Before DCGsa can issue your Form 19 clearance certificate, we must check that the correct documents and confirmations support your clearance.

This is not only an internal DCGsa preference. It forms part of the legal and regulated clearance process.

A clearance certificate confirms that the accounts included in your debt review have been dealt with correctly. For this reason, DCGsa must make sure that the debts that went under debt review match the documents that support clearance.

The documents and confirmations may include paid-up letters, prescribed debt confirmations, written-off confirmations, settlement confirmations, updated balances, account number confirmations, and bond confirmations where applicable.

The most important document is usually the paid-up letter.

A paid-up letter confirms that the credit provider accepts the account as settled.

A PDA statement is also important because it shows the payment history through the Payment Distribution Agency. However, the PDA statement does not replace the paid-up letter from the credit provider.

DCGsa may need to check the following before issuing your Form 19:

The list of accounts that formed part of your debt review.

The PDA payment history.

Paid-up letters from credit providers.

Whether each paid-up letter matches the correct debt review account.

Whether any account number or reference number changed during the process.

Whether an account was handed over, sold, ceded, transferred or moved to a recovery department.

Whether the correct credit provider, collector, attorney or current account holder gave the confirmation.

Whether any end balance difference remains.

Whether any final distribution still needs to take place.

Whether any lawful outstanding aftercare or process-related amount remains.

Whether any bond account is up to date, where applicable.

Whether the file legally qualifies for clearance.

In some cases, the documents are straightforward. The account numbers match, the paid-up letters arrive quickly, and the file can move to the next step.

In other cases, DCGsa may need more time.

This may happen where a credit provider still shows a balance, where a paid-up letter uses a different reference number, where an account moved to a collector or attorney, or where a bond account still needs confirmation.

DCGsa must also make sure that the clearance certificate can be properly supported when submitted through the relevant clearance process used between debt counsellors, the National Credit Regulator, credit bureaus and other relevant systems.

If the documents do not match the accounts correctly, the clearance may be queried, rejected or flagged.

This is why DCGsa cannot issue a Form 19 only because the PDA statement shows a low balance, or because a consumer believes the accounts are finished.

DCGsa must first confirm that the file is ready and properly supported.

If you receive any paid-up letter, settlement confirmation, prescribed debt confirmation, written-off letter, balance confirmation, or account communication directly from a credit provider, please send it to DCGsa as soon as possible.

This may help us verify your file faster.

In simple terms: DCGsa must check the accounts, paid-up letters, final balances, account numbers, PDA history, bond status where applicable, and all supporting documents before issuing your Form 19 clearance certificate. This protects your clearance and helps prevent future disputes.

Yes. A handed-over, sold or ceded account can delay your debt review clearance certificate.

This does not always mean something is wrong with your debt review process.

It usually means DCGsa must do extra verification before the account can be accepted as paid up for Form 19 clearance purposes.

During debt review, a credit provider may hand an account to a collection department, attorney, recovery department or external collector. In some cases, the account may also be sold, ceded or transferred to another party.

When this happens, the account may no longer appear in the same way as it did when your debt review started.

The original credit provider may have one account number.

The collector may use a different reference number.

An attorney may use a legal reference number.

A recovery department may open an internal recovery account.

A sold or ceded account may sit under a different company name.

This can make the clearance stage more complicated.

Before DCGsa can issue your debt review clearance certificate, we must confirm that the paid-up letter, written-off confirmation, prescribed confirmation or settlement confirmation relates to the same account that formed part of your debt review.

We cannot simply accept a letter if we cannot match it properly to the debt review account.

This is important because the Form 19 clearance certificate must be supported by correct account information and proper proof.

When the clearance certificate is prepared, DCGsa must confirm which debts formed part of the debt review and which supporting documents prove that those debts have been dealt with correctly.

If the account reference does not match, or if the wrong party gives confirmation, the clearance submission may be delayed, queried, rejected or flagged.

For example, a consumer may receive a paid-up letter from a collector. However, the original debt review account may still sit under the original credit provider’s name or account number.

In that case, DCGsa may need to confirm that the collector’s reference links to the original account.

Sometimes the original credit provider must confirm the link.

Sometimes the collector, attorney or current account holder must confirm it.

Sometimes both sides must provide information before the account can be verified.

