Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space

The Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space (MHCBS) is a debt respite scheme.

It provides protections for people who are resident in England and Wales who are in problem debt and who are receiving mental health crisis treatment.

The benefits of the scheme

• You will receive support for as long as you need mental health crisis treatment.

• An extra 30 days are added after the treatment has ended.

How the scheme will support you

• reduce the stress of debt while you receive mental health treatment.

• put you in touch with a specialist debt adviser. They will help you manage your debts once you are feeling better and no longer need treatment.

Whilst you are in the mental health crisis breathing space your creditors cannot

• Charge you further interest, fees or charges on the debts listed in your breathing space.

• Take any enforcement action.

• Instruct enforcement agents or bailiffs to recover the debt.

Who is eligible?

 If you meet the criteria of:

•  a resident in England or Wales

• and you are receiving treatment for a mental health crisis. (This includes if your treatment has already started.)

Receiving mental health crisis treatment

Means that you have one of the following:

• detained in hospital under a section of the Mental Health Act (1983) for assessment or treatment

• have been removed to safety by the police due to your mental health

•  receiving any other crisis, emergency or acute care or treatment in hospital or in the community from a specialist mental health service in relation to a mental disorder of a serious nature. This can include services offered by community mental health services and crisis houses

After the treatment has ended

You can receive an extra 30 days of support from a debt advisor.

How to make a referral

You can refer yourself for Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space, or one of the following people may make a referral on your behalf:

• your carer or representative

• a mental health Nurse

• your General Practitioner (GP) or other healthcare professional

• a social worker or an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP)

• your Care Coordinator

• an independent mental health advocate (IMHA)

Please complete this e-form to refer yourself or somebody else

What happens after the form is submitted 

The next steps are:

• A referral is made to Lancashire County Council.

•  An Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) checks if you are receiving mental health crisis treatment.

•  If you are eligible, the AMHP will send an application to an approved debt adviser.

•  The Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space will start the day after the debt adviser receives the application form.

• Every 20-30 days the debt adviser will check whether you are still receiving crisis treatment.

•  Once the crisis treatment has ended, the Breathing Space will end 30 days after the treatment finished.