How to choose an IVA provider
Check that the person who will run your IVA is a licensed insolvency practitioner, that any firm that referred you is authorised by the FCA, and that you have been told plainly about fees, risks and alternatives before you sign. This guide shows you how to check each one and what to ask.
The single most important check is that your IVA will be run by a licensed insolvency practitioner, and that nobody has pushed you towards an IVA without explaining the alternatives. Many of the problems people run into later, such as unaffordable payments, surprise fees, or an IVA that fails in year two, can be traced back to how it was sold.
We do not name or recommend IVA firms. Here is how to check any firm yourself. IVAs are available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has its own solutions.
Who actually runs an IVA?
“IVA provider” or “IVA company” usually means a firm that employs insolvency practitioners. In law, what matters is the individual. Only a licensed insolvency practitioner can act as your nominee (who prepares the proposal and puts it to creditors) and your supervisor (who runs the IVA once approved). Acting as one without being qualified is a criminal offence.
Insolvency practitioners in Great Britain are licensed by one of three bodies:
- the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA)
- the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
- the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
The Insolvency Service oversees these bodies. R3 is a trade association, not a regulator, and the FCA does not license insolvency practitioners. Old websites that say an IVA firm must be “FCA regulated”, or list other bodies, are out of date or wrong. For more on the role, see what an insolvency practitioner does.
Before you reach an insolvency practitioner, you may have dealt with someone else: a website, an advert, a caller or a debt advice firm. That first contact is often not the firm that will run your IVA.
How do you check an insolvency practitioner is licensed?
- Ask for the full name of the insolvency practitioner who will be your nominee and supervisor, not just the company name.
- Ask for their IP number. Every licensed insolvency practitioner has a number assigned by the Secretary of State.
- Ask which body licenses them: the IPA, ICAEW or ICAS.
- Search the Insolvency Service’s Find an insolvency practitioner directory, by name, company, town or postcode.
- If they are not listed, do not assume the worst: the directory only includes practitioners who have agreed to appear, so it is not a complete list. Contact the licensing body they named and ask it to confirm.
If a firm will not tell you who the insolvency practitioner is, or the name does not check out, stop there.
How do you check the firm that referred you?
Check any firm that gave you advice or passed you on using the FCA Financial Services Register. Giving advice about how to deal with debts is a regulated activity, so a firm doing it needs FCA authorisation, unless it is an insolvency practitioner acting as such.
The IVA Protocol 2025, which applies to most consumer IVAs, adds two protections. The nominee must record who referred you and any relationship between them, and must make sure any third-party referrer is FCA authorised for debt counselling. If the referrer is not, the nominee must direct you to someone who is.
Two rules about payment are worth knowing:
- Since 2 October 2023, FCA-authorised debt advice firms that refer people to a debt solution provider (known as debt packagers) cannot receive commission, fees or any other payment from that provider for the referral. Guidance from the licensing bodies, in force from 1 January 2026, says joint arrangements between insolvency practitioners must not be used to get round this.
- Lead generators, which collect enquiries and pass them on, can be paid, but they must make clear that they pass your details to third parties and disclose any financial interest.
The same applies to us. IVA Helpline does not set up IVAs. If you use our checker, we may pass your details to a licensed insolvency practitioner or debt adviser. Apply every check on this page to anyone we introduce you to.
What are the red flags?
The FCA, the advertising regulator and the Insolvency Service have all set out warning signs. Treat any of these as a reason to walk away or get a second opinion.
| What you see or hear | Why it is a problem |
|---|---|
| A headline promise to write off a big percentage of your debt | The advertising regulator has ruled write-off claims misleading without robust evidence. What is written off depends on you and your creditors, and is not guaranteed. |
| “Government backed”, “government scheme” or official-looking logos | An IVA is run by a private insolvency practitioner. The FCA warns about firms that claim government backing or impersonate debt charities. |
| “Free IVA” or “free debt help” leading straight to an IVA | IVAs carry fees. Only an initial enquiry can fairly be called free. |
| “Quick”, “easy”, “immediate”, or “anyone qualifies” | The advertising regulator and the Insolvency Service both treat claims like these as misleading. An IVA lasts 5 or 6 years and does not suit many people. |
| No clear name of who you are dealing with | The FCA says it is often unclear from these ads who you are dealing with. |
| Only an IVA is discussed | The Protocol says the nominee should explain all available options. The FCA warns some firms push IVAs because they are paid to. |
| Pressure to sign before you have read everything | You should get the key facts document before you sign, and a copy of the Protocol. |
| A large fee upfront | For protocol IVAs, fees are included in your monthly payments, not taken upfront. |
There is also real evidence that poor selling causes harm. When the Insolvency Service reviewed 310 IVAs that were registered and then terminated between 2021 and 2023, 60% showed evidence of poor practice in the early stages, such as inaccurate budgets or other options being wrongly dismissed.