This can take time, especially if the account moved more than once during the debt review process.

DCGsa may also need to request updated balances, allocation history, settlement confirmations, paid-up letters or written confirmations from the correct party.

This protects you.

If DCGsa issues clearance without confirming the correct link, a credit provider, collector, attorney or credit bureau may later dispute the account. This can create unnecessary stress, credit report problems or delays after clearance.

For this reason, a handed-over, sold or ceded account must be checked carefully before DCGsa issues the Form 19.

In simple terms: if an account moved during debt review, DCGsa must make sure the final confirmation belongs to the correct account. This may take longer, but it helps protect your debt review clearance certificate from being queried or rejected.

If a credit provider still shows a balance after you paid through debt review, DCGsa must investigate the account before issuing or finalising your clearance certificate.

This can feel frustrating, especially when you have paid every month through the PDA and your PDA statement shows that the account is paid up or nearly paid up.

However, the PDA statement and the credit provider’s own system may not always show the same final balance.

A PDA statement shows payments that went through the Payment Distribution Agency. It helps DCGsa see what was collected, distributed and allocated through the debt review payment process.

The credit provider also keeps its own account record. That record may include interest, fees, insurance, allocation dates, arrears, legal costs, recovery costs, system adjustments, or other account movements.

For this reason, DCGsa must check the credit provider’s final balance before treating the account as paid up for clearance purposes.

A credit provider may still show a balance for several reasons.

Interest may have continued before the proposal was accepted.

Interest may have continued before the court order was granted.

The credit provider may have allocated payments on different dates.

A payment may have been received late, reversed, short-paid or allocated differently.

Service fees, insurance premiums, legal costs or recovery costs may still appear on the account.

The account may have been handed over, sold, ceded, transferred, or moved to a recovery department.

The credit provider may have changed the account number or internal reference.

The credit provider may also not have updated the balance regularly during the debt review process.

This does not always mean that the consumer did something wrong.

It also does not always mean that the PDA did something wrong or that DCGsa did something wrong.

In many cases, it means that the account needs a final reconciliation before the credit provider can issue a paid-up letter.

DCGsa must then check whether the balance is valid, whether it relates to the correct debt review account, and whether the credit provider can issue a paid-up letter or written confirmation.

If the balance is valid, it may need to be settled before the paid-up letter can be issued.

If the balance appears incorrect, DCGsa may need to query it with the credit provider and request a breakdown, updated balance, allocation history, or confirmation of how the balance arose.

If the account was handed over, sold, ceded or moved to another department, DCGsa may also need to confirm which party can issue the paid-up letter or final settlement confirmation.

This can delay the clearance process because DCGsa cannot certify a clearance certificate while a relevant credit provider still reflects an unresolved balance.

When DCGsa issues a Form 19 clearance certificate, the supporting documents must match the accounts that went under debt review. These documents may include paid-up letters, prescribed confirmations, written-off confirmations or other written proof accepted for that account.

The relevant clearance submission may also be rejected or flagged if the accounts and supporting documents do not meet the required standard.

For this reason, DCGsa cannot ignore a credit provider balance simply because the PDA statement looks settled.

In simple terms: if a credit provider still shows a balance, DCGsa must check whether the balance is valid, whether the account is correctly linked to your debt review, and what must happen before the paid-up letter can be issued. This protects your clearance certificate and helps prevent future disputes.

If surplus money remains after your debt review accounts have been paid, the surplus must be dealt with through the correct process.

This can sometimes happen near the end of debt review.

For example, DCGsa may ask you to continue paying until we confirm that it is safe to stop. If your final accounts are then confirmed as paid up, there may be extra money left after the last distributions, final balances, aftercare amounts and required checks have been completed.

We understand that consumers want to know what happens to this money.

The important point is that DCGsa cannot confirm a refund only because the PDA statement appears to show surplus funds. We must first confirm that the file is ready for clearance and that the money is no longer needed for any final debt review-related purpose.

Before any surplus can be dealt with, DCGsa may need to check:

Whether all required paid-up letters have been received.

Whether every paid-up letter matches the correct debt review account.

Whether any credit provider still reflects a final balance.

Whether any end balance difference remains.

Whether any final PDA distribution still needs to take place.

Whether any lawful outstanding aftercare amount remains.

