Can a CCJ Be Included in a DRO? Explained

The Short Answer: Yes, in Most Cases

When a County Court Judgment is issued for an unpaid debt, the debt itself does not change its legal character. A CCJ is a court order that confirms money is owed and gives the creditor enforcement tools — it does not create a new, separate type of debt. According to GOV.UK, a Debt Relief Order can cover most unsecured debts, and having a judgment against that debt does not automatically exclude it.

So for someone asking whether a CCJ can be included in a DRO: if the underlying debt is the kind that qualifies — an unsecured personal loan, a credit card balance, a council tax debt — then the fact that a CCJ was issued against it does not remove it from the list of qualifying debts. What matters is the nature of the debt, not the legal steps a creditor has already taken.

That said, there are conditions. The debt must have existed at the date of the DRO application, the total amount owed across all eligible debts must fall within the threshold, and the applicant must meet the eligibility criteria. The sections below explain each of these in detail.

What Is a DRO and How Does It Work?

A Debt Relief Order is a formal insolvency solution available in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It is designed specifically for people with relatively low levels of debt, minimal assets, and little or no money left over each month after essential living costs. It is not a repayment plan — it is a period of legal protection that, if the person's circumstances remain the same throughout, results in the listed debts being written off entirely.

According to the Insolvency Service, a DRO lasts for 12 months. During that period, creditors listed in the order cannot pursue enforcement action, contact the debtor to demand payment, or take the debtor to court for those debts. At the end of the 12 months, if nothing has changed materially, all qualifying debts included in the order are discharged.

Applications are not made to a court directly. They must go through an approved intermediary — a specialist authorised by a competent authority to submit DRO applications to the Official Receiver on the applicant's behalf. The Official Receiver, who works within the Insolvency Service, reviews and approves or rejects the application.

Which Debts Count as Qualifying Debts?

The Insolvency Service refers to debts that can be included in a DRO as qualifying debts. These are unsecured debts that were owed at the date of the DRO application. The most common examples include:

• Credit card and store card balances
• Unsecured personal loans
• Overdrafts
• Council tax arrears
• Utility bill arrears (gas, electricity, water)
• Rent arrears (subject to conditions)
• Benefit overpayments (in some circumstances)
• Catalogue and buy-now-pay-later debts
• Debts to friends or family
• Debts where a County Court Judgment has already been issued

That last point is the key one for this page. The Insolvency Service's own guidance confirms that debts subject to a CCJ remain qualifying debts for DRO purposes, provided the underlying debt type is eligible. A CCJ issued for an unpaid credit card debt is still, at its core, a credit card debt — it just has a judgment attached to it.

What Debts Cannot Be Included in a DRO?

Some debts are excluded from DROs regardless of whether a CCJ has been issued. According to GOV.UK, these include:

• Student loans
• Court fines (including magistrates' court fines)
• Child maintenance arrears owed through the Child Maintenance Service
• Debts arising from fraud where a court has made a relevant order
• Social fund loans
• Confiscation orders made under proceeds of crime legislation

If a CCJ has been issued in relation to one of these excluded categories — for example, a judgment to recover money obtained by fraud — that debt would still be excluded from the DRO. The CCJ itself is not the issue; the type of debt is.

What Happens to the CCJ Itself When a DRO Is Approved?

This is one of the most practically important questions for anyone who already has a judgment against them. A CCJ gives the creditor enforcement powers: they can apply for a charging order on property, an attachment of earnings, or bailiff enforcement. These are serious tools. So what happens to those powers once a DRO is in place?

Once a DRO is approved by the Official Receiver, a moratorium comes into force immediately. During the 12-month moratorium period, creditors whose debts are listed in the DRO cannot take or continue any enforcement action. That includes action under a CCJ. According to the Insolvency Service, this means:

• Bailiff action cannot be started or continued for a listed CCJ debt
• An application for an attachment of earnings order cannot proceed
• A charging order application cannot be pursued for a listed debt
• The creditor cannot issue new court proceedings for the same debt

If enforcement was already underway — for example, if a creditor had already instructed enforcement agents — that action should be paused once the DRO is registered. The Official Receiver registers the DRO on the Individual Insolvency Register, and creditors are notified. It is important for the applicant, through their approved intermediary, to ensure the creditor is made aware of the DRO as quickly as possible if enforcement is already in progress.

