Letter from First Revenue Assurance? Read this before you reply

A letter from First Revenue Assurance typically relates to a debt the original creditor still owns — First Revenue Assurance is primarily a contingent collector, not a debt purchaser. Their clients are UK telecoms providers, utility companies, banks and short-term lenders, who place defaulted accounts with them when their own in-house collections team has been unable to recover.

This guide covers who First Revenue Assurance are, what they can legally do under FCA CONC rules, and the realistic options for resolving the debt — including how an IVA can legally stop them and write the unpaid balance off.

Who First Revenue Assurance are

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First Revenue Assurance is a UK debt-collection business regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer-credit collection activity, operating within the FCA’s CONC framework. As a contingent collector, the original creditor still owns the debt in most cases. That changes the picture in three ways:

• The underlying account is still your account with the original creditor
• Settlement discussions sometimes need to be ratified by the original creditor
• If First Revenue Assurance fails to recover, the account is often handed back to the original creditor or sold on to a debt purchaser like Lowell or Cabot

Their first letter should name the original creditor. If it doesn’t, write to ask — under CONC they must tell you who you actually owe.

What First Revenue Assurance can and cannot legally do

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First Revenue Assurance are debt collectors, not bailiffs. They can:

• Write to you and call you on numbers held by the original creditor
• Recommend that the underlying creditor takes county-court action
• Support attachment of earnings, charging orders or High Court enforcement after a CCJ
• Send a doorstep field agent to your address (no enforcement powers)

They cannot:

• Force entry to your home
• Take goods (only court-instructed enforcement officers can attempt that — and not for an unsecured consumer debt without a court order)
• Threaten arrest — the matter is civil, not criminal
• Continue contacting you after a written request that they stop, except to confirm changes to the account
• Add fees or post-default interest beyond what the original credit agreement permits
• Disclose the debt to anyone else without your express consent

If a doorstep agent ever turns up at your address on First Revenue Assurance’s instruction, you have no obligation to speak to them, let them in, or sign anything. Politely ask them to leave and follow up in writing.

Step 1 — confirm the debt is yours and is enforceable

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Before paying anything, the single most useful action is a CCA request under sections 77/78 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. This is your statutory right to a copy of the original signed credit agreement. Send it in writing, enclose the £1 statutory fee, and keep proof of postage. The £1 is for the request only — it is not an admission of debt or an offer to pay anything.

First Revenue Assurance have 12 working days to respond. While they are unable to comply, the debt is legally unenforceable — they cannot lawfully use court action against you. Many older or bulk-purchased debts cannot be backed by the original signed agreement, in which case a CCA request often ends the matter outright.

Note that not every type of account falls under the Consumer Credit Act — utility and telecoms arrears typically do not. For those debts the protection is different, but the disputed-balance and statute-barred routes still apply.

Step 2 — check whether the debt is statute-barred

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Most consumer debts in England and Wales become statute-barred under the Limitation Act 1980 once six years have passed since you last made a payment or acknowledged the debt in writing — and provided no court proceedings have been issued in that window. Statute-barred debt cannot be enforced through the courts, although technically it does still legally exist.

In Scotland the period is five years, and once the debt is “prescribed” it ceases to exist legally rather than just being unenforceable.

If the dates fit, write to First Revenue Assurance stating that you consider the debt statute-barred and asking them to remove their contact. Do not pay anything, even a small “good-faith” amount, before checking the dates — a single payment resets the limitation clock.

Step 3 — choose the route out

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If the debt is genuinely yours, recently incurred and within the limitation period, the question is what you can realistically afford:

• Pay in full with a discount where possible. Settlement offers of 30–50% on older balances are common.
• Affordable repayment plan based on the Standard Financial Statement. Under CONC they must consider what you can genuinely afford after essentials, not what they would prefer.
• Debt Management Plan — informal monthly payment to a DMP provider distributed across all unsecured debts. Stops the chasing; no write-off.
• IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) if you owe £5,000 or more in total unsecured debt across two or more creditors — the IVA legally stops First Revenue Assurance and the underlying creditor, and writes off the unpaid balance at the end of the 5–6 year term.
• Debt Relief Order if total debt is under £50,000 and your spare income is very low. A DRO writes off the debt entirely after 12 months.
• Bankruptcy if no realistic monthly payment is possible.

Always confirm any agreement reached with First Revenue Assurance in writing, and never give bank details over the phone unless you are confident the line is legitimate.

Common pitfalls when dealing with First Revenue Assurance

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• Don’t ignore CCJ paperwork. A claim form sent to your address starts a court timer; failing to file an acknowledgement of service by day 14 results in a default CCJ.
• Don’t make a token “goodwill” payment before checking dates — it can reset the statute-barred clock.
• Don’t ring numbers from a text message without verifying the line through First Revenue Assurance’s official channels — phishing using collector branding is common.
• Don’t agree to a payment plan you can’t afford in the hope of stopping the calls. Pressure tends to increase if you default.
• Don’t ignore the underlying creditor. Settling with First Revenue Assurance without confirmation that the account is closed at source can leave a residual balance.

Frequently asked questions

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Are First Revenue Assurance bailiffs? No. First Revenue Assurance are debt collectors. They can write, call and (sometimes) visit, but they cannot force entry or take goods. Only court-instructed enforcement officers can attempt that, and only after a CCJ.

Can they take me to court? Only with the underlying creditor’s authorisation. They typically recommend court action to the original creditor, who issues the claim through the bulk centre.

Will an IVA include this debt? Yes. The debt is unsecured and goes into an IVA on the same basis as any other unsecured debt. Once approved, both First Revenue Assurance and the underlying creditor must stop contact.

The debt isn’t mine — what should I do? Tell First Revenue Assurance in writing that you do not acknowledge the debt and request proof of assignment, the original agreement and the statement of account under sections 77/78. Until they provide it, the debt is unenforceable. Identity-theft cases should also be reported to Action Fraud.

Related guides

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• Advantis Credit — major UK contingent collector
• Lowell Financial — major UK debt purchaser
• Do debt collectors give up?
• How long can I be chased for a debt?
• How do I apply for an IVA?