DRO
After a DRO
You made it through the 12 months. The debts in your DRO are written off when the 12 months end. Here is what actually changes, and how to start rebuilding.
Free to use, no obligation. The plan itself won't affect your credit score. It is not advice, and acceptance is never guaranteed.
Written and reviewed by the AfterMy team · Last reviewed October 2026
What changes
What happens when your 12 months end
The end of the moratorium is quiet, and that catches people out. Four things to know about the day itself:
- The debts inside your DRO are written off automatically. Nothing to apply for, nothing to pay, and creditors cannot chase them.
- No letter or certificate arrives. There is no DRO completion certificate, so do not wait for one: the write-off happens by itself.
- Your entry on the Individual Insolvency Register is removed about 3 months later, so roughly 15 months after your DRO started.
- The DRO marker stays on your credit file for 6 years from the date it started.
Myths
Myths that follow a DRO around
There's a lot of out-of-date advice out there. Here's what's actually true:
- You might have heard
A DRO is basically bankruptcy
What's actually trueIt is a separate, lighter solution: no court hearing, and it ends after 12 months with the debts written off.
- You might have heard
Coming off the register means my file is clean
What's actually trueTwo different clocks. The register entry goes at about 15 months; the credit file marker stays 6 years from the date the DRO started, and lenders check the file.
- You might have heard
I cannot get any credit for 6 years
What's actually trueThe marker makes mainstream lending harder, but it doesn't make credit impossible. Credit-builder products and some specialist lenders work with people whose file still shows the marker.
Finished your DRO? Your Comeback Plan maps your dates and shows options from our panel you may be able to apply for.
Start your Comeback PlanGuides
Your next steps after a DRO
Rebuilding credit after a DRO
The foundations that get your file healthy again.
Credit cards after a DRO
Which credit-builder cards consider a completed DRO.
Mortgages after a DRO
What mortgage lenders look for after a DRO.
Loans after a DRO
What loan lenders look for, and how to check before you apply.
When does a DRO leave your credit file?
The six-year rule, and when the marker drops off.
What happens after the 12 months?
The write-off, the quiet day itself, and the jobs worth doing.
The DRO register: when your name comes off
Who can see the public register, what it shows, and the 15-month clock.
Credit-builder apps after a DRO
How credit-builder apps help while the six-year marker is on your file.
How long after a DRO can you get credit?
What lenders look at while the six-year marker is on your file.
Life after a debt relief order
Your DRO is over and the debts are gone. What your credit file shows now, when your name leaves the register, and how to rebuild your credit.
Before you apply
Will I actually be accepted for anything?
Check before you apply
After a Debt Relief Order, lenders can see the marker for 6 years from the date it started. Each lender sets its own criteria, and some consider people rebuilding after a DRO. Lenders look at your on-time history, what you can afford and an accurate credit file, so check your eligibility before you apply. Your Comeback Plan shows options where you're more likely to fit; lenders make their own decisions.
Mistakes to avoid after a DRO
- Applying for mainstream credit without checking eligibility and collecting hard searches. Space applications out.
- Waiting to start rebuilding for a completion letter that never comes.
- Assuming coming off the register means the credit file is clear. The 6-year file clock is the one lenders see.
- Never checking your reports. Debts from the DRO should be recorded as part of the DRO, not as live debts being chased. They won't show as paid or settled, which is normal, but other errors do occur, so it's worth checking.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What happens after the 12 months of a DRO?
The moratorium ends and the debts listed in your DRO are written off automatically. No certificate arrives and nothing needs claiming. Debts that were never in the DRO, such as student loans, court fines and child maintenance, still need paying.
How long does a DRO stay on the Insolvency Register?
About 15 months in total: your entry appears when the DRO is approved, stays through the 12-month moratorium, and is removed automatically about 3 months after it ends.
How long does a DRO stay on your credit file?
Six years from the date it started, not from the date it ended. Removal is automatic at all three credit reference agencies.
How long after a DRO can I get credit?
There's no legal waiting period once the moratorium ends: the restrictions, including the £500 disclosure rule, end with it. Each lender then decides for itself, and a clean payment record gives every lender more to go on.
Can I get a mortgage after a DRO?
Some specialist lenders consider applicants after a DRO. A regulated mortgage broker can tell you what applies to you.
Will a DRO stop me getting a credit card?
You can apply. Some lenders consider people who have had their DRO end. Each sets its own criteria, and acceptance is never guaranteed. Used well (a small limit, paid in full and on time), a credit-builder card adds the on-time history lenders look at.
How do I know when my DRO has ended?
Count 12 months from the approval date on your DRO paperwork. Nothing arrives to mark the day. Confirmation is the register entry disappearing about 3 months later. On your credit file the DRO and its debts stay for six years from the start date, and the debts won't show as paid or settled.
Ready when you are
Your Comeback Plan maps your dates and shows options from our panel you may be able to apply for.
Start your Comeback PlanFree to use, no obligation. The plan itself won't affect your credit score.