An ordinary unsecured County Court Judgment (CCJ) debt can normally be included in an IVA. Once the IVA is approved, a creditor bound by it should not continue covered enforcement for that included debt without the required permission. Charging orders, secured judgments and excluded debts need specific advice.
The CCJ itself normally stays on your credit file for six years from the judgment date. If the underlying ordinary unsecured debt is included and the IVA completes, the unpaid included qualifying balance is normally released; the judgment record is not erased by the IVA.
What Happens to a CCJ When You Enter an IVA #
When you apply for an IVA, any CCJ debts you have are listed in your proposal alongside your other unsecured debts. These might be credit cards, personal loans, overdrafts, or anything else you owe.
Once the IVA is approved, covered creditors are bound by its terms. This normally means:
- The creditor who got the CCJ can’t take any further enforcement action
- They can’t instruct bailiffs to visit your home
- They can’t apply for an attachment of earnings order
- They can’t add more interest or charges to the debt
Your Insolvency Practitioner (IP) will notify all your creditors — including the one with the CCJ — that you’re now in an IVA. From that point, they have to deal with your IP instead of contacting you directly.
Does the CCJ Disappear from Your Credit File? #
No. The CCJ stays on your credit file for 6 years from the date it was issued, whether you enter an IVA or not.
But here’s what changes: the CCJ will be marked as “satisfied” or “partially satisfied” depending on how much you pay through the IVA. If you pay the full amount of the CCJ debt during your IVA, it’ll show as satisfied. If you pay less (because the IVA writes off part of the debt), it’ll show as partially satisfied.
Either way, it’s better than leaving the CCJ unpaid. An unpaid CCJ looks worse to lenders and stays visible for the full 6 years.
Your IVA itself will also appear on your credit file for 6 years from the start date. So if you have a CCJ from 2024 and enter an IVA in 2026, you’ll have both on your file — but they’ll drop off at different times.
If you’re worried about how an IVA affects your credit score, it’s worth knowing that most people with debt problems already have a damaged credit rating before they start an IVA.
Can You Get an IVA to Prevent a CCJ? #
An approved IVA may bind a creditor for an included qualifying debt before judgment, but an IVA enquiry or proposal in preparation does not itself stop court action.
Continue meeting every claim deadline unless the creditor confirms a pause, the court orders a stay or another statutory protection applies. If the IVA is approved, a bound creditor must follow its terms for the included debt, but secured, excluded or later debts and existing enforcement can differ.
But timing matters. If the court has already issued a judgment, it’s too late to prevent the CCJ. You can still enter an IVA, but the CCJ will be on your credit file regardless.
If you’re facing court action and want to avoid a CCJ, act quickly. Contact a debt advisor or use our IVA calculator to see if an IVA is suitable for you.
What If You Get a CCJ While You’re Already in an IVA? #
This shouldn’t happen. Once your IVA is approved, creditors are legally bound by it. They can’t take you to court for debts included in the IVA.
If a creditor does get a CCJ against you during your IVA, it’s a breach of the arrangement. Your IP will challenge this and usually get the judgment set aside (cancelled by the court).
There are two situations where a CCJ might appear during an IVA:
For a debt that wasn’t included in the original proposal — This could happen if you forgot to list a debt, or if a new debt arose after the IVA started. Your IP will need to amend the IVA to include it.
A creditor acted in breach of the IVA — If a creditor who voted for the IVA later goes to court anyway, your IP will apply to have the judgment set aside. This usually succeeds because the creditor is bound by the IVA terms.
If you receive a CCJ notice while in an IVA, contact your IP immediately. Don’t ignore it.
Can All CCJ Debts Be Included in an IVA? #
Most CCJ debts can be included, but there are exceptions.
CCJs that CAN be included:
- Credit cards
- Personal loans
- Overdrafts
- Store cards and catalogues
- Payday loans
- Utility bills
- Council tax arrears (arrears only, not current year)
- Debts sold to debt collectors like Lowell or Cabot
CCJs that CANNOT be included:
- Secured debts (mortgage arrears, car finance where the car is collateral)
- Court fines and criminal penalties
- Child maintenance arrears
- Student loans
- TV licence fines (in most cases)
- Debts incurred through fraud
If you have a CCJ for a secured debt, the IVA won’t stop the creditor from repossessing the asset if you don’t keep up payments. Secured debts sit outside the IVA and must be paid separately.
