It's important that you pay your priority payments (e.g. your rent) in full each month. It's also important that you make an arrangement to clear any priority arrears as soon as possible.

Due to the consequences of not paying priority bills in full, it can be quite difficult to reduce them. It may be possible to put lower payments in place if you're facing financial difficulty.

We recommend you complete an income and expenditure form to look at your budget in detail. Use bank statements and any letters relating to your debts to work out all of your outgoings and prioritise your payments. An online budgeting tool is available from Citizens Advice.

Seeking debt advice from a specialist advisor can help you to budget, ensure you have the maximum income you are entitled to and help you manage these priority debts.