free advice, visit Money Helper, an independent service set up to help people manage their money.

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Credit Score

Credit Score Pop Up Wording : An Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is a formal agreement with creditors to repay a portion of your debts over time, but it does have an impact on your credit score and it will be difficult to obtain further credit whilst on an IVA. Once an IVA is approved, it is recorded on your credit report and will typically remain there for six years from the date it starts.
However, it’s important to note this is the case for most debt solutions and your credit score will likely already have been affected by being in debt in the first place.
Once your IVA is complete you will get a fresh start to begin rebuilding your credit rating.

Fees

IVA costs are charged for the preparation of your proposal and the administration of the arrangement for the full term (usually 5 years) these costs are charged from the monthly contributions you make into the IVA and are not in addition. Costs will only be recovered on approval of your arrangement and once you commence making payments to it. The fees for preparation of the proposal to creditors and calling the meeting for creditors to vote on its approval are called nominees fees, the fees for running the arrangement once approved are called supervisors fees. There are also some expenses incurred in the running of the arrangement such as the registration fee and the statutory insurance that needs to be taken by law, these are called disbursements. For our arrangements, the total of all of these is £3,650 although this may be adjusted by creditors when they vote on whether to accept. No matter what the end total of costs come to, you can be rest assured that these will be taken from the monthly payment we agree with you.