This isn’t a full fact find, Thrifty Family doesn’t give advice. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provides information about your options.
For free & impartial money advice you can visit MoneyHelper. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options. This isn’t a full fact-find, some debt solutions may not be suitable in all circumstances, ongoing fees might apply & your credit rating may be affected.
My name’s Janine, and I’m a mum of two who’s always been passionate about trying to cut down spending costs. I am now sharing as much financial knowledge as I possibly can to help your money go that little bit further.
For free & impartial money advice you can visit MoneyHelper. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options. This isn’t a full fact-find, some debt solutions may not be suitable in all circumstances, ongoing fees might apply & your credit rating may be affected.
Did you get a letter about a debt? If so, it may have arrived out of blue and sent you into a panic. It’s scary when someone from UKSL contacts you whether you know about a debt or not!
You may ask, do I have to pay UKSL debt collection? How can I avoid harassment? And what constitutes harassment? I explain what to do and how to deal with debt collectors in this post.
Do you have to pay UKSL Debt Collection?
You might not have to pay UKSL Debt Collection.
If you genuinely can’t afford your debt repayments then looking into whether you could have your written off might be just what you need.
If you want to find out whether you qualify for having debt written off or payments lowered then fill out the short form below.
This isn’t a full fact find, Thrifty Family doesn’t give advice. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provides information about your options.
Who is the UKSL Debt Collection?
You may have never heard of UKSL Debt Collection before the letter arrived through your letterbox. Additionally, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a scam. UKSL is short for UK Search Limited and the business is based in Chesterfield.
Yes. UKSL Debt is a legitimate debt collection agency that also offers clients a ‘tracing’ service. They claim to have been in business since 2004.
Their client base includes utility companies like Affinity Water and Southern Water. The business is registered with Company House.
So, when a letter from UKSL arrives in the post, it’s best to take it seriously.
Can you lower your repayments?
If you’re struggling to pay back your debt, then you might qualify for a debt solution. Some solutions lower your monthly payments while others write off a portion of your debt.
To find out whether they could work in your situation, hit the button below.
UKSL will contact you to recover a debt owed to another company such as a utility provider. When you fall behind or miss payments to a utility company, chances are they have instructed UKSL Debt to recover the amount.
That said, a utility company will have sent many letters reminding you of an outstanding bill beforehand. UKSL Debt gets involved when the amount remains unpaid!
Whatever you do, don’t ignore UKSL correspondence. Take a look at what happened to one unfortunate person:
It’s hard to remain calm and think clearly when you get a letter from UKSL Debt. But it’s important not to panic and to deal with the problem sooner rather than later.
First, check what the debt is for and if you really owe the money. You can do this by writing back to UKSL Debt asking them to ‘prove’ the debt is yours. A debt collection agency must respect this request.
Send the letter by registered post and keep a copy of the letter for your own records.
Next, check how old the debt is. Why? Because debts which are at least six years old are statute barred. In short, a debt that is old is unenforceable! However, the debt still exists and could impact your credit rating. But you won’t get a CCJ if the limitation period has expired.
That said, there are criteria that must be met for a debt to be statute barred which I’ve listed here:
You’ve not been in contact with the credit for six years
You’ve paid nothing towards clearing the debt for six years
There are no existing court proceedings to recover the debt
What can UKSL Debt Collection legally do?
UKSL must follow a Code of Practice that dictates what debt collectors can and cannot lawfully do when they contact you.
A debt collector can legally:
Ask you to pay them directly
Contact you and visit you at your home
Discuss a debt with you politely and discreetly
A debt collector cannot lawfully do:
Force entry into a home
Clamp vehicles or seize possessions
Discuss a debt with family members, friends, employers or neighbours which breaches privacy laws
Make out they are Enforcement Agents (bailiffs) which is a criminal offence
Imply they have court-issued documents
Talk in confusing terms using legal jargon
Apply pressure to take out another loan to pay a debt
You have the right to report a debt collector if you feel they are intimidating you or harassing you. But first, file a complaint with their head office. You can then lodge a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
What happens when you don’t pay UKSL Debt?
UKSL Debt could escalate things and could:
Report the defaults to credit bureaus
Get a CCJ issued against you which will ruin your credit rating
In short, it’s better to remain in contact with UKSL and negotiate an affordable payment plan with them. But only once the debt collector has proved the debt is yours and it’s not statute-barred!
As mentioned, you may have to pay UKSL Debt if they can prove the debt is yours. Don’t accept a verbal confirmation from the debt collection agency. They must provide you with ‘hard’ proof you owe the money!
You may not have to pay if UKSL can’t prove the debt is yours.
Next, establish the debt is still current and not statute-barred. You may not have to pay if it’s at least six years old and meets all the criteria listed above.
You have the right to tell UKSL to stop contacting you if the debt isn’t yours and the statute barred.
Debt collectors cannot continue to harass you and if they do, they’re acting unlawfully.
What debt help is there in the UK?
You should seek advice from one of the debt charities if you have any concerns about the way UKSL is behaving towards you. I’ve listed some of the debt charities here:
Unit 4 Gander LaneBarlborough, Chesterfield Derbyshire, England, S43 4PZ
Lastly, do I have to pay UKSL Debt Collection?
Do I have to pay UKSL Debt Collection or can I ignore their letters? It’s a question many people ask when they get a letter from a debt collection agency. Plus, more people are in debt than ever before thanks to the pandemic and other reasons.
The key to having a successful outcome is to stay in touch with UKSL rather than ignore their letters. Burying your head in the sand won’t help matters and could result in things escalating out of control.
So, the first thing to do is to write a letter to UKSL asking them to provide proof the debt is yours. Debt collectors can’t just say they ‘know’ you owe the money.
They must provide you with ‘authenticated’ evidence that you owe the money!
Next, find out if the debt is statute-barred because if it’s at least six years old, UKSL can make you pay. Moreover, you can’t get a CCJ on your credit record if a debt is over six years old.
If the debt is yours and UKSL has proved it, try to negotiate an affordable payment plan. One you can afford and do so sooner rather than later!
Thanks for reading my post. I hope the information answers the question, ‘do I have to pay UKSL Collection’ to avoid harassment.
My name’s Janine, and I’m a mum of two who’s always been passionate about trying to cut down spending costs. I am now sharing as much financial knowledge as I possibly can to help your money go that little bit further.
How to beat UKSL debt 