Counsellor?
TITLE: Getting a Clearance Certificate When Your Debt Counsellor Is Missing | NDRC | META: If your debt counsellor has closed, deregistered, or is unreachable, NDRC can facilitate your clearance certificate through the NCR. Learn how.
This situation occurs regularly. Debt counsellors retire, deregister, pass away, or close their practices without properly transferring client files. If you have settled all your accounts but cannot locate your original debt counsellor to issue your clearance certificate, there is a clear process to resolve it.
Step 1: Verify the debt counsellor's current registration status
Check the NCR Register of Registrants at ncr.org.za. If the debt counsellor is no longer registered, the NCR has a process for dealing with consumers whose debt counsellors have been deregistered.
Step 2: Contact the NCR directly
Lodge a complaint with the NCR at [email protected] or 0860 627 627. The NCR can intervene where a registered debt counsellor refuses or fails to issue a clearance certificate to which a consumer is legally entitled under Section 71 of the NCA.
Step 3: Obtain paid-up letters from all creditors
NDRC assists you in obtaining formal paid-up letters from each creditor confirming the account under the debt review plan has been settled in full. These letters form the basis of the clearance certificate.
Step 4: NDRC facilitates the clearance process
As an NCR-registered debt counsellor (NCRDC3106), NDRC can step in to facilitate the clearance certificate process where the original debt counsellor is unavailable. This involves updating your DHS record and notifying all credit bureaus.
If the situation involves a deregistered debt counsellor, the NCR maintains a protocol for consumers in this position. NDRC's case managers are familiar with this protocol and handle these situations regularly. Contact NDRC at 041 012 5036 or [email protected].