Want to know whether an IVA could work for you? Answer a few questions about your debts and income. It takes about 3 minutes, and it is free and confidential.
What should you ask before you sign?
- Who is the insolvency practitioner, what is their IP number and who licenses them?
- Is this a protocol IVA or a bespoke one, and why?
- What are the total fees, and how will my payments be split between fees and creditors each year? The proposal must show this, usually as a year-by-year table.
- How much of my first payments goes on fees?
- What happens, and what do I owe you, if creditors reject the proposal?
- Which other options did you consider for me, such as a debt management plan, a debt relief order or bankruptcy, and why did you rule them out?
- Who referred me to you, and did anyone get paid for it?
- How long will my IVA last, and how is my home treated?
- What happens if I lose my job or can no longer afford the payments?
- What happens if the IVA fails?
- Can I have the key facts document, the proposal and the Protocol to read in my own time before I sign?
A good firm will answer all of these in writing without hesitation. The Protocol says nominees should explain all the available options and record your reasons for choosing an IVA over another solution.
How do providers differ if the terms are standard?
Protocol IVAs all use the same standard terms and conditions, so the rules on payment breaks, windfalls, redundancy and breaches are the same whichever firm you use. What differs is:
- Fees. There is no legal cap. Fees must be fair and reasonable under professional standards, and Citizens Advice says they are around £5,000 on average. Compare the total fees and the amount forecast to reach creditors, not just the monthly payment. See how much an IVA costs.
- How carefully your budget is built. The budget should use the Standard Financial Statement and be sustainable. A payment set higher than you can keep up makes failure more likely.
- How you are treated when things change: how readily you can reach your supervisor, and how they handle payment breaks and reviews.
What if something goes wrong with your provider?
Complain to the insolvency practitioner first. If you are not happy with the response, you can complain through the Insolvency Service’s online complaints process to the practitioner’s licensing body, usually about matters in the past 3 years. A revised Insolvency Code of Ethics and revised complaints guidance took effect on 1 October 2025.
If a firm that is not authorised gave you debt advice or misled you, report it to the FCA.
What to do next
- Before speaking to any IVA firm, you can get free, impartial debt advice from MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice or National Debtline, who have nothing to sell you. See where to get free debt advice.
- Compare an IVA with the alternatives in the debt solutions comparison.
- Read how to apply for an IVA so you know what a proper process looks like, and check the IVA myths you might hear along the way.
- For other IVA topics, go back to IVAs explained.
Common questions
Is the firm in the advert the one that will run my IVA?
Not always. Many adverts are placed by lead generators that pass your details to an insolvency practice, and they must say so clearly. Ask who will actually be your nominee and supervisor.
Is an IVA provider regulated by the FCA?
The insolvency practitioner running your IVA is licensed by the IPA, ICAEW or ICAS, not the FCA. Many IVA firms also hold FCA authorisation for debt advice, and any firm that referred you should.
Can I switch to a different provider once my IVA has started?
Not simply by choice. A supervisor can be removed by the court, or by a resolution at a meeting of creditors, if there is good reason. That is why it is worth choosing carefully before you sign.
Should I choose the provider with the lowest fees?
Fees matter, because they come out of your payments first, but they are not the only thing. A realistic budget and honest advice about alternatives matter at least as much, because an IVA that fails can cost you far more.
Related guides
- What is an insolvency practitioner? What an IP does in an IVA, who licenses them, how to check one, and how to complain.
- How much does an IVA cost? The fees in an IVA, how they are taken from your payments, and how that compares with other options.
- How to apply for an IVA The application process from first advice to the creditor vote, and the questions to ask.
- IVA myths and the facts Common claims about IVAs, from write-offs to homes to credit files, and what is actually true.