Breathing Space is a government scheme that puts a legal pause on most debt collection — so you can get advice and work out your options.
Since it launched in May 2021, there have been over 374,500 Breathing Space applications in England and Wales (up to December 2025), making it a popular scheme for those struggling with debt. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, different options are available and a debt adviser can point you in the right direction.
Here, we discuss what Breathing Space is, how it works, and whether you could benefit from it.
Breathing Space (also known as the Debt Respite Scheme) gives you legal protection from creditors for a set period. There are two types:
|
Type |
Who it's for |
How long it lasts |
|
Standard Breathing Space |
Anyone with problem debt |
60 days |
|
Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space |
People receiving mental health crisis treatment |
As long as your treatment lasts, plus 30 days |
During Breathing Space, creditors must:
Yes — Breathing Space is completely free. You access it through a debt adviser rather than applying yourself to the government.
Most personal debts qualify. Here are some common examples:
Some debts are not covered, including:
Your debt adviser will confirm which of your debts can be included when you apply.
Benefits
Considerations
You may be eligible for standard Breathing Space if you:
For Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space, you need to be receiving mental health crisis treatment. Unlike the standard scheme, there is no limit to how many times you can access it in a timeframe.
You can't apply directly to the scheme — you need to go through a debt adviser, who will register you on your behalf. Before doing so, they'll look at your situation and help you decide whether Breathing Space is the right option for you.
Free advice is available from:
No - Breathing Space itself is not recorded on your credit report, and entering the scheme won't automatically affect your credit score.
That said, if you've missed payments on any of your debts — before or during Breathing Space — these can still be recorded on your credit report and may affect your score. Creditors can continue to report missed payments in the usual way while the scheme is active.
Breathing Space isn't a debt solution on its own. It's a pause that gives you room to get proper advice. If creditors are contacting you and you haven't yet spoken to a debt adviser, it can take the pressure off while you work out what to do.
It's worth considering if:
You don't have to face debt alone. All of the organisations below offer free, confidential advice — and they're used to helping people in all kinds of financial situations.
Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure content is correct when published. Information on this website doesn't constitute financial advice, and we aren't responsible for the content of any external sites.
Zubin is a personal finance writer with an extensive background in the finance sector, working across management and operational roles. He applies his experience in customer communication to his writing, with the aim of simplifying content to help people better understand their finances.
