You can only get a mental health breathing space if you're getting crisis, emergency or acute mental health treatment:

• in hospital

• in a residential service that gives crisis care

• at home from a specialist mental health team

How can breathing space help?

You cannot usually be evicted for rent or mortgage arrears during breathing space.

You can also get breathing space for other debts like council tax arrears, missed utility bills, personal loans or credit cards.

Mental health breathing space is sometimes called 'mental health crisis moratorium.'

Breathing space gives you time to:

• reduce rent or mortgage arrears

• get help to deal with your debts

Table: Overview of mental health breathing space

How to apply for mental health breathing space

The application process changed in January 2025.

There are 2 steps:

1. Fill in a 'debt respite form'

2. Apply on an online portal

You or someone helping you can take these steps.

Who can fill in the debt respite form

Someone from your mental health care team has to confirm:

• you have a serious mental health condition

• you're getting crisis or emergency care or treatment

• who to contact about your crisis treatment during breathing space

The person who fills in the form is often a social worker or psychiatric nurse.

You cannot ask a GP, psychiatrist or other doctor to fill in the form. But you can ask them to help you find the right person to fill it in. You could show them this webpage.

Apply online

Register with the WeAreGroup online portal.

You might have to send a copy of the completed debt respite form to mhcbs@wearegroup.com

What happens after you apply

A debt adviser checks the application. They can put you onto the breathing space scheme if it's right for you.

You are not expected to work with a debt adviser during a mental health breathing space.

The debt adviser will contact someone from your mental health care team about once a month to check you are still getting crisis treatment.

How long mental health breathing space lasts

A mental health breathing space does not have a time limit. It usually ends 30 days after you stop getting mental health crisis care. You can have it more than once a year.

The debt adviser will end the breathing space if they cannot get confirmation that you are still getting crisis treatment.

You will probably still need debt advice when the breathing space ends. The debt adviser will ask if you want their help or you can find another debt advice service.

Who cannot get mental health breathing space

Mental health breathing space is for people getting crisis care or treatment for a serious mental health condition.

You might have mental health problems and debt problems but not get breathing space.

You can still get help from a debt adviser to sort out money problems.

You cannot get breathing space if you have a debt relief order (DRO), individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) or bankruptcy order in place.