What does statute-barred mean?
A debt becomes statute-barred when the legal time limit for a creditor to take court action has passed. In England and Wales, this is set out in the Limitation Act 1980. Once a debt is statute-barred, the creditor or debt collector cannot obtain a county court judgment (CCJ) against you for that debt.
Statute-barred does not mean the debt no longer exists. The creditor can still ask you to pay and can still contact you — they simply cannot enforce it through the courts.
Time limits by region and debt type
| Debt type | England & Wales | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards and personal loans | 6 years | 5 years |
| Overdrafts | 6 years | 5 years |
| Utility bills | 6 years | 5 years |
| Council tax | 6 years | 20 years |
| Mortgage shortfalls | 12 years (capital) / 6 years (interest) | 5 years |
| County court judgments (CCJs) | 6 years to enforce | N/A |
When does the clock start?
The limitation period usually starts from the date of the last payment or the last written acknowledgement of the debt — whichever is more recent. It is not simply the date the debt was originally taken out.
For credit card debts and loans, the clock typically starts from the date the account defaulted or the last payment was made. This is often different from the date the original account was opened.
What resets the clock?
Two things can restart the limitation period:
- Making a payment — even a token payment resets the clock to zero
- Written acknowledgement — a letter or email from you that acknowledges the debt exists
What if a collector is still chasing me?
Debt collection agencies including Lowell, Cabot, PRA Group and others purchase old debts and may contact you years after the original default. Some of these debts may already be statute-barred by the time they contact you.
Under FCA rules, a creditor must not pursue a statute-barred debt in a way that implies court action is possible when it is not. If a collector is threatening court action on a statute-barred debt, this may be a breach of FCA rules and you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Received a debt letter and not sure if it's statute-barred?
Upload your letter for a free overview — we'll check the dates and tell you whether the limitation period looks like it may have passed.
Check my letter free →How to respond if your debt is statute-barred
If you believe your debt is statute-barred, you can write to the creditor and state that the debt is statute-barred under the Limitation Act 1980 (or the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 in Scotland) and that you do not acknowledge any liability. Do not make any payment and do not make any statement that could be interpreted as acknowledging the debt.
You are not legally required to pay a statute-barred debt. However, it will not be automatically removed from your credit file — it will remain visible for six years from the original default date, regardless of whether it is statute-barred.
A note on this guide
This guide provides general information about statute-barred debt in the UK. It is not legal advice. Debt law can be complex and fact-specific. For personal advice, contact Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk), StepChange (stepchange.org), or a qualified solicitor.