Can you get an IVA if you have a CCJ?

Having a county court judgment (CCJ) does not stop you getting an IVA, and in most cases the CCJ debt is simply added to the IVA alongside your other unsecured debts. The judgment creditor votes on your proposal like everyone else, with a vote weighted by how much you owe it.

This page covers county court judgments in England and Wales. IVAs are also available in Northern Ireland, which has its own court system and enforcement rules. Scotland has no IVAs: see debt solutions in Scotland.

What happens to a CCJ when you start an IVA?

It depends on timing.

Before your IVA is approved, you have no legal protection. National Debtline puts it plainly: unless an interim order is obtained from the court, creditors can take enforcement action against you until your IVA is agreed. Interim orders are rarely used for consumer IVAs because they add cost, and a normal IVA does not involve a court at all.

Once your IVA is approved, the creditor with the judgment is bound by it, like every other creditor who was entitled to vote. Under the standard terms used for most consumer IVAs, no creditor may take any action against you or your property, or start or continue court action, for a debt included in the IVA. You stop paying that creditor directly, and it receives its share of your monthly IVA payment instead.

The judgment itself is not cancelled. It is still recorded against you, but while the IVA runs the creditor cannot use it to recover the debt.

What if a creditor is already enforcing the judgment?

Tell the insolvency practitioner about every court letter, order and enforcement notice you have, even if it seems minor. The answer differs by type of enforcement.

Bailiffs and warrants of control

A creditor with a CCJ can ask the court for a warrant of control, which sends bailiffs to take goods. Until your IVA is approved this can go ahead. After approval, the creditor cannot continue it for a debt included in the IVA. Read more about bailiffs and your rights and what a warrant of control is.

Attachment of earnings orders

An attachment of earnings order tells your employer to take money from your wages and send it to the court for the creditor. Once your IVA has started, that creditor cannot continue enforcement for a debt in the IVA. If deductions carry on, tell your supervisor straight away so they can take it up with the creditor.

Charging orders

A charging order is different, and it matters if you own your home. National Debtline explains that a charging order secures the debt against your home, like a mortgage. An IVA cannot take away a secured creditor’s right to enforce its security unless that creditor agrees.

Does an IVA remove a CCJ from your credit file?

No. The CCJ, the IVA and the missed payments that led to them are separate records, and each follows its own clock. GOV.UK explains the register rules in its guide to CCJs and your credit rating.

For example, imagine you got a CCJ in March 2024 and your IVA starts in October 2026. The CCJ leaves the register in March 2030. The IVA stays on your credit file until about October 2032, or later with some agencies if your IVA runs for 72 months. For a few years both will show.

If you have heard the phrase “discharged CCJ”, it is not a legal term. See what a discharged (satisfied) CCJ is for the difference between satisfied and cancelled judgments. For how long the IVA itself stays on your record, see how long an IVA stays on your credit file.

Can a creditor with a CCJ stop your IVA?

It has no special veto, but it can have a big say. Approval needs 75% by value of the creditors who vote. If the creditor with the judgment is owed more than a quarter of the debt that is voted, it can stop the IVA on its own by voting against. See how creditors vote on an IVA for worked examples.

A creditor that already has a judgment may feel it is in a strong position, especially if enforcement is working. Under the IVA Protocol 2025, a creditor voting against a proposal that follows the Protocol should give its reasons, but it is still free to vote no.

What if you get court papers while your IVA is being set up?

Do not ignore them, even if an IVA is in progress.

• If a business sends you a Letter of Claim under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, you have 30 days from the date on the letter to reply. If you say you are getting debt advice, the creditor should not start court action for at least 30 days from receiving your reply form.
• If you receive a court claim, respond by the date given on the claim. You can ask for another 14 days if you are not paying in full.

Tell the insolvency practitioner what you have received and when. An older CCJ that is still unpaid can also go into an IVA. A creditor needs the court’s permission to send bailiffs on a judgment that is 6 years old or more, but the debt can still be enforced.

What are the other ways to deal with a CCJ?

An IVA is not the only answer, and for many people with a CCJ it is not the best fit. The IVA Protocol 2025 says a protocol IVA is usually suitable for people with debts of £7,000 or more (guidance, not law), and not for very low debts or very low spare income.

• If your total debts are under £5,000, owed to at least 2 creditors, and you have a CCJ, you can ask the county court for an administration order: one monthly payment to the court.
• A debt management plan is informal, so creditors, including one with a CCJ, can still take action even if you keep up your payments.
• A debt relief order may be an option if your debts are under £50,000, you have less than £75 a month spare, and your assets are under £2,000 (a vehicle worth under £4,000 is ignored). It has no fee.
• Bankruptcy costs £680 to apply and deals with most unsecured debts, but it has bigger consequences, particularly for homeowners.

The debt solutions comparison sets these out side by side.

What to do next

1. Gather every court document you have: the judgment, any payment order, and any enforcement or charging order paperwork.
2. Check whether an IVA is realistic for your level of debt and spare income by reading who qualifies for an IVA.
3. If you are unsure which route fits, a free, impartial debt adviser at MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice or National Debtline can look at your whole situation. See where to get free debt advice.
4. For more on IVAs generally, go back to IVAs explained.