Debt review removal request letter (template)

Send this to your debt counsellor in writing. Replace each [PLACEHOLDER].

[YOUR FULL NAME]
[YOUR ID NUMBER]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR EMAIL]  |  [YOUR PHONE]

[DATE]

[DEBT COUNSELLOR / FIRM NAME]
[THEIR EMAIL OR ADDRESS]
NCR registration number (if known): [NCRDC NUMBER]

RE: Request to remove me from debt review - reference [YOUR DEBT REVIEW REF]

Dear [DEBT COUNSELLOR NAME],

I am writing to request that you begin the process of removing me from debt
review, on the following basis:

  [TICK THE ONE THAT APPLIES]
  ( ) I have settled all the debts under my debt review plan and I request that
      you issue my [clearance certificate](/debt-counselling/debt-review-clearance-certificate/) (Form 19).
  ( ) Only my home loan / a single long-term debt remains, all short-term debts
      are paid, and I request a clearance certificate and the steps to exit
      debt review in line with the rules.
  ( ) My circumstances have changed and I wish to discuss withdrawing from debt
      review through the proper legal channel.

Accordingly, please:
  1. confirm my current status and outstanding balances under the plan;
  2. issue my clearance certificate (Form 19) once I qualify;
  3. notify the National Credit Regulator and all credit bureaus to remove the
     debt review listing; and
  4. confirm to me in writing once this has been done, and the expected dates.

Please also confirm any final fees due and provide a paid-up statement.

Thank you. I look forward to your written confirmation.

Yours faithfully,

[YOUR FULL NAME]
ID number: [YOUR ID NUMBER]

The clean way out is to finish the plan. Once all your restructured debts are settled - or, in many cases, once your short-term debts are settled and only a long-term debt such as a home loan remains under its rearranged terms - your debt counsellor issues a clearance certificate, known as Form 19. The counsellor then notifies the NCR and the credit bureaus, and the debt review flag is removed.

The other route applies early in the process, before a court has made the debt review an order, if your circumstances change and you no longer qualify or no longer want to proceed. That has to go through the proper legal channel, not a quick "removal". Once a magistrate has granted a debt review order, you generally cannot simply walk away; you complete the plan and get your certificate.

The clearance certificate (Form 19) is the formal proof that you have completed debt review or otherwise satisfied the requirements. Your debt counsellor issues it, then notifies the National Credit Regulator and every credit bureau, which removes the debt review flag from your credit profile. After the certificate is issued, the flag should be cleared in about 21 business days.

Until that flag is removed, the debt review listing blocks you from taking new credit and signals to lenders that you were under debt review. Removing it through the certificate is what restores your ability to access credit again. If you have completed your plan but no one has issued your certificate, that is exactly what this letter, and a follow-up clearance certificate request, are for.

There is a whole industry of "debt review removal" companies promising to get you off debt review fast, sometimes by claiming the process was flawed. Some are legitimate attorneys handling genuine early withdrawals; many simply charge a fee to do what your own debt counsellor must do anyway, and a few make claims that can leave you worse off.

The lawful removal is straightforward: complete the plan, get your Form 19 clearance certificate, and the flag comes off. You should not need to pay a third party a large fee on top of the regulated debt review fees to be removed once you have paid up. If a removal company pressures you or makes guarantees that sound too good, verify everything with the NCR before paying anyone.

• Stopping payments to "force" removal. Defaulting on your plan does not remove you cleanly; it can expose you to legal action again.
• Paying a removal company before checking. The lawful exit runs through your debt counsellor and the NCR, not a paid shortcut.
• Assuming the flag clears instantly. Allow about 21 business days after the clearance certificate is issued, and follow up if it does not.
• Not getting it in writing. Always get written confirmation that the certificate was issued and the bureaus notified, and keep it.