Debt Care

Debt Care eligibility and required documents

The assessment considers whether you can meet existing credit commitments while covering reasonable living costs. Falling behind does not automatically establish eligibility, and the proposed repayment must remain sustainable.

Debt Care’s FAQs request an ID copy and payslip. Prepare your income and household-expense details, creditor statements and information about any legal proceedings. Ask what supporting evidence is needed for self-employment or other income. Couples married in community of property must apply jointly.

A fixed minimum income or clear current minimum debt balance could not be verified. Debt Care’s FAQ discusses R50,000 when comparing administration with counselling; that comparison does not establish an unambiguous entry requirement.

Who should consider Debt Care?

Debt Care may suit someone managing several unaffordable accounts who needs creditor negotiations and ongoing repayment administration. Its practical value is coordinating a workable budget and repayment proposal without another cash loan.

If your difficulty is temporary, first discuss a hardship arrangement with your creditors. A debt consolidation loan is a separate borrowing decision requiring affordability and cost comparisons. If essential expenses already consume all available income, a repayment plan may not be workable without further changes.

How Debt Care debt counselling works

From initial enquiry to repayment plan

1. Request an assessment: Use Debt Care’s official contact form or call its published number. Clarify whether you are requesting preliminary information or making a formal debt-review application.
2. Complete the assessment: Provide accurate financial information and the required authorisations. The counsellor checks affordability and creditor balances.
3. Review the proposal: Check each included account, proposed instalment, interest treatment, repayment period and fee. Creditor negotiations and the appropriate court or Tribunal process follow.
4. Follow the payment arrangements: Obtain written instructions and distribution statements. An NCR-registered payment distribution agent can distribute your payment; the NCR also permits direct creditor payments. Do not assume Debt Care itself should hold money intended for creditors.

Debt review is not a payment holiday. Ask which accounts are excluded, particularly where enforcement proceedings have begun, and obtain advice before changing debit orders or stopping payments.

How long does the process take?

Debt Care’s FAQs describe a provisional plan within five days of approval and a transition after 60 days. These are provider statements, not assured court or creditor turnaround times. The NCR describes a 60-business-day application, negotiation and referral process; referral does not mean a final order has already been granted.

Contact, repayment support and complaints

Debt Care publishes 0861 977 873, 072 916 4922 for new clients and wecare@debtcare.co.za. Its contact page lists 2nd Floor, Tijger Park 3, Willie van Schoor Road, Bellville, 7530.

Report income changes or payment difficulties promptly and request written guidance. For unresolved debt counselling complaints, contact the National Credit Regulator on 0860 627 627 or complaints@ncr.org.za. Retain your agreement, payment records and correspondence.

Questions to resolve before signing

• Who is my assigned debt counsellor, and what is their NCR registration number?
• Which debts qualify, which remain outside the plan, and how are existing legal proceedings handled?
• What are the complete fees, including VAT, legal work, payment distribution and any insurance?
• How much reaches each creditor during the first two months?
• Which interest concessions are agreed, and what are each account’s completion date and total repayment?
• What happens if my income changes, and what legal conditions govern leaving debt review?

Debt Care advantages and limitations

• Identifiable registration: An individual trading as DebtCare appears on the NCR register, allowing a specific registration check.
• Accessible initial assessment: Debt Care advertises a free assessment and provides telephone and online contact routes.
• Coordinated negotiations: A counsellor can propose repayments based on the household budget and deal with creditors.
• Unclear public pricing: The application and brochure contain different fee figures, while legal charges need further explanation.
• Significant commitment: Lower instalments may extend repayment, and borrowing restrictions continue until the applicable exit requirements are met.

Debt Care fees, interest and total repayment

The downloadable application gives these figures, excluding VAT:

• Administration: R300 per consultation.
• Restructuring: The first plan instalment, capped at R8,000 for a single application or R9,000 for a joint application.
• Aftercare: 5% of the monthly instalment, capped at R450, after month two when aftercare is provided.
• Payment distribution: A separate fee for each creditor distribution, without a stated rand tariff.
• Legal work: An instalment-based amount capped at R8,000/R9,000 appears alongside tiers of R7,000, R7,500 and R8,000. Their relationship needs written clarification.

The form prioritises restructuring and legal charges from the first two payments. Ask for the resulting creditor allocations and how any unpaid fee balance is handled.

Conflicting disclosures: The linked brochure instead mentions a R6,000 restructuring cap. No clear current effective date was identified. The NCR’s guideline dated 22 February 2018 separately lists a R50 application fee and R300 administration fee per application, excluding VAT. Confirm what Debt Care actually charges, the aftercare start date and all VAT-inclusive totals.

Interest on existing accounts remains a separate cost. Ask whether required credit-life and asset-insurance premiums are included in the proposed payment. Obtain policy terms, exclusions and waiting periods before accepting replacement cover; a separate compulsory Debt Care insurance product was not verified.

