As of 13 August 2026, AI cannot decide whether an IVA is right for you.

What to actually do

1. Hand it to a person

   The route this page recommends

   Someone with a licence or accountable authority has to sign this before it counts.

2. Use a tool built for this

   Second choice

3. Do it yourself

   The distant third

   A chat interface gets you a draft, but you cannot verify it yourself. That is the catch.

   How to actually do it

   1. Open GOV.UK guidance on debt solutions and note which UK nation you live in, because the available options and rules can differ.
   2. Gather recent bank statements, payslips or benefit information, household bills, creditor letters and details of every debt, asset and dependant.
   3. Create a plain list of each debt with its creditor, balance, payment, arrears and whether it is secured or unsecured, without asking AI to guess missing figures.
   4. Paste the information and the copyable prompt into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask it to produce the comparison checklist and questions for an adviser.
   5. Compare every figure in the AI summary with your statements and creditor letters, then correct omissions and repeat the missing-information section.
   6. Take the corrected summary and documents to a free, independent debt adviser or licensed insolvency practitioner and ask them to assess the options before signing anything.

   Prompt

   I am considering whether an Individual Voluntary Arrangement in England or Wales could be suitable for me. Help me prepare for a conversation with a regulated debt adviser or licensed insolvency practitioner, but do not decide for me, give professional advice, or present an IVA as the best option. Use only the information I provide and state clearly what is missing.
   
   My situation:
   - Country and UK nation: [England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland]
   - Monthly net household income and who receives it: [details]
   - Essential monthly household spending: [details]
   - Other regular or irregular spending: [details]
   - Each debt, creditor, balance, payment, arrears and whether it is secured or unsecured: [details]
   - Priority debts or urgent creditor action: [details]
   - Assets, including home ownership, vehicle and savings: [details]
   - Employment, benefits, self-employment and expected income changes: [details]
   - Dependants and relevant household circumstances: [details]
   - Any previous debt solution or formal insolvency: [details]
   
   Produce:
   1. A table showing the information supplied and the information still needed.
   2. A neutral summary of how an IVA might interact with my circumstances, without predicting acceptance, payments or outcomes.
   3. The main questions and risks to raise with a debt adviser, including fees, effect on assets, missed payments, changes in income, creditors, credit records and what happens if the arrangement fails.
   4. A comparison checklist for an IVA, a debt management plan, a debt relief order, bankruptcy and any other relevant option, without telling me which one to choose.
   5. A short list of documents to take to a free, independent debt adviser or licensed insolvency practitioner.
   6. Clearly label every assumption, uncertainty and point that must be checked against current UK guidance or professional advice.
   Do not invent figures, eligibility rules, creditor decisions or legal conclusions.

   Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.