Whether any bond account is up to date, where applicable.

Whether the Form 19 clearance certificate can be properly prepared and supported.

This is why DCGsa normally advises consumers to keep paying until we confirm the next step in writing.

It is usually safer to deal with surplus funds later than to stop payment too early and then discover that a credit provider still needs a final payment before issuing a paid-up letter.

If a final shortfall appears after you have already stopped paying, your clearance certificate may be delayed. You may then need to raise extra funds before the account can be confirmed as paid up.

However, if surplus funds remain after all the final checks have been completed, those funds can be dealt with through the correct refund or distribution process.

The exact process may depend on where the funds are held, whether the PDA still needs to distribute any amount, whether a credit provider must still confirm a final balance, and whether all clearance requirements have been met.

DCGsa must first make sure that the surplus is genuinely available and not still needed for the clearance process.

If you choose to stop, reduce, pause or change your payment before DCGsa confirms that it is safe, DCGsa will require a signed debit order or payment instruction form. This form records your instruction and confirms that you understand the risks of changing your payment before the file is finalised.

Changing or cancelling your debit order does not cancel debt review. It also does not remove the debt review status from your credit profile.

In simple terms: if there is surplus money after your accounts, final balances, distributions and clearance checks are complete, it can be dealt with through the correct process. But DCGsa must first confirm that the money is not still needed to finalise your clearance certificate.

This is a common question near the end of debt review.

Your PDA statement may show that the remaining balance is less than your normal monthly debt review payment. You may then wonder why DCGsa still asks you to continue with the full payment until we confirm the next step.

The reason is that the PDA statement is not the final legal confirmation that every account has been settled.

A PDA statement shows the payments that went through the Payment Distribution Agency. It helps DCGsa see what was collected, distributed and allocated through the debt review payment system.

However, the PDA statement does not replace the final confirmation from each credit provider.

Before DCGsa can issue your Form 19 clearance certificate, we must complete final checks. These checks may include paid-up letters, final balances, account numbers, end balance differences, final PDA distributions, aftercare amounts, and bond status where applicable.

Even if the PDA statement shows a lower balance, a credit provider may still confirm a different final amount. This can happen because of interest, fees, insurance, payment allocation dates, late payments, short payments, missed payments, reversals, legal costs, or system differences between the PDA and the credit provider.

This is why DCGsa must be careful before reducing or stopping your payment.

If you reduce or stop your payment too early, and a credit provider later confirms that more money is still owing, your clearance certificate may be delayed.

You may then need to pay the shortfall before the credit provider issues the paid-up letter. If you have already used that money elsewhere, the clearance process may take longer.

It is usually easier to deal with surplus funds later than to fix a short-paid account at the end of debt review.

If surplus money remains after all accounts, final balances, distributions and required checks have been completed, the surplus can be dealt with through the correct refund process.

DCGsa will only confirm that you may stop, reduce, change or cancel your debt review payment once we are satisfied that it is safe to do so.

If you still choose to stop, reduce, pause or change your payment before DCGsa confirms that it is safe, DCGsa will require a signed debit order or payment instruction form.

This form records your instruction. It also confirms that you understand the possible risks of late, missed, reduced, paused, short-paid or direct payments.

Changing or cancelling your debit order does not cancel debt review. It also does not remove the debt review status from your credit profile.

In simple terms: even if your PDA statement shows a lower balance than your normal payment, please continue paying until DCGsa confirms the next step in writing. This protects your clearance process and helps us close your file correctly.

An end balance difference happens when the PDA system shows one balance, but the credit provider shows a different final balance.

This can happen near the end of the debt review process, even where the consumer has made regular payments through the PDA.

We understand that this can feel frustrating.

Many consumers ask:

“But I paid every month. Why does the credit provider still show a balance?”

This is a fair question.

A PDA statement is a record of payments distributed through the debt review payment system. It helps DCGsa see what was paid, when it was paid, and which credit providers received payment.

However, the credit provider still keeps its own account record. The credit provider’s system may calculate interest, fees, allocation dates, insurance, arrears, legal charges or settlement figures differently from the PDA system.

Because of this, the PDA balance and the credit provider balance may not always match exactly at the end of the process.

An end balance difference does not always mean someone made a mistake. It also does not usually mean that a new debt suddenly appeared.