If you’re not sure whether a specific CCJ debt can be included, check with an IP during your initial assessment.
What About Charging Orders? #
A charging order is a court order that secures a debt against your property. If you own a home and a creditor gets a CCJ against you, they can apply to turn that CCJ into a charging order.
Once a charging order is in place, the debt is secured against your home. This means it can’t be written off in an IVA — it becomes a secured debt.
If the IVA is approved before a final charging order, a creditor bound by it will normally need to respect the arrangement and may need court permission to continue. Do not ignore a charging-order hearing or assume an application alone gives protection.
If a charging order is already in place when you enter an IVA, you’ll need to deal with it separately. The debt stays secured against your property, and you’ll need to pay it off when you sell the home or remortgage.
Under the 2025 IVA Protocol, a protocol IVA must not require you to realise your interest in the family home. Equity is calculated at 85% of the property’s value less secured borrowing. An individual beneficial interest of £10,000 or more normally means a 72-month term in lieu of that interest; below £10,000, the home is excluded without that extension. Bespoke and pre-2025 IVA terms can differ.
Setting Aside a CCJ #
In some cases, you can apply to have a CCJ “set aside” (cancelled). This usually happens if:
- You never received the court papers (sent to the wrong address)
- You have a valid defence against the debt
- The debt has already been paid
- The creditor made a serious error in the claim
If you successfully set aside a CCJ, it’s removed from the court register and your credit file as if it never existed.
Setting aside a CCJ is separate from entering an IVA. If you think you have grounds to challenge a CCJ, speak to a solicitor or visit your local Citizens Advice bureau.
If the CCJ is valid and unaffordable, compare an IVA with the other available solutions. An approved IVA may bind a qualifying judgment debt included in the arrangement, but enforcement stage, security and court orders need checking. Considering or applying for an IVA does not itself stop a deadline.
How Much of a CCJ Debt Do You Pay in an IVA? #
This depends on your income and expenses. An IVA is based on what you can afford to pay each month, not on how much you owe.
Your IP will assess your income and outgoings to work out your disposable income. This becomes your monthly IVA payment. That payment is divided among all your creditors in proportion to how much you owe each one.
For example, if an ordinary unsecured CCJ debt is admitted to the IVA, that creditor normally receives its share of distributions after costs in accordance with the arrangement. The dividend cannot be calculated simply by multiplying the creditor’s share of total debt by your gross monthly payments because fees, claims and terms affect distributions.
If the IVA completes, an unpaid included qualifying CCJ balance is normally released. The judgment record is not erased by the IVA, and secured or excluded judgment debts need specific advice.
If you want to see how much you’d pay and how much could be written off, use our free IVA calculator. It takes 2 minutes and won’t affect your credit score.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Will an IVA remove a CCJ from my credit file? #
No. The CCJ stays on your credit file for 6 years from the date it was issued. But it will be marked as satisfied (or partially satisfied) once you start paying through the IVA, which looks better than leaving it unpaid.
Can I enter an IVA if I already have multiple CCJs? #
Having more than one CCJ does not automatically prevent an IVA. Each judgment debt must be disclosed, and qualifying unsecured judgments may be included. Secured, excluded or later debts and enforcement already under way need specific advice; do not assume every action stops automatically.
What if the CCJ was issued before I knew about the debt? #
This can happen if the court papers were sent to an old address. You can apply to set aside the CCJ if you have a valid defence or if you weren’t properly served. But if the debt is real and you can’t afford to pay it, an IVA might still be the best option.
Do I need to tell my IP about CCJs when I apply for an IVA? #
Yes. You need to list all your debts when you apply, including any that have CCJs against them. Your IP will include these in your proposal and notify the creditors that you’re entering an IVA.
Can a creditor still enforce a CCJ after my IVA is approved? #
For a CCJ debt bound by the approved IVA, the creditor should not continue covered enforcement without the required permission. Contact your supervisor immediately if action continues. A secured judgment, excluded debt or enforcement step outside the IVA may need separate court advice.
What happens to a CCJ if my IVA fails? #
If your IVA fails (because you miss payments or breach the terms), the CCJ debt goes back to being enforceable. The creditor can restart enforcement action, including instructing bailiffs or applying for an attachment of earnings.
If you’re struggling with debt and have CCJs, compare the available solutions and get urgent advice about any live court or enforcement deadline. Use our debt-options calculator for an initial comparison; it cannot confirm eligibility, approval or a write-off amount. SourcesSources checked for this guide