Our products and services

Common acronyms, specialist terms and systems names that you’ll come across when talking about the debt advice services and solutions we offer.

• AoE - Attachment of Earnings order, which requires an employer to pay back debt from the client's wages.
• BS - Breathing Space (The Debt Respite Scheme), aims to help relieve some of the pressure clients experience when dealing with a creditors, so they can focus on getting debt advice and setting up a solution. It gives eligible clients seeking debt advice 60 days respite from creditor actions such as communication, as well as interest and fees.
• CAM - Client Asset Management (With CMR, a part of Regulatory Finance) deals with clients money to and from creditor.
• CAP - Client Activations Portal, the new online system clients will use to upload all relevant documents needed to apply for their debt solution.
• CDR - Client Dissatisfaction Register – a complaints database.
• CCJ - County Court Judgment - a court order that tells clients what they have to pay towards a debt.
• CMR - Client Money reconciliation (With CAM, a part of Regulatory Finance) deals with clients’ money to and from creditors
• CSP - Client Support (retention & reviews of DMPs & TPPs).
• CSR - Customer Service Representative – call handlers.
• CVPP - Covid Payment Plan - our new short-term payment plan to help those who've suffered financially because of coronavirus.
• DAG - Debt Advice Guide – issued with the client’s personal action plan (PAP)
• DAS - Debt Arrangement Scheme - a statutory scheme run by the Scottish Government to help debtors residing in Scotland to repay debts through a payment programme, giving them more time to pay without hassle or threat of court action from their creditors. DAS freezes interest, fees and charges on their debts from the date the DPP is approved.
• DCO - Debtor Contribution Order - sets the amount the client will be required to pay on a regular basis during bankruptcy in Scotland.
• DCS - Debt Counselling System. The in-house software used by advisors to manage appointments, budgets, client’s details and to recommend actions to manage the debts.
• DCS Comms - Our internal system for requesting and generating client communications.
• DMHEF - Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form - a form that helps clients to request forbearance from their creditors if they suffer or have suffered from mental health problems.
• DMP - Debt Management Plan – A plan which allows reduced repayments to lenders (creditors) over a number of years. Payments are made until the debt is cleared in full or until able to make the full repayments again. The repayments are based on what is affordable after a realistic income and expenditure has been drawn up.
• DMS - Debt Management Services. Includes: CSP; PA; CS; Correspondence; Settlements; Scottish equivalents.
• DPP - Debt Payment Programme - the formal repayment programme provided under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS).
• DPS - The security checks when someone is on the phone (Data Protection Act checks).
• DRO - Debt Relief Order - a form of insolvency offering debt relief to clients residing in England & Wales. This is overseen by the Insolvency Service in England & Wales and is a solution that we are approved to administer here at StepChange Debt Charity. A DRO scheme also exists in Northern Ireland.
• EI - Early Intervention - services that we provide to help prevent people from falling into problem debt, such as help with persistent debt.
• EOD - Expression of Dissatisfaction – a complaint.
• FAB - Full Administration Bankruptcy, the same as sequestration or Scottish bankruptcy.
• FSC - Fair Share Contribution - A percentage of the clients’ payments that is retained or claimed back by StepChange Debt Charity from creditors as a charitable donation.
• HCEO - High Court Enforcement Officer - A bailiff who executes High Court writs.
• IPA - Income Payments Agreement - An arrangement with the official receiver of a bankruptcy to contribute any disposable income towards the bankruptcy estate for a limited amount of time.
• IPO - Income Payments Order - Enforcement using attachment of earnings when an IPA hasn't been adhered to.
• IVA - Individual Voluntary Arrangement - a form of insolvency. With the help of an Insolvency Practitioner (IP), you make an affordable repayment to your creditors over a 5 or 6 year period.
• LOA - Letter of Authority. Gives a person or third party express permission to conduct business on behalf of another person.
• LOC - List of Creditors, that can either be provided by a client or to a client.
• MAP - Minimal Assets Process (Scotland) an insolvency solution for those with low income and assets, only available in Scotland.
• MDA - Mortgage Debt Advice.
• OCR - Overdue Client Reviews (from DCS).
• PAP - Personal Action Plan - The advice outputs from both a telephone and online debt advice session, this is the customised part of the booklet, not the debt advice guide which contains generic information. 
• PD - Persistent Debt - Persistent debt is when a person has paid more in interest, fees and charges, than they have towards paying off their credit card, store card, or catalogue account for more than 18 months.
• PDD - Paperless Direct Debits. The in-house software to manage the setting up and subsequent maintenance of clients’ direct debits.
• PTD - Protected Trust Deed - A Scottish solution, similar to an IVA in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• TCF - Treating Clients Fairly – a core principle in FCA compliance.
• TEDD - The system used by the DRO team in Birmingham to electronically submit DRO applications to the Insolvency Service.
• TPP - Token Payment Plan – a plan where clients make a small payment to their creditors, to demonstrate they want to repay their debts. This gives the client breathing space until their situation improves.
• SDA - Standard Debt Advice.
• SFS - Standard (or Single) Financial Statement (introduced by MAS).
• VA - StepChange Voluntary Arrangements (VA) – our subsidiary who help clients with IVAs.
• UC - Universal Credit, the main welfare benefit now provided.