Debt Collector Harassment UK: Your Rights

You do not have to put up with being pressured, shouted at or contacted around the clock.

UK debt collection is governed by clear rules. Creditors and debt collection agencies must treat people fairly, communicate at reasonable times, and stop chasing when a debt is disputed until they have investigated it.

This guide explains what counts as harassment by a creditor or debt collector in the UK, the rules firms must follow, how to log incidents properly and how to complain if the behaviour does not stop.

This is general information, not personal financial advice or regulated debt advice.

Prefer to watch instead? This video covers the main points from the guide: what counts as harassment in UK debt collection, the rules firms must follow, and how to complain.

What harassment means in debt collection

Harassment in debt collection is contact or conduct that is aggressive, unfair or misleading, or that a reasonable person would find oppressive.

The Financial Conduct Authority defines it as behaviour that is unreasonable or causes distress. What feels acceptable to one person may feel intimidating to another, which is why the rules take individual circumstances into account.

The Citizens Advice guide on harassment by creditors lists common examples: contacting you several times a day or late at night, using more than one debt collector at a time, using paperwork that looks official when it is not, pressuring you to sell your home or take out more credit, telling other people about your debt, or giving the impression that court action has been taken when it has not.

Your protection under UK law

Three main frameworks protect people being chased for debts in the UK.

Administration of Justice Act 1970 (Section 40)

Under Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970 it is a criminal offence to harass someone to make them pay money claimed as a debt. A conviction can result in a fine. The rule applies whether the person chasing is the original creditor, a debt collector acting on their behalf, or a debt purchaser.

FCA Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC)

All banks, lenders, credit card companies, debt collection agencies and debt purchasers that chase consumer credit debts must be authorised by the FCA and must follow the Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC 7). CONC 7 requires firms to treat customers fairly, give clear and accurate information, allow reasonable time to repay, and avoid oppressive or deceptive practices.

Consumer Duty

The FCA's Consumer Duty requires firms to act in the customer's best interests, avoid causing foreseeable harm, communicate clearly, and take proper account of vulnerable circumstances. It applies to how firms handle arrears and complaints, not just how they sell products.

Excessive contact and communication

These are the most common forms of harassment reported to the Financial Ombudsman Service and to Citizens Advice.

Multiple daily contacts

There is no fixed daily limit in the rules, but contacting someone several times a day, or repeatedly by different methods on the same day, can amount to harassment. The Ombudsman looks at the frequency, the timing, the method and the personal circumstances of the person being contacted.

Contact outside reasonable hours

Contact outside 8am to 9pm is generally considered unreasonable. Anything late at night, before breakfast or at weekends where the person has already asked for it to stop can be treated as harassment.

Contact through social media

Debt collectors are not permitted to chase people through social media, whether by direct message or by comments on public posts. Contact must use official channels: post, phone or email using details you have given the firm.

Financial pressure and coercion

Pressure to borrow more or sell assets

Under CONC 7.3.10, a firm must not pressure someone into borrowing more money or selling their property to pay a debt.

In plain English, three types of suggestion are off-limits from a firm chasing you:

1. Take on new credit. Suggesting a top-up loan or a new credit card to clear the balance.
2. Sell essential assets. Suggesting you sell a home, car, or possessions you rely on.
3. Extend or increase existing borrowing. Suggesting you draw down on an existing facility to pay the debt off.

If a firm does any of these, that is a rule breach and a complaint point.

Demands for amounts that cannot be afforded

Firms must not pressure people into paying amounts they cannot afford or demand a lump sum they know is out of reach. Under CONC 7, firms must consider individual financial circumstances and accept a reasonable payment offer based on what is left after essential costs.

Deceptive and misleading practices

Documents that look like court papers

Some debt collectors send letters designed to look like official court documents, using court-style logos, red ink or wording that implies legal action is already underway. Using paperwork that looks official when it is not is on the Citizens Advice list of harassment examples and breaches CONC.

False legal threats

Firms cannot threaten action they are not entitled to take. That includes claiming bailiffs will visit when there is no court order, claiming a County Court Judgment exists when none has been issued, or misrepresenting their legal authority.

Threats of prison

You cannot be sent to prison for owing money on a consumer credit debt in the UK. Threats of prison for a personal credit card, loan, overdraft or store card are always false. The rare exceptions involve certain government debts and non-payment of specific fines, not commercial or consumer credit.

Professional misconduct and impersonation

Violence or threats

Any physical threat, threat to a family member, or threatening language is a serious criminal matter. If it happens, contact the police first, then file a written complaint with the firm and the FCA.

