Negotiate with creditors

If you cannot pay a bill, contact the creditor and tell them about your situation. Try to agree on a payment arrangement that you can afford and will be able to comply with. For example, you can try to agree on a longer payment period or smaller instalments. Payment arrangements will allow you to avoid late payment fees and debt collection costs.

Be honest when you tell the creditor why you cannot pay the bill. The reason may be, for example, a change in your life situation, such as a disease that causes medical costs. If your ability to pay has deteriorated due to illness, incapacity for work or some other reason beyond your control, you can invoke the principle of social force majeure. This may give you more time to get your finances in order.

If necessary, ask the financial and debt counsellors for assistance in negotiating with creditors.

Payment arrangements and payment plans

Contact the creditor to find out about your possibilities to agree on a payment arrangement. Below you can find links to some websites that provide guidance on payment plans.

• The Finnish Tax Administration’s guidance on payment arrangements for individuals
• Exemption from payment of child support debt (in Finnish) Kela says on its website that further information about child support and confirmation of the amount of support is available, for example, from the social welfare office of your municipality.
• Kela will recover any overpaid benefits. You can negotiate on a payment plan with Kela.
• The Legal Register Centre may grant more time for the payment of fines.
• You can consider vehicle decommissioning or final deregistration if you accumulate debt for a vehicle that you no longer own or that is unusable.

Creditor composition

If your debt is old, you can also try to negotiate on a composition with a creditor. A composition is an agreement between a debtor and a creditor whereby the creditor agrees to forgive the entire debt or a part of it, such as late payment fees. A composition is voluntary on the part of the creditor.