In many cases, it is a final reconciliation difference between the PDA payment history and the credit provider’s own account system.

End balance differences may happen because of several reasons.

Interest may have continued before the credit provider accepted the proposal or before the court order was granted.

Payments may have been allocated on different dates by the credit provider.

Some payments may have been received late, short-paid, missed, reversed or not allocated correctly.

Service fees, insurance premiums, legal costs, collection costs or account charges may have remained on the account.

The credit provider may have capitalised arrears from the early part of the process.

The account may have moved to another department, attorney, collector, recovery account or internal reference.

The credit provider may also not have updated the balance every month during the debt review process.

This is why DCGsa must complete a final check before issuing the Form 19 clearance certificate.

DCGsa must confirm whether the balance is correct, whether it must still be paid, whether the credit provider can issue a paid-up letter, or whether more information is needed from the credit provider.

If an end balance difference remains unresolved, the credit provider may refuse to issue a paid-up letter. Without the correct paid-up letter or written confirmation, DCGsa may not be able to certify the clearance certificate properly.

This is not done to delay the consumer. It is done because the clearance certificate must be legally and procedurally correct.

If a small final balance is confirmed, the account may need to be settled before the paid-up letter can be issued.

This is one of the reasons DCGsa advises consumers not to stop paying too early. It is usually easier to deal with surplus funds later than to stop payment too soon and then struggle to settle a final shortfall.

In simple terms: an end balance difference is the final difference between what the PDA system reflects and what the credit provider confirms. DCGsa must resolve this difference before the account can be treated as paid up for clearance purposes.

A paid-up letter is written confirmation from a credit provider that an account has been settled.

DCGsa needs paid-up letters before issuing a Form 19 because the clearance certificate must rely on proper proof from the credit providers.

This is not only a DCGsa internal process. It forms part of the legal and regulated clearance process.

When DCGsa issues a debt review clearance certificate, we must be able to certify that the accounts included in your debt review have been dealt with correctly. This means we must confirm which debts went under debt review and match those debts to the correct supporting documents.

These supporting documents may include paid-up letters, prescribed debt confirmations, written-off confirmations, settlement confirmations, or other written proof accepted for the specific account.

A PDA statement shows that payments went through the debt review payment process. A proof of payment shows that money was paid. However, a paid-up letter confirms that the credit provider accepts the account as paid up.

This is why a paid-up letter is one of the most important documents in the debt review clearance process.

Before DCGsa issues a Form 19, we must check that each paid-up letter relates to the correct account under debt review. We compare the account number, reference number, credit provider name, and sometimes the account history.

In many cases, this is simple. The account number on the paid-up letter matches the account number on the original debt review documents.

However, in other cases, it can take longer.

If an account was handed over for collection, sold, ceded, transferred, moved to an attorney, or moved to a recovery department during the debt review process, it may be more difficult to obtain a paid-up letter.

This can happen for many reasons. A credit provider may use a different department. A collector may use a different reference number. An attorney may use a legal reference. A ceded or sold account may sit with a different company. A credit provider may also need time to trace the original debt review account.

This does not always mean something is wrong.

It simply means DCGsa must verify that the paid-up letter or written confirmation relates to the same account that formed part of the debt review process.

After the clearance certificate has been prepared and certified, the supporting documents must be uploaded and checked on the relevant clearance platform used in the debt review and credit bureau process.

On that system, each credit provider and account must be confirmed correctly. If a clearance certificate or supporting documents do not meet the required standard, the submission may be rejected or flagged.

This is why DCGsa cannot issue clearance based only on a verbal confirmation, a low PDA balance, or a proof of payment.

This careful checking protects you. It helps prevent future disputes where a credit provider, collector, attorney or credit bureau later claims that an account was not properly settled.

DCGsa may need to follow up with the credit provider, collector, attorney or current account holder to confirm the correct account link.

This can delay the clearance process, especially where the account moved more than once or where the credit provider no longer uses the original account number.

For this reason, consumers should send DCGsa any paid-up letters, settlement confirmations, prescribed confirmations, written-off confirmations or account communication they receive directly from credit providers.

