Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form

• The Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form (DMHEF) is a form that only health and social care professionals can complete.
• The DMHEF is sometimes used when an organisation that is owed money needs evidence to confirm that a customer has a mental health problem.
• When this happens, the customer (or someone authorised to act on their behalf) approaches a health or social care professional to complete the DMHEF.
• The completed DMHEF is then shared with the organisation that is owed money. Along with other information, it is used to help decide what action to take.

The DMHEF can be used by:

• organisations who are owed money (to help them decide what action to take)
• debt advisers (to negotiate with organisations that a client owes money to)
• people with mental health and debt problems (with the help of a debt adviser).

The DMHEF cannot be completed without the consent and help of the person with the mental health problem (or someone formally authorised to act on their behalf).

• Before using the DMHEF, creditors should ask themselves whether evidence actually does need to be collected? This involves considering whether further evidence is really needed to take fair and proportionate action.
• If further evidence really is needed, creditors should ask themselves whether alternative evidence is available which could do the same job as the DMHEF? This includes considering whether copies of prescriptions, patient letters, or other materials confirming the customer’s mental health situation, might be used instead.
• Finally, if the DMHEF has to be used, consideration should be given to the instructions and support given to the customer – what help might they need to get the DMHEF completed?

• This is the fourth version of the DMHEF. It replaces all previous versions.
• This version of the DMHEF is simpler and shorter for health and social care professionals to complete than previous versions.
• A range of health and social care professionals are eligible to complete the DMHEF – ranging from social workers to mental health therapists.
• The front side of the DMHEF now simply asks for the professional to confirm if the customer has a mental health condition, and to give the name of this condition.
• The reverse side of the DMHEF provides an optional space for the professional to provide further information about the customer – including, for example, how the mental health condition might affect the person’s ability to manage their money.
• Please remember that no health or social care professional is legally required to complete the DMHEF – it remains (a) their choice to do so and (b) their choice which questions they answer (if they do agree to complete it).
• Professionals who request payment

• The Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form (DMHEF) is a form that only health and social care professionals can complete.
• The DMHEF is sometimes used when an organisation that is owed money needs evidence to confirm that a customer has a mental health problem.
• When this happens, the customer (or someone authorised to act on their behalf) approaches a health or social care professional to complete the DMHEF.
• The completed DMHEF is then shared with the organisation that is owed money. Along with other information, it is used to help decide what action to take.

The DMHEF can be used by:

• organisations who are owed money (to help them decide what action to take)
• debt advisers (to negotiate with organisations that a client owes money to)
• people with mental health and debt problems (with the help of a debt adviser).

The DMHEF cannot be completed without the consent and help of the person with the mental health problem (or someone formally authorised to act on their behalf).

• Before using the DMHEF, creditors should ask themselves whether evidence actually does need to be collected? This involves considering whether further evidence is really needed to take fair and proportionate action.
• If further evidence really is needed, creditors should ask themselves whether alternative evidence is available which could do the same job as the DMHEF? This includes considering whether copies of prescriptions, patient letters, or other materials confirming the customer’s mental health situation, might be used instead.
• Finally, if the DMHEF has to be used, consideration should be given to the instructions and support given to the customer – what help might they need to get the DMHEF completed?

• This is the fourth version of the DMHEF. It replaces all previous versions.
• This version of the DMHEF is simpler and shorter for health and social care professionals to complete than previous versions.
• A range of health and social care professionals are eligible to complete the DMHEF – ranging from social workers to mental health therapists.
• The front side of the DMHEF now simply asks for the professional to confirm if the customer has a mental health condition, and to give the name of this condition.
• The reverse side of the DMHEF provides an optional space for the professional to provide further information about the customer – including, for example, how the mental health condition might affect the person’s ability to manage their money.
• Please remember that no health or social care professional is legally required to complete the DMHEF – it remains (a) their choice to do so and (b) their choice which questions they answer (if they do agree to complete it).
• Professionals who request payment

• The Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form (DMHEF) is a form that only health and social care professionals can complete.
• The DMHEF is sometimes used when an organisation that is owed money needs evidence to confirm that a customer has a mental health problem.
• When this happens, the customer (or someone authorised to act on their behalf) approaches a health or social care professional to complete the DMHEF.
• The completed DMHEF is then shared with the organisation that is owed money. Along with other information, it is used to help decide what action to take.

You should:

• check you have been given the DMHEF and an accompanying Consent Form
• check that the Consent Form contains the patient’s explicit consent to complete the DMHEF
• if you are content to proceed, then complete the DMHEF
• return the DMHEF in the envelope that should have also been given to you.