Bailiff impersonation

Debt collectors are not bailiffs. Debt collectors have no legal power to enter a home, remove goods or force payment. They cannot describe themselves as bailiffs, court officials or enforcement agents. If a caller uses those words about a consumer credit debt, ask for their firm name in writing and check them on the FCA Register.

False identity claims

A person contacting you must clearly identify themselves and the firm they work for. Claiming to represent a court, the government or a public authority when they do not is misleading and is a breach of CONC.

Privacy violations and third-party contact

Contacting family, employers or third parties

Your debt is private. A creditor or debt collector must not discuss the debt with a family member, a friend, an employer or a neighbour, and must not ask a third party to pass on messages about it. Contact must go through you.

Public shaming

Discussing a debt publicly, in person where it can be overheard, or online where it can be read by others, is a breach of both CONC and UK data protection law under the UK GDPR. That includes naming a debtor on social media or discussing account details in a public place.

Procedural violations

Multiple debt collectors chasing the same debt

Assigning more than one debt collector to the same debt at the same time is on the Citizens Advice list of harassment examples. It creates confusion and pressure. If two firms are chasing the same account, write to both and ask which one is authorised to collect.

No notice of assignment

If a debt has been sold, the original creditor must send a written notice of assignment before the new owner can chase for payment. Contact from a new firm without that notice is not something you have to engage with. Ask, in writing, for a copy of the notice of assignment and proof of their authority to collect.

Ignoring a written dispute

When a debt is disputed in writing, CONC 7.14 requires the firm to stop collection activity while it investigates. Continuing to chase after a written dispute is a breach and can be reported to the Ombudsman.

How to take action against harassment

Document everything

Keep a written log of every contact. For each incident, record:

• The date and time.
• The method (phone, letter, email, text, doorstep visit).
• The name of the firm and the person, if given.
• A short summary of what was said or written.
• Any witnesses.

Save voicemails, keep letters and screenshot text messages. A clear log is the single most useful piece of evidence in a complaint.

Write to the firm first

Complain in writing to the firm before escalating. Explain the specific incidents, reference the FCA CONC rules and Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970 where relevant, and state what you want the firm to do to put it right. Send it by email if you can, or by recorded delivery post.

File official complaints

If the firm's response is unfair, or you get no response within 8 weeks, escalate:

• Financial Ombudsman Service. Free service for consumer complaints about financial firms. Can award compensation for distress and financial loss.
• Financial Conduct Authority. Regulator of debt collection firms. Reports of harassment help the FCA supervise conduct across the market.
• Trading Standards. Can investigate criminal offences under Section 40 of the 1970 Act. Report through Citizens Advice consumer service.
• Police. If there are threats of violence, intimidation or criminal offences.

For the full complaint process, see the step-by-step guide to complaining about a bank or debt collector.

Harassment thrives on silence. A short, dated, factual log turns pressure into evidence.

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Vulnerable customers and mental health

If mental health, physical illness, bereavement or other vulnerability is a factor, tell the firm in writing. Under the FCA's Guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers (FG21/1), firms must recognise vulnerability, adjust how they communicate, and allow reasonable time to seek support.

Free support in a mental health crisis is available from Mind's money and mental health guide and Mental Health & Money Advice. In an urgent mental health crisis, contact Samaritans on 116 123 or NHS 111 (option 2 for mental health).

What compensation you can expect

Where a complaint is upheld, the Financial Ombudsman Service can order a firm to put things right and pay compensation for distress and inconvenience. Awards for distress typically start at a few hundred pounds and can rise where the impact has been serious or prolonged. The Ombudsman publishes guidance on how it assesses compensation for material distress and inconvenience.

Compensation may also cover:

• The cost of time and phone calls dealing with the harassment.
• Financial loss caused by the firm's conduct.
• Refunds of charges or interest applied unfairly during the period of harassment.

Harassment checklist

1. Log every contact, with date, time, method and content.
2. Save voicemails, letters, emails and text messages.
3. Ask, in writing, for contact by post or email only.
4. Ask, in writing, for a copy of the notice of assignment if you do not recognise the debt.
5. Dispute the debt in writing if the amount, dates or ownership are wrong.
6. Reference CONC 7 and Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970 if you complain.
7. Write to the firm first, keep a copy, and diarise 8 weeks.
8. If unsatisfied with the final response, take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months.
9. Report criminal conduct or threats of violence to the police.
10. Tell the firm about any vulnerability in writing and keep proof.

FAQs