What Documents Should You Prepare Before Asking for Payment Relief?

If you are struggling to afford your next car instalment, bond payment or another credit repayment, preparing the right documents can help you have a more productive conversation with your credit provider.

Start with your latest account statement, credit agreement, proof of income, household expenses, other debt commitments and evidence explaining why you expect difficulty paying.

You do not need to collect every possible document before contacting the bank.

Instead, prepare information that answers five questions:

• Which account is affected?
• What payment is due, and when?
• What caused the financial difficulty?
• How much can you realistically afford?
• Is the problem temporary or likely to continue?

Perhaps your salary has decreased, you have been retrenched or unexpected household expenses have affected your ability to pay.

You may still be up to date with your credit commitments but already know that the next instalment will be difficult.

The National Credit Regulator (NCR) encourages consumers experiencing repayment difficulties to contact their credit providers and discuss possible arrangements.

The Banking Association of South Africa’s Code of Banking Practice similarly encourages affected customers to engage their banks as soon as financial difficulties become apparent.

However, not every lender requires the same documents or offers the same payment arrangements.

The exact requirements depend on the credit provider, agreement, circumstances and assistance being considered.

Completing a checklist does not automatically reduce an instalment, postpone a payment or change your agreement.

The purpose of preparing documents is to help you explain your position accurately and understand whether any proposed arrangement is realistic.

Download my Payment Relief Preparation Checklist

Account and agreement documents

Start by gathering information about the credit agreement causing concern.

If several accounts are becoming difficult to maintain, record them too.

Your lender needs to understand which agreement is affected.

You need to understand the payment obligations before proposing a different arrangement.

A useful starting folder contains:

Account information	What it should establish
Credit provider	Correct lender or finance company
Account/agreement number	Which agreement is affected
Credit type	Vehicle finance, home loan, personal loan or other credit
Normal instalment	Contractual payment amount
Payment date	When the instalment becomes due
Account status	Current, overdue or uncertain
Latest statement	Balance and recent payment position
Previous arrangements	Existing or earlier repayment changes

Do not rely entirely on memory.

Use the most recent reliable account information.

If several obligations are becoming difficult simultaneously, consider temporary vs ongoing financial difficulty before assuming that one payment arrangement will resolve everything.

Latest statement

A recent account statement is one of the most important documents to prepare.

It helps establish what has been paid, what is currently due and whether any amount is already overdue.

Under section 110 of the National Credit Act 34 of 2005, a consumer may request specified account information from a credit provider without charge.

This can include:

• The current account balance.
• Amounts credited or debited during a specified period.
• Amounts currently overdue and their due dates.
• Amounts currently payable and when they became due.

For information covering the preceding year or less, section 110 generally provides a response period of 10 business days.

Where requested information extends beyond one year, the general period is 20 business days.

The section also contains qualifications concerning previous statements and closed accounts.

If your instalment is due soon, do not postpone contacting the lender while waiting for a formal statement.

Use the information available through your banking application or other reliable records and ask the provider to confirm the current position.

Check the statement before building your proposal

Before calculating what you can afford, confirm:

• Your last instalment date.
• The amount the lender received.
• Whether the payment was allocated correctly.
• The next instalment amount.
• The next payment date.
• Any amount already recorded as overdue.
• Recent payment reversals or unsuccessful debit orders.

These checks can establish whether your account is still current.

For example, a debit order may have been presented but later returned because insufficient funds were available.

A payment confirmation should therefore be checked against the lender’s account record where necessary.

If your car-finance account is already overdue, use if the car payment is missed.

If the missed payment concerns a home loan, use if the bond payment is missed.

Do not assume the balance on an old statement is current

An older statement may not reflect subsequent payments, interest, fees or account adjustments.

If the instalment has changed, calculate your proposed payment using the current contractual amount.

Where an account figure appears incorrect, ask the credit provider to clarify it.

Section 111 of the National Credit Act also provides procedures for disputing credit or debit entries on an account.

Those procedures address particular disputed entries; they should not be confused with requesting a voluntary payment arrangement.

Keep proof of recent payments with the statement

Retain records of relevant payments, including:

• EFT confirmations.
• Debit-order confirmations.
• Cash-deposit receipts.
• Manual instalment payments.
• Catch-up payments.
• Account adjustments confirmed by the lender.

If the lender’s records differ from your own, the payment date, amount and transaction reference can help identify the discrepancy.

The objective is to establish the correct account position before proposing a payment change.

Agreement or quotation where available

Keep your original credit agreement or pre-agreement quotation where available.

Useful details may include:

• Contractual repayment amount.
• Interest-rate provisions.
• Remaining repayment term.
• Fees and charges.
• Payment due dates.
• Relevant insurance.
• Balloon or residual obligations.
• Contractual provisions concerning amendments.

You do not need to interpret every contractual clause before contacting the provider.

However, having the agreement available helps you compare the original obligations with any proposed changes.

If you no longer have the agreement

Do not assume you cannot approach the lender simply because you no longer have the document.

Ask the credit provider whether it can supply a copy through an appropriate channel.

The Banking Association’s Code of Banking Practice addresses access to banking documents within applicable legal and retention requirements.

For non-bank credit providers, confirm the provider’s applicable process.

Do not wait until you locate the original agreement if your next instalment is approaching and you already foresee difficulty.

You can begin the discussion using your latest statement and available account information.

Check for credit-life or relevant insurance documents

If the difficulty arose from retrenchment, disability, unemployment or another event affecting household income, check whether relevant insurance may apply.

Depending on the agreement, this could involve credit-life or another insurance policy.

Gather, where applicable:

• Insurance policy or schedule.
• Insurer’s name.
• Policy number.
• Details of insured events.
• Exclusions and claim requirements.
• Any existing claim correspondence.
• Supporting evidence of the event.

The 2017 Credit Life Insurance Regulations prescribe certain minimum benefits and conditions for regulated credit-life policies within