Timing: What If the CCJ Was Issued Recently?

One practical question people often ask is whether it matters when the CCJ was issued — for example, if someone received a judgment shortly before applying for a DRO. The general rule is that the debt must have existed at the date of the DRO application, not necessarily the judgment. A CCJ issued for a credit card debt that is several years old still refers to that original debt, which would have pre-dated the application.

However, timing does matter in a different sense: if a creditor obtains a charging order over a property before a DRO application is made, that creates a secured charge. Once a debt is secured — even if it started as unsecured — it may no longer qualify as a qualifying debt for DRO purposes. The Insolvency Service guidance is clear that only unsecured debts qualify. A charging order converts part of an unsecured judgment debt into a secured one, which is why acting early — before enforcement escalates — is often the most important factor.

Anyone in this situation would need to speak to an approved intermediary or regulated debt specialist, who can assess whether a charging order exists and what that means for eligibility.

What If Bailiff Action Has Already Started?

If enforcement agents have already been instructed by a creditor with a CCJ, and a DRO application has been submitted but not yet approved, the moratorium does not apply yet. The moratorium begins only when the Official Receiver approves the DRO. Until that point, creditors retain their enforcement rights.

This underlines why speed matters. An approved intermediary can help ensure the application is processed as efficiently as possible. In some cases, it may also be possible to contact the creditor directly to explain that a DRO application is underway and request a voluntary pause in enforcement — though creditors are under no legal obligation to agree to this before approval.

The £50,000 Threshold Change: Why It Matters for CCJ Debts

Before June 2024, the maximum total debt for a DRO was £30,000. The Insolvency Service raised this to £50,000 as part of a significant package of reforms. For people with CCJ debts, this change is particularly relevant.

CCJ debts can accumulate quickly once a creditor begins enforcement — interest, court fees, and enforcement agent charges can all be added to the original balance. Someone who owed £28,000 across several accounts but had judgments with added costs pushing totals higher may have previously found themselves just over the £30,000 ceiling. Under the new £50,000 limit, a much larger group of people now falls within scope.

The abolition of the £90 application fee at the same time means the DRO is now effectively the lowest-cost formal insolvency route available in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. For someone who has CCJ debts, no significant assets, and very little spare income each month, it is one of the formal options that an approved intermediary or regulated specialist would be able to assess them for.

What Appears on a Credit File and Public Records?

A DRO is recorded on the Individual Insolvency Register, which is publicly searchable. It remains on the register for the 12-month moratorium period and is then removed, usually within three months of the DRO ending. Separately, the DRO will appear on the applicant's credit file for six years from the date it was made, regardless of when the qualifying debts were originally incurred.

A CCJ that was already on the credit file will also remain there for six years from the date the judgment was issued. If the CCJ debt is then discharged through a DRO, the CCJ entry does not disappear from the credit file early — both entries coexist. This is worth understanding for anyone thinking about future borrowing after a DRO.

Practical Steps for Someone With a CCJ Considering a DRO

For anyone in this situation, the process involves several concrete steps:

• Check whether the underlying debt is a qualifying debt — unsecured, existing before the application date, and not in an excluded category
• Check whether a charging order exists — if a creditor has already secured the judgment against a property, that part of the debt may no longer qualify as unsecured
• Check the total debt figure — all eligible debts combined must fall at or below £50,000
• Check assets and income — assets must not exceed £2,000 (vehicle up to £4,000 excluded), and surplus monthly income must be £75 or less
• Find an approved intermediary — DRO applications cannot be made directly; an approved intermediary must submit the application to the Official Receiver

Approved intermediaries are typically regulated debt advisers working through charities or authorised organisations. A list can be found through the Insolvency Service's own resources.

Free Debt Advice Is Available

Anyone dealing with CCJ debts or considering a DRO can access free, impartial debt advice from the following organisations:

• MoneyHelper — moneyhelper.org.uk
• StepChange Debt Charity — stepchange.org
• Citizens Advice — citizensadvice.org.uk
• National Debtline — nationaldebtline.org

These organisations are free to use, independent, and can help assess whether a DRO is appropriate for a specific situation, including where CCJs are involved. They can also identify and refer to approved intermediaries for DRO applications.