What does the route look like?

Does the first conversation show that you need help with your debts? Then you get a contact person. In the appointment we will discuss your financial situation further. We make an overview of your income, fixed costs and debts. We will also ask you questions about your living situation and the cause of your debts. When all the information is complete, we make a plan that suits your situation and that will help you.

For example, we can tackle these issues together:

• Organize your administration.
• Make an overview of your income and expenses per month.
• Pay your current fixed costs on time.
• Applying for a scheme that allows you to increase your income.
• Looking for work to increase your income.
• Calculate what you can pay to creditors per month.

You have regular appointments with your contact person. This can be at the office, in the neighbourhood, at your home or digitally. In it you discuss how you are doing, what you have done and what still needs to be done. We think along and help you arrange things. You may need more help than Debt Assistance can provide. We can then put you in touch with someone who can help you better.

If your income and expenses are in balance and you have a good overview of your financial situation, we can start arranging your debts. This can be done in various ways:

Payment arrangement
Your contact person will check with you how much you can pay to your creditors each month and help you write letters or e-mails. You transfer the agreed amount to your creditors each month.

Amicable debt settlement
Are you unable to pay your debts with payment arrangements? Then we can try to settle your debts with an amicable debt settlement. We then calculate what you can repay each month. This is called your repayment capacity. We ask your creditors whether they agree to pay part of the debt.

Do your creditors agree to this? Then you borrow an amount from the credit bank, with which you pay off your debts in one go. You can pay back this reorganization loan in 18 months.

If we expect that your repayment capacity will vary, for example because your income fluctuates, we will opt for debt mediation. Your income will then be received by us for 18 months. We reserve the amount that should go to creditors every month. We will transfer the rest to you, so that you can pay your fixed costs yourself.

It is important that you report changes in income, (fixed) costs, assets and personal circumstances to your contact person. This may have consequences for the monthly repayment. Once you have met your payment obligation for 18 months, you no longer have to pay the rest of the debts.

Statutory debt restructuring (Wsnp)
If the creditors do not agree with an amicable debt settlement proposal, you can ask the court for a solution through the Debt Restructuring Natural Persons Act (Wsnp). More information about the WSNP procedure (with a video) can be found at Rechtsrecht.nl.

If you use a debt settlement, this will affect your monthly income. How much you have left over per month depends on your own financial situation. It is different for everyone. In any case, you will have enough money left over to pay your fixed costs and to live on.