Pastdue Credit Solutions (PDCS): Letters, Payments and Disputes

Received a letter from Pastdue Credit Solutions (PDCS)? Verify the sender and account before paying or sharing information.

In this article, we’ll guide you on:

•  How to find out if the debt is really yours.
•  Why PDCS is contacting you.
•  What to do if you can’t afford to pay.
•  Your rights under the law.
•  Ways to ask for help with your debt.

Debt contact can be worrying. You can request account information and seek free advice if you are unsure what to do.

Some of us have also dealt with debt collectors. With our experience, we’ll help you understand your options and find a way forward. 

Why are you being contacted by Past Due Credit Solutions?

PDCS may contact you about an account referred by a client. Check the letter and tell the verified firm if the account or person is wrong.

Debt collection agencies like Past Due Credit Solutions can operate with different setups.

An agency can collect for another organisation without owning the debt. The letter should identify the creditor.

Unlike other debt collectors, Past Due Credit Solutions do not purchase the debt from the original creditor, so they don’t own it. Instead, they are paid a fee to collect it on behalf of the original creditor. 

For regulated-credit accounts, relevant FCA rules require fair treatment and appropriate consideration of financial difficulty. Do not assume the firm is exempt from these obligations.

Check if you really owe the money

The first step in our debt collection guidance is to find out which creditors you owe and how much. This should be stated on your PDCS debt collection letter.

Ask for the creditor’s name, account reference, balance breakdown and evidence that you are liable. For regulated consumer credit debts, a firm must pause recovery while it investigates a dispute on valid or potentially valid grounds. A request for information does not itself cancel the debt or extend a court deadline.

Our ‘prove the debt letter‘ will guide you on what to do. 

The appropriate evidence depends on the debt. A missing original agreement does not automatically cancel an account or extend a court deadline.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

You also need to check that the debt is not statute-barred.

Many ordinary unsecured debts may become statute-barred after six years in England and Wales, or prescribed after five years in Scotland. The start date, debt type, payments, legally relevant acknowledgments and any court claim all matter. A creditor’s letter alone does not restart the period. Ask a debt adviser to check the facts before paying or admitting liability, and respond to any court papers on time.

Limitation can provide a defence to a claim in England and Wales. You still need to respond if court papers arrive.

Scottish prescription can extinguish an obligation, so it should not be described as identical to English and Welsh limitation.

Keep in mind that not all debts become statute-barred!

Judgments and tax debts have separate rules. A CCJ does not expire with its credit-file entry, but later enforcement can require permission or face other restrictions.

What should you check before paying?

Check the creditor, balance and enforceability, including limitation for an old debt, before paying.

If the debt is valid but unaffordable, ask for a sustainable arrangement after allowing for essential costs and priority bills.

Explain your circumstances and obtain written confirmation of any arrangement. Do not assume every offer must be accepted.

If you are unable to keep to a repayment plan, you could benefit from a debt solution. We will go through your options for debt relief later in this article.

For independent advice, contact a free debt-advice organisation. The collector’s support is not a substitute for an assessment of all your debts and options.

How do you pay?

Many people choose to pay Past Due on their website, but you will need your account reference number to do this, which will be on the letters they sent you. Their website provides further information. 

Use independently verified details if you need help locating your reference. You do not need to make a payment simply because you are already on the phone.

Check the payment methods shown on the official portal or verified notice. Do not assume a personal credit card is accepted, particularly for an HMRC account.

What if You Can’t Afford to Pay PDCS?

If you owe money to Pastdue Credit or other debt collectors but you are struggling to pay, you may benefit from a debt solution.

There are several debt solutions available in the UK so we recommend speaking to a debt charity. Their advisers will be able to walk you through your options and help find the best debt solution for you.

Debt Management Plan (DMP)

A DMP is an informal debt solution that lets you pay off your debts via a single monthly payment.

Because it is informal, it is not legally binding so you are not tied into a DMP for a minimum number of payments.

Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA)

An IVA is a formal insolvency arrangement managed by an insolvency practitioner. Your proposal sets out payments, any assets involved and fees. Once approved, it binds the creditors and debts covered by it and restricts recovery action; it is not a blanket ban on necessary correspondence.

Many IVAs involve payments for five or six years, but the agreed term varies. Qualifying unpaid debt is normally released only on successful completion. An IVA affects your credit record, may involve assets or home equity, and can fail if its terms are not met.

IVA suitability depends on your debts, affordable contributions or available assets, fees and creditor approval. There is no universal rule that you must owe several thousand pounds to more than one creditor. Get independent debt advice and compare other options before agreeing to an IVA.

