Letter from CPA? Read this before you reply

A letter from The Credit Protection Association — usually shortened to CPA — is one of the longer-established names in UK debt collection. CPA was founded in 1914 and has operated as a contingent collector across both consumer and B2B (commercial) markets ever since. They are members of the Credit Services Association (CSA), the trade body for the UK debt-collection industry, and bound by the CSA Code of Practice.

CPA isn’t a debt purchaser in the way that Lowell or Cabot are — they don’t normally buy portfolios. Instead they chase balances on a fee for the underlying creditor. This guide covers what they can legally do, the two checks worth running before you reply, and how an IVA treats accounts they are pursuing.

Who CPA are

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The Credit Protection Association is a long-established UK debt-collection business regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer-credit collection activity. They must follow the FCA’s Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC), the Consumer Credit Act 1974, and (as a CSA member) the CSA Code of Practice.

CPA’s business has two distinct sides:

• Consumer-credit collections — chasing balances for UK creditors on a fee, with the original creditor retaining ownership of the debt.
• Commercial (B2B) collections — chasing trade debts between businesses. Different commercial pressures apply on the B2B side, but if you receive a CPA letter as an individual it relates almost certainly to the consumer-credit arm.

Because CPA is contingent, the original creditor still owns the debt. The first letter should name them — if it doesn’t, write to ask.

What CPA can and cannot legally do

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CPA are debt collectors, not bailiffs. They can:

• Write to you, phone you, email and SMS you on contact details held by the original creditor
• Recommend that the creditor takes county-court action
• After a CCJ, support attachment of earnings, charging orders or High Court enforcement on the creditor’s behalf

They cannot force entry to your home, take goods, threaten arrest (the matter is civil, not criminal), continue calling after a written request to stop, or invent fees that were not part of the original credit agreement.

If a CPA field agent ever turns up at your door, you have no legal obligation to speak to them, let them in, or sign anything. Politely ask them to leave and follow up in writing.

Two checks worth running first

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1. Section 77/78 CCA request. Under sections 77/78 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 you have the right to a copy of the original signed credit agreement and a current statement of account. Send a written request with the £1 statutory fee. CPA have 12 working days to comply. Until they do, the debt is unenforceable in court.

2. Statute-barred check. If the last payment or written acknowledgement was more than six years ago in England and Wales (five in Scotland), and no court action has been issued in that window, the debt is statute-barred under the Limitation Act 1980 and cannot be enforced.

Don’t make a token “goodwill” payment to test the waters — even £1 can reset the limitation clock.

How CPA typically operate

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As a long-established CSA member, CPA’s process tends to be procedurally tight:

• Initial letters referencing the original creditor and account number, with a clear demand for payment within the standard period
• Calls and follow-up letters if there’s no response
• Affordable repayment plan discussions based on the Standard Financial Statement
• Field-agent visit in some cases (no enforcement powers)
• Recommendation back to the creditor for solicitor referral or county-court action if recovery stalls

Because CPA are bound by the CSA Code, complaints about conduct — for example calls outside permitted hours, or refusal to accept an affordable plan — can be escalated first to CPA’s complaints team, then to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

What happens if you ignore CPA

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Ignoring CPA does not make the debt go away. The typical escalation:

1. More letters, calls and SMS
2. A field-agent visit (no enforcement powers)
3. The file passes back to the underlying creditor or moves to solicitors
4. A county-court claim is issued by the creditor or a buyer
5. Default judgment is entered if you don’t respond — sits on your credit file for six years

If a claim form arrives, respond before the deadline printed on it.

Routes out

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• Pay the original creditor directly if you can identify them.
• Affordable repayment plan through CPA, based on the Standard Financial Statement, with confirmation in writing.
• IVA to combine the CPA-handled debt with every other unsecured debt over a 5–6 year term, with the unpaid balance written off at completion. Eligibility starts at around £5,000 of total unsecured debt across two or more creditors.
• Debt Management Plan for situations where total debt is small enough to clear within a reasonable period.
• Debt Relief Order for total debt under £50,000 with very low spare income.
• Bankruptcy for severe situations with no realistic monthly contribution.

Pitfalls when dealing with CPA

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• Don’t ignore the underlying creditor. Settling fully with CPA without confirmation that the account is closed at the creditor’s end can leave a residual balance.
• Don’t agree to a payment plan you can’t afford. Pressure tends to increase if you fall behind on a self-imposed plan.
• Don’t share bank details by phone unless you’ve independently verified the line.
• Don’t pay before checking the dates. Statute-barred debts cannot be enforced.
• Don’t ignore CCJ paperwork if the case escalates — default judgments are entered automatically when no acknowledgement of service is filed by day 14.

Frequently asked questions

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Are CPA bailiffs? No. They are debt collectors. They can write, call and (sometimes) visit, but they cannot force entry or take goods.

Who do CPA collect for? A wide range of UK creditors. The first letter should name them — if it doesn’t, ask in writing.

Will an IVA include my CPA debt? Yes. The underlying consumer-credit debt goes into an IVA on the same basis as any other unsecured debt. Once approved, CPA and the underlying creditor must stop contact.

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

Related guides

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