Intrum UK Debt Collectors: Don't Pay Yet (Section 78 & Statute-Barred Guide)

Overview: Why Intrum UK Limited Is Contacting You

Intrum UK Limited (headquartered at The Omnibus Building, Reigate, Surrey, and formed when Swedish credit management giant *Intrum Justitia* merged with 1st Credit Limited) is one of the largest debt purchasers and third-party collection agencies operating in the United Kingdom.

Intrum UK operates in two distinct capacities:

1. Secondary Debt Purchaser (*Intrum UK Finance Limited* / *1st Credit*): Buying portfolios of defaulted personal loans, credit cards, overdrafts, and telecom accounts outright from Lloyds Bank, Halifax, HSBC, Santander, American Express, Metro Bank, and Virgin Media O2.

2. Contingency Debt Collector: Chasing arrears on behalf of original banks, BNPL lenders, and utility companies, or servicing portfolios sold to external investment funds (including Cabot Financial acquired back-books).

Because many accounts in Intrum's Reigate ledger are legacy 1st Credit portfolios or secondary debt sales where the original signed credit agreement was never transferred, you should never make a telephone payment or admit liability before forcing Intrum to pass a strict statutory audit.

3 Statutory Grounds to Challenge an Intrum UK Demand or Default

graph TD
    A["Intrum UK Demand or Credit File Default"] --> B["1. Section 77/78 CCA Request (12-Working-Day Freeze)"]
    A --> C["2. Limitation Act 1980 s.5 Statute-Barred Audit (6 Years)"]
    A --> D["3. Section 136 LPA 1925 Notice of Assignment & CRA Accuracy"]

    B --> E["No Executed Credit Agreement Within 12 Working Days -> s.78(6) Bar"]
    C --> F["Legacy 1st Credit / Old Bank Accounts -> CONC 7.15 Cease Notice"]
    D --> G["Must Match Original Bank Default Date & Prove Legal Title"]

1. The 12-Working-Day Section 77/78 Consumer Credit Act Freeze

Under Section 77 (loans) and Section 78 (credit cards/running-account credit) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, you have the legal right to serve a written request on Intrum UK enclosing an endorsed £1.00 Postal Order demanding:

• A true copy of the original executed credit agreement containing all prescribed terms;
• All subsequent variation notices under *Carey v HSBC Bank plc [2009]*; and
• A signed statement of account showing how the balance was calculated.

Statutory Consequence: Intrum UK has strictly 12 working days to provide the compliant agreement package. Under Section 77(6) and Section 78(6) CCA 1974, if Intrum fails to comply within 12 working days, the debt is legally unenforceable in any UK court while the default continues.

2. Statute-Barred Audit on Legacy 1st Credit Accounts (Limitation Act 1980)

Because Intrum inherited hundreds of thousands of historical accounts from 1st Credit Limited, a substantial portion of Intrum UK's collection letters involve old debts that are already statute-barred:

• England, Wales & Northern Ireland: Under Section 5 of the Limitation Act 1980, if 6 consecutive years have passed since the cause of action accrued (the expiry of the original Default Notice or your last payment/written acknowledgment) without a County Court Judgment, the debt is statute-barred and cannot be enforced in court.
• Scotland: Under Section 6 of the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, the debt is completely extinguished after 5 continuous years of inactivity.
• Under FCA CONC 7.15.8R, once you send a written Statute-Barred Notice stating you will not pay because the debt is statute-barred, Intrum UK must close its collection activity immediately.

3. Auditing Intrum UK's Credit File Reporting & Notice of Assignment

When Intrum UK Finance Limited purchases a defaulted debt from a high street bank, two strict legal rules apply:

1. No Default Re-Aging (UK GDPR Principle (d) & SCOR Rules): Intrum UK must record the exact original default date registered by the original lender on Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Both the original bank's closed entry and Intrum's active entry must be deleted automatically 6 years from the original default date.

2. Valid Notice of Assignment (Section 136 Law of Property Act 1925): Intrum cannot enforce an assigned debt in its own name unless express written notice of absolute assignment was properly served on you.

Verified Intrum UK Corporate & Regulatory Profile

Step-by-Step Escalation Workflow Against Intrum UK

graph TD
    A["Step 1: Serve Section 78 Request + £1 Postal Order on Reigate HQ"] --> B["Step 2: Count 12 Working Days From Royal Mail Signed For Delivery"]
    B --> C{"Compliant Agreement Provided?"}
    C -->|"No / Holding Letter Only"| D["Serve Section 78(6) Unenforceability & CONC 7.14 Freeze Notice"]
    C -->|"Over 6 Years Old (5 in Scotland)"| E["Serve Section 5 Limitation Act & CONC 7.15.8R Cease Notice"]
    D --> F["Escalate to Financial Ombudsman (FOS) If Collection Continues"]

Step 1: Never Acknowledge the Debt Over the Telephone

If Intrum UK calls you or sends an SMS with a payment portal link, do not log in or confirm liability. Communicate strictly in writing via Royal Mail Signed For addressed to *Compliance Department, Intrum UK Limited, The Omnibus Building, Lesbourne Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 7LD*.

Step 2: Serve Your Section 77/78 Request (or Statute-Barred Notice)

• If the account defaulted less than 6 years ago (or you are unsure of the date), send our free Section 77/78 CCA Request with a £1.00 Postal Order endorsed on the back: *"Statutory fee under Section 78 CCA 1974 only — not a payment towards any debt"*.
• If you know no payment or written admission has been made in 6+ years (5+ years in Scotland), send a Section 5 Limitation Act / CONC 7.15 Statute-Barred Notice.

Step 3: Enforce the Day-13 Statutory Bar or Ombudsman Referral

If Intrum writes back on Day 10 saying *"we have requested the agreement from the original creditor and placed your account on hold"*, remember: once Day 12 passes without the actual agreement in your hands, the debt is legally unenforceable under Section 78(6) CCA 1974.

Frequently Asked Questions

Access the Complete Intrum UK Dispute & Statutory Template Suite

Stop Intrum UK collection letters and audit your credit files properly. Unlock instant access to the UK Credit Secrets Private Members Area (£29.99)—featuring our Day-13 Section 78(6) Unenforceability Notice, Statute-Barred CONC 7.15 Cease Notice, Doorstep Collector Revocation of Licence Notice, and CRA Default Erasure Dossiers.