Adam Frankel
General Counsel · Technology & AI
15+ years as General Counsel to technology, cloud & AI companies
Holding letter - ask creditors to hold off by Citizens Advice
Open Legal LibraryUpdated 11 Aug 2026
The Citizens Advice holding letter that asks creditors to hold off helps individuals inform creditors of financial difficulties and ask for a temporary freeze on interest and charges. It is part of Citizens Advice’s widely trusted library of open, lawyer-vetted letter templates.
Holding letter - ask creditors to hold off
[debtor name]
[debtor address line 1]
[debtor address line 2]
[debtor phone]
[debtor email]
[creditor name]
[creditor address line 1]
[creditor address line 2]
[letter date]
Your reference: [creditor reference]
To whom it may concern,
Account name: [account name]
Account number: [account number]
I am sorry that I am unable to keep up my monthly payments to your company. This is because:
I am sick and unable to work. I have claimed benefits and am waiting to hear the outcome of my claim. My situation is unlikely to improve for at least 3 months.
I am writing to all my creditors asking for details of the balance outstanding on my accounts. Once I have this information I will be able to work out how much I can afford to pay to each creditor. As it may take a little time for all my creditors to reply, it would be helpful if you could hold action on my account for [insert period] and agree to freeze interest and other charges to stop my debt increasing. If you are unable to agree to this, please explain your reasons.
Thank you for your help and I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
[debtor name]
About this template
What is this template?
This document is a formal notification to a creditor explaining financial hardship and requesting a temporary suspension of collection activities. It is not a formal 'Breathing Space' application under statutory schemes, but a direct request for voluntary forbearance. It contains specific fields for account reference numbers, reason for hardship, and a request to freeze interest charges.
When should you use it?
Use this letter when you cannot pay your debts because of a temporary setback like illness and need time to seek debt advice. Use a Debt Settlement Agreement instead if you are offering a final lump sum to close the account.
What's inside
| Clause | Name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| I am sorry | Admission of Non-Payment | The debtor explicitly states they are unable to keep up monthly payments due to sickness and inability to work. |
| it would be helpful | Hold Request | The debtor requests the creditor hold action on the account for a specific period like 2 months. |
| agree to freeze | Interest Freeze | The sender asks the creditor to stop interest and other charges to prevent the debt from increasing. |
Who it's for
- an individual debtor in the UK unable to work due to sickness
- a person waiting for the outcome of a benefits claim while managing debt
- someone needing a temporary hold from a bank or creditor to calculate affordable repayments
How long it runs and how it's signed
How long
Used once
Signed by
debtor
Witness
Not required
Notarisation
Not required
England & Wales note
This version is drafted for England & Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ on some points — for example notice periods and tribunal procedure. Tell GitLaw where you hire and it adjusts the draft.
Categories
Jurisdiction
England & Wales
Document info
GitLaw document. Document created on Fri Sep 26th, 2025. Last updated on Tue Aug 11th, 2026.
This document is public
Licensed under Proprietary / All Rights Reserved.
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