In simple terms: DCGsa needs paid-up letters and proper written confirmations because the clearance certificate must be certified and supported by proof. If the account was handed over, sold, ceded or moved during debt review, DCGsa may need extra time to verify the documents before issuing your Form 19 clearance certificate.

A PDA statement is very important, but it is not enough on its own for a debt review clearance certificate.

The PDA statement shows payments that went through the Payment Distribution Agency. It helps DCGsa see what payments were collected, how the funds were distributed, and which credit providers received payments during the debt review process.

However, a PDA statement does not replace a paid-up letter from a credit provider.

A PDA statement may show that an account looks paid up, nearly paid up, or even at a zero balance. However, DCGsa must still confirm that the credit provider accepts the account as settled.

This is why DCGsa needs paid-up letters or final written confirmation from the credit providers before issuing a Form 19 clearance certificate.

A simple way to understand it is this:

The PDA statement shows the payment history.

The paid-up letter confirms the settlement of the account.

These two documents do different things.

The PDA may calculate balances based on the debt review payment plan, payment distributions, proposal information, or available system data. The credit provider’s own system may show a different final balance because of interest, payment allocation dates, fees, insurance, missed payments, short payments, or system updates.

This difference is often called an end balance difference.

An end balance difference does not always mean someone made a mistake. It also does not always mean that a new debt appeared. It normally means DCGsa must reconcile the final position before the credit provider can confirm the account as paid up.

DCGsa also needs to check that the paid-up letter matches the correct debt review account. Sometimes account numbers change when accounts are handed over, moved to legal departments, converted into recovery accounts, or linked to new internal reference numbers.

If DCGsa relies only on the PDA statement and later a credit provider disputes the account, the consumer may experience delays, credit bureau problems, or future balance disputes.

For this reason, DCGsa must use the PDA statement as part of the checking process, but not as the only proof of clearance.

In simple terms: your PDA statement shows that payments were made, but your paid-up letter confirms that the credit provider accepts the account as settled. DCGsa needs both the payment history and the final credit provider confirmation before issuing your debt review clearance certificate.

No. You should not stop paying only because your debt review accounts look paid up, nearly paid up, or low on the PDA statement.

You must continue paying until DCGsa confirms in writing that it is safe to stop, change, reduce or cancel your debt review payment.

This is very important at the end of the debt review process.

A PDA statement is a helpful payment record, but it is not the same as a paid-up letter from a credit provider. The PDA may show that payments have been distributed, or that an account appears to have a low or zero balance. However, DCGsa must still confirm the final position with the credit providers before issuing a Form 19 clearance certificate.

Before DCGsa can confirm that you may stop paying, we must check whether your file legally qualifies for clearance. This may include checking paid-up letters, final balances, account numbers, end balance differences, final PDA distributions, and bond status where applicable.

Sometimes an account looks paid up on the PDA system, but the credit provider still shows a small balance. This may happen because of interest, payment allocation dates, fees, insurance, missed payments, short payments, or system differences between the PDA and the credit provider.

For this reason, stopping too early can delay your clearance certificate.

If you stop paying before DCGsa confirms it is safe, and a credit provider later confirms that a balance remains, you may need to pay the shortfall before the paid-up letter can be issued. If you have already used the money elsewhere, the clearance process may be delayed.

It is usually easier to deal with a refund of surplus funds than to fix a short-paid account at the end of the process.

If you insist on stopping, reducing, pausing or changing your debit order before DCGsa confirms that your file is ready, DCGsa will require a signed debit order or payment instruction form. This form records your instruction and confirms that you understand the possible risks of stopping, reducing, pausing or changing your debt review payment.

Changing or cancelling a debit order does not cancel debt review. It also does not remove the debt review status from your credit profile.

In simple terms: please keep paying until DCGsa confirms the next step in writing. This protects your clearance process and helps us close your file correctly.

A Form 19 is the official debt review clearance certificate that a Debt Counsellor gives to a consumer who qualifies for clearance from debt review.

It confirms that the consumer has completed the required debt review obligations. It also allows the Debt Counsellor to notify the credit bureaus and relevant systems that the debt review process has been completed.

DCGsa can only issue a Form 19 after checking the file properly. We check paid-up letters, final balances, account numbers, end balance differences, and bond status where applicable.

In simple terms, the Form 19 helps start the process of updating your debt review status with the credit bureaus.