Trust Deed

IVAs are not available in Scotland. A Scottish money adviser can compare a protected trust deed, the Debt Arrangement Scheme, sequestration and informal arrangements; a trust deed is not compulsory.

A protected trust deed is a Scottish insolvency arrangement, usually lasting at least four years of contributions. It can discharge qualifying unpaid debt on successful completion, but fees apply and your home or other assets may be at risk. Covered creditors cannot pursue payment outside it, but can still send required documents.

Debt Relief Order (DRO)

In England and Wales, a DRO may suit an eligible non-homeowner with low surplus income, limited assets and qualifying debts within the £50,000 limit. Detailed income, asset, vehicle and residence rules apply. An approved debt adviser checks eligibility and submits the application to the Insolvency Service.

During the usual 12-month DRO period, recovery of listed qualifying debts is restricted and you generally do not pay those debts. Continue paying essential ongoing bills and excluded debts. A DRO does not prohibit every required creditor notice.

A DRO normally lasts 12 months. If it remains in force, the qualifying debts listed in it are normally discharged at the end. You must report relevant changes and continue paying ongoing bills and excluded debts, such as court fines and student loans.

Bankruptcy

If you have debts but no realistic possibility of ever paying them off, you may need to declare bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy has an unfair stigma attached to it as it may be your only way of getting a financial fresh start. That said, it is a serious financial situation that should not be taken lightly.

Sequestration

Sequestration is the Scottish version of bankruptcy.

Scotland’s Minimal Asset Process is a route into bankruptcy for people who meet its conditions. Its application fee has been removed. Ask an approved Scottish money adviser to compare it with the alternatives and explain the effects on assets, credit and income.

Your Rights With Debt Collectors

Collection activity must comply with applicable legal and regulatory rules.

For regulated consumer credit collection, FCA rules require firms to give due regard to reasonable requests about when, where and how they contact you. You can ask for letters or emails instead of calls and explain any health or accessibility needs. This is not an automatic ban on every call or required notice. Keep a record of unreasonable contact and complain if your request is not properly considered.

Threats, misleading claims about powers or excessive contact can be grounds for a complaint. A call at work is not automatically unlawful in every circumstance; privacy and reasonable contact requests matter.

We’ve put together this table that explains what debt collectors can and can’t do. For more detailed information, please check out our dedicated guide.

Debt collectors may	Limits and protections
Contact you to seek payment	For regulated consumer credit, contact must be at reasonable times and respect reasonable requests about when, where and how you are contacted.
Ask to discuss the debt at a home visit	A collector has no bailiff powers, cannot force entry or take goods, and should leave when asked.
Explain possible court action	They must not mislead you about their powers or threaten action they cannot lawfully take.
Discuss an affordable repayment or settlement	Get agreed terms in writing and obtain free advice if you dispute the debt or cannot afford payments.
A creditor may seek a separate court enforcement order	A CCJ alone does not give a collector access to your bank account. A third-party debt order requires a separate court process.
A creditor may assign a debt	Check who owns it and who is authorised to collect; do not disclose payment details to an unverified caller.
Make proportionate follow-up contact	Harassment is prohibited. Requests about contact must be considered; necessary legal notices may still be sent.

An ordinary debt collector has no right to force entry or seize goods. A visit must comply with applicable contact and privacy rules; there is no blanket ban on every doorstep visit. FCA rules prohibit workplace visits without prior consent for regulated consumer-credit collection. HMRC states that agencies collecting on its behalf will never visit your home or workplace.

How Do You Complain About Pastdue Credit?

If you think that Pastdue Credit has been unreasonable or behaved inappropriately, you can make a complaint.

You can also make a complaint if you feel that they have broken any of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) guidelines.

Fortunately, complaining about Pastdue Credit Solutions is quite straightforward!

Make your first complaint to Pastdue directly so that they have the chance to sort out the issue themselves. If you feel that they have not taken your complaint seriously enough or have not addressed your issue properly, you can escalate matters.

Complain to the business first. If the activity falls within the Financial Ombudsman Service’s remit, you can normally escalate after a final response or eight weeks without one, usually within six months of the final response. The Ombudsman can require redress, such as compensation or correcting records; it does not fine firms or remove their authorisation.

Pastdue Credit Solutions (PDCS) Contact Details:

You can contact PDCS through any of the following means:

Company	Pastdue Credit Solutions Limited, company number SC287794
Account enquiries	0141 447 0554
Postal address	1 Blair Court North Avenue Clydebank Business Park Glasgow G81 2LA
Online contact	Official website and customer portal

References

1. PDCS: official account and contact information

CONC 7.3 Treatment of customers in default or arrears (including repossessions): lenders, owners and debt collectors

CONC 7.9 Contact with customers