If your income has changed and your debt-review payment no longer fits, tell your debt counsellor promptly and ask for a review of the facts. Sending a message or a new budget does not, by itself, authorise a lower payment. Avoid waiting until the due date to explain a problem that is already clear.
Start with a short description: what changed, when it happened and whether you know when it may change again. You do not need to solve the whole problem before asking which records the counsellor needs.
What can a change-in-circumstances review do?
The NCR’s Form 17.3 guidance allows notification of changed finances with evidence. The case stage matters; the request is not automatic permission to pay less. Read the NCR guideline.
Ask the counsellor to distinguish what has been requested from what has actually been accepted. A useful written recap identifies the next action and who is responsible for confirming its outcome.
How can I make the discussion useful?
Prepare one page with these headings:
- The change: describe it in plain language and note the date.
- Income now: separate confirmed income from money you hope to receive.
- Essential costs: show the household expenses that need reviewing.
- Payment position: note the next due date and any payment already missed.
- Unknowns: list the figures, dates or documents you still need to check.
This is a conversation aid, not a replacement for the records requested. Date it so that an older budget cannot easily be mistaken for your current position. Use a private document-sharing route; leave identity numbers, account details and medical information out of public comments.
Which supporting records might be relevant?
Evidence may include employer, retrenchment and insurance records. Ask which documents apply to your case. See the supporting-evidence examples.
Keep a record of what you supplied and when. If a document is unavailable, say so and ask how that gap should be handled. Do not fill it with an estimated figure presented as confirmed.
What if a court or tribunal order already exists?
Form 17.3 cannot override an existing court or tribunal order. Ask which legal steps your case needs before treating a proposed amount as accepted. See the existing-orders section.
Ask: “What must I continue doing while this is being considered?” Keep the written answer with the proposal and any formal response. Report urgent legal correspondence promptly instead of assuming the review has paused it.
What if I cannot pay anything?
Complete income loss may make a reduced plan unworkable. Ask about relevant credit-life cover and advice for your position; neither concessions nor payouts are guaranteed. See the complete-loss-of-income discussion.
What should I have after the conversation?
Leave with a short action list: the documents still needed, who will submit the request, how you will receive the response and when you should follow up. Record any point that remains undecided. Keep proof of payments separately from your notes so that a later query is easier to explain.
Need to discuss a change with Alliance? You can choose to contact Alliance privately and explain what changed. For background, read how debt review works. Making an enquiry does not establish that a payment reduction or legal variation has been accepted.
General educational guidance reviewed on 14 October 2026. The NCR’s April 2020 guideline is currently listed; applicable law and individual facts take precedence.