Published repayment example: what it establishes

Debt Care’s illustration reduces a combined monthly payment from R22,000 to R11,800: the bond moves from R7,000 to R5,500, vehicle finance from R4,000 to R2,800, and repayments on R160,000 of other debt from R11,000 to R3,500.

The figures add up, producing a calculated monthly reduction of R10,200. However, the example omits the bond and vehicle balances, repayment periods, rates and a complete fee and insurance breakdown. It cannot establish total savings or predict your repayment. Compare the full schedule, not just the smaller monthly amount.

Our assessment of Debt Care

Debt Care merits consideration for coordinated creditor negotiations backed by an identifiable registered counsellor. Its main weakness is inconsistent public cost information. Before committing, obtain a reconciled quotation and compare it with other debt counselling options. The decisive comparison is whether the complete payment fits your budget, what creditors receive and how long repayment continues.

Debt Care debt counselling FAQs

Is Debt Care registered, and what should I check before choosing it?

The NCR register lists Henry Cadle Odendaal, trading as DebtCare, under NCRDC1362. Confirm the name and registration of the counsellor responsible for your case. Registration does not establish that one provider offers lower costs or better service. For comparison, ask who handles creditor disputes, how you receive payment statements and who takes responsibility if your court application is delayed.

Should I choose Debt Care or a debt consolidation loan?

Debt Care assesses whether existing debts need restructuring because contractual repayments are unaffordable. A debt consolidation loan replaces selected debts with new borrowing, subject to approval and affordability checks. Consolidation may suit someone who qualifies for a genuinely cheaper replacement loan. Debt counselling may be more appropriate when another loan would not be affordable. Compare total repayment, fees, repayment length and borrowing restrictions; one monthly payment alone does not establish which option is better.

How should I compare Debt Care’s fees with another counsellor’s?

The initial assessment is advertised as free, but formal debt review is chargeable. Debt Care’s application lists restructuring caps of R8,000 for single applications and R9,000 for joint applications, excluding VAT. Its linked brochure instead mentions R6,000, and the legal-fee descriptions need clarification. Obtain a current, itemised, VAT-inclusive quotation. Compare administration, restructuring, legal, aftercare and payment-distribution charges over the proposed plan, plus any required insurance.

Will my creditors receive my first two payments to Debt Care?

Not necessarily in full. The published application allocates the first two payments towards restructuring and legal costs, with any remaining money distributed to creditors. An unpaid legal-fee balance may continue within the plan. Request a month-by-month allocation showing what each creditor receives, and ask how interest and arrears are treated during this period. Compare this with another counsellor’s schedule: the same monthly debit can produce different early reductions in your debt balances.

Does Debt Care’s lower monthly payment mean I will pay less overall?

No. Debt Care’s published example reduces combined payments from R22,000 to R11,800, but omits repayment periods, interest rates and a complete cost breakdown. It demonstrates monthly relief, not verified lifetime savings. Compare proposals using the same creditor balances and check each account’s interest rate, completion date and total repayment. A smaller instalment achieved mainly through a longer term may leave you paying for more years.

Why does Debt Care advertise “no blacklisting” if I cannot borrow?

“No blacklisting” does not mean your credit profile remains unchanged. The NCR explains that a debt-review indicator is recorded at credit bureaus. Ordinary new borrowing and further use of existing credit facilities are restricted. Debt review also does not instantly erase previous repayment problems. If you expect to need vehicle finance or another loan soon, factor that restriction into your decision before making a formal application.

Can Debt Care protect my house or car if legal action has already started?

Do not assume an application will stop existing enforcement. Whether an account can enter debt review depends partly on the stage of legal proceedings. Give the counsellor any notices, summonses or court orders and request confirmation of which agreements qualify and what protection applies. Even an included account can face enforcement if the rearranged payments are not maintained. If repossession is imminent, obtain legal advice promptly rather than relying on a callback request.

Can I cancel Debt Care’s debt review if I change my mind or earn more?

A valid formal application cannot simply be cancelled by choice. Despite early-withdrawal wording in Debt Care’s downloadable terms, the NCR clarification effective 7 March 2022 applies this restriction even before Form 17.2. Improved affordability may be relevant before a rearrangement order, but requires the appropriate legal process. After an order, earning more does not itself end debt review; exit normally requires meeting the statutory clearance conditions.

Must I finish paying my home loan before Debt Care can issue clearance?

Not necessarily. Under section 71, as amended, a qualifying mortgage may remain if the other relevant debts are settled, there are no arrears under the mortgage rearrangement and future payments are affordable. The counsellor must issue clearance within seven days after the statutory conditions are met and file it with credit bureaus within seven days of issue. Ask what evidence Debt Care needs; an advertised repayment timeframe is not your personal clearance date.