If there is no envelope, please return all documents to the patient.

Completing the DMHEF could make a real difference to the patient’s health and financial situation – it will give the organisation they owe money to information that may change the way they are collecting a debt, and this can have a positive effect on the patients wellbeing and financial circumstances.

• The patient is in financial difficulty, they either will not have the money to pay any charge, or if they do make the payment this will place them in further debt.

• The Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form (DMHEF) is a form that only health and social care professionals can complete.
• The DMHEF is sometimes used when an organisation that is owed money needs evidence to confirm that a customer has a mental health problem.
• When this happens, the customer (or someone authorised to act on their behalf) approaches a health or social care professional to complete the DMHEF.
• The completed DMHEF is then shared with the organisation that is owed money. Along with other information, it is used to help decide what action to take.

The DMHEF can only be completed by a health or social care professional.

This includes social workers, nurses, general practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, mental health therapists, or other health or social care professionals.

The DMHEF should not be completed by the person with the mental health problem, or their family or friends.

The person with the mental health problem chooses this health or social care professional. This professional should be someone who knows the person with a mental health problem, and can provide information about them.

• Most people will have been asked to complete the DMHEF by an organisation – this will either be:
  • a debt adviser who is helping the person with their money situation
  • an organisation the person owes money to (e.g. a bank, a lender, or another firm)
• Where this happens, the person with the mental health problem should have been given instructions to follow by the debt adviser or the organisation owed money.
• The person therefore needs to follow these instructions – they will tell the person exactly what to do. They are important and need to be followed carefully.
• If the person does not have these instructions, then they should contact the debt adviser, or the organisation owed money, and ask for these.

• We do not recommend that you use the DMHEF independently.
• The reason for this is that many organisations will help you without a completed DMHEF. If you tell the organisation you owe money about your mental health situation they may not need a completed DMHEF. This will save you a lot of time.
• However, if you still want to use the DMHEF, then we strongly recommend that you get guidance from a debt adviser.
• Getting help from a debt adviser will make the process easier and clearer – the contact details for advice services are provided below. You can find a service to speak to over the telephone, via webchat, or face-to-face.

If you are helping someone with a mental health problem to get the DMHEF completed, then follow the instructions given to them by the organisation owed money, or a debt adviser.

• If the person does not have these instructions, then they should contact the debt adviser, or the organisation owed money, and ask for these.
• The person will need to complete and sign a Consent Form that they should have been given by the debt adviser or organisation owed money. If they do not do this, the health and social care professional should not complete the DMHEF.
• If you have the authority (e.g. Power of Attorney) to sign the Consent Form for the person with a mental health problem, you will need to attach a copy of that authority to the Consent Form. If you do not do this, the health and social care professional will not complete the DMHEF.

No health or social care professional is legally required to complete the DMHEF – it remains (a) their choice to do so and (b) their choice which questions they answer (if they do agree to complete it).

• If you are ever asked for payment by a health or social care professional for them to complete the DMHEF you should:
  • explain to the professional the real difference to your health and financial situation that completing the DMHEF could make
  • explain that the reason the form is being completed is that you are in financial difficulty, and therefore you do not have the money to pay any charge.
• You should not personally make any payment for a DMHEF to be completed. Instead try to find another professional to complete the DMHEF. Or tell the organisation or debt adviser that gave you the DMHEF – they may be able to help.
• If you are in England, you should know that if a General Practitioner (GP) does agree to complete the DMHEF, then they must do so without charge. This is part of their contract with NHS England, and is required under the following regulatory document: National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2019.
• If you are outside of England, GPs can still ask for payment to complete the DMHEF. This situation may, however, change in the future.

• Follow the instructions you were given – this is really important.
• Please do not send the completed DMHEF to the Money Advice Trust, as we will not be able to do anything with the form – instead, send the form to your creditor(s) by following the instructions you were given.

Tip: if you owe money to more than one organisation, then make copies of the completed DMHEF and Consent Form. This will allow you to send a copy to each organisation that you owe money to. These organisations will then know about your situation, and can take this into account. When making these copies, you may wish to cover or black-out the name of the original creditor that you completed the DMHEF for.

• You should speak to the organisation that gave you the DMHEF – they will be able to answer most questions you have about the DMHEF.
• If you have a debt adviser advising you, then speaking with them will also help.
• If you have decided to use the DMHEF on your own, then we strongly recommend that you get the help of a debt adviser. The contact details for advice services are provided below. You can find a service to speak to over the telephone, via webchat, or face-to-face.