Insolvency Service speeds debt relief applications with £900,000 MaPS-backed tech upgrade

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Insolvency service debt relief upgrade

Highlights

Insolvency Service launched a £900,000 Money and Pensions Service-funded API, enabling direct submission of debt relief order cases and reducing application delays.
4,191 people received debt relief orders in May 2026, following a record 4,523 cases in March 2026, reflecting rising demand for streamlined debt support.
The £90 debt relief order application fee was scrapped in April 2024 and the debt limit increased from £30,000 to £50,000 in June 2024, broadening eligibility.

Direct portal link cuts application delays

As reported by GOV.UK, the new system allows debt advisers to send debt relief order cases directly to the Insolvency Service portal instead of entering the same information twice. The technology, funded by the Money and Pensions Service, goes live this week and is intended to streamline processing for people seeking an alternative to bankruptcy.

Caroline Shanahan, personal insolvency lead at the Insolvency Service, says the change improves access to help at a time when people in crisis need support quickly. She says linking advice organisations directly to the agency's systems cuts administration, speeds up applications and frees advisers to assist more people.

The latest Insolvency Service figures show 4,191 people get a debt relief order in May 2026, after a record 4,523 cases in March 2026. The upgrade follows MaPS funding to build an application programming interface, or API, that acts as a digital bridge between the separate IT systems.

Broader access to debt support in UK

Money Wellness is the first major financial support organisation to connect to the Insolvency Service through the API, with more debt advice groups expected to join later this year. Sebrina McCullough, director of external affairs at Money Wellness, says the change should reduce delays for clients facing stress and uncertainty while allowing advisers to spend more time on direct support.

Debt relief orders were introduced in 2009 and have been expanded in recent years. The £90 application fee was removed in April 2024, and the debt limit covered by a debt relief order rose from £30,000 to £50,000 in June 2024, widening access for people with low disposable incomes.

Anna Hall, corporate director for debt at the Money and Pensions Service, says faster access to the right help can make a significant difference for people facing problem debt. People who want to apply for a debt relief order must speak to an FCA-regulated debt advice provider to assess the most suitable form of debt relief for their circumstances.

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