Priority debts: which bills to pay first
Some debts can lead to losing your home, your energy supply or your freedom. Here's how to tell priority debts from the rest.
Why it matters
When money is short, it's tempting to pay whoever shouts loudest. That's often the wrong order. Some debts have much more serious consequences if they're not paid, so they come first.
Priority debts
Rent and mortgage, and anything secured on your home. Council tax. Gas and electricity. Court fines. Child maintenance. TV licence. Income tax and VAT owed to HMRC. Hire purchase on something you need, like a car for work.
Non-priority debts
Credit cards, store cards, catalogues, overdrafts, personal loans, payday loans, and money borrowed from friends and family. These still matter, but the consequences of falling behind are less severe, and you can usually offer a lower, affordable payment.
What to do next
Work out a budget so you know what you can really afford. Pay your priority debts first. Then share what's left fairly between non-priority creditors. A free debt adviser can do this with you and contact creditors for you.
Go step by step with Debt Confident
The app turns this into a plan: what to do first, what to say, and what to write. Free to download.
More guides
- Breathing Space: 60 days' protection from creditors
- Debt Relief Orders (DROs): who can get one
- Bailiffs (enforcement agents): your rights
- Debt letters: what they mean and what to do
- Bankruptcy: the basics
- How to make a budget that actually works
- Free debt advice: where to get it
General information for England and Wales, not regulated debt advice. Figures checked 21 September 2026. For advice about your situation, contact a free debt adviser.