Instructions for using the Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form (DMHEF) (Scotland)

What is in the pack?

In a recent conversation with one of our advisers you told us that your mental health is seriously affecting your ability to manage your money and debts. As agreed, we have sent you:

• a blank Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form (DMHEF);
• a blank Consent Form; and
• a sample letter to use with your creditors.

The DMHEF is a standard form that you can use to ask a health and social-care professional for evidence of your circumstances. It has been designed to make it easier for you to collect this information and to share it with your creditors. The information included in the form can help creditors to decide what reasonable adjustments should be made when dealing with your case.

We have written the name of our organisation and your client reference number on the DMHEF. This is to show your creditors that you have received debt advice, as it may help with your negotiations. We will not share any of your information with your creditors.

Fees and charges

A general practitioner (GP) may ask you to pay them to complete the DMHEF. If you are asked to pay for this service, ask your GP to reconsider. Also check whether there is another health or social-care professional that can complete the form for you free of charge.

How to use the DMHEF

Step 1

If you decide to use the DMHEF, you will need to send the blank form to your chosen health or social-care professional together with:

• a completed Consent Form; and
• a stamped addressed envelope (for them to return the form to you).

You will need to decide which health or social-care professional to send the form to. It should be someone that knows you in a professional way, such as your GP, psychologist, nurse or social worker.

If you haven’t had any contact with a health or social-care professional for a long time, then you may need to contact them again or make an appointment with your GP. You can ask your creditors to give you time to do this. Contact us for advice.

If there is any particular action that you want your creditors to consider, such as agreeing to accept nil payments for a set period, you could also ask your health or social-care professional to support this in the ‘Supplementary Information’ section of the DMHEF. A suggestion from a qualified third party may help to support your request.

The health or social-care professional will need your permission to fill in the form, so it is important that you remember to sign and send the Consent Form with the DMHEF.

Step 2

The health or social-care professional should complete, sign, date and stamp the DMHEF. It should be returned to you using the stamped address envelope, together with your Consent form.

Step 3

Read through the returned DMHEF and check that the information is complete and accurate. You can also decide at this point whether you want to share the information with your creditors.

If you do want to share the information, you will need to photocopy the DMHEF and Consent Form so that each creditor has a copy.

Step 4

Send a copy of the completed DMHEF and Consent Form to each of your creditors.

We have provided a sample letter that you can use. The sample letter asks the creditor to take into account the information included in the DMHEF when they decide how to collect on your debts.

Step 5

Once the creditor has received the completed DMHEF and Consent Form they should use the information provided to decide what to do next. The creditor should contact you to tell you their plans or to enter into a discussion with you.

If you want to discuss the process further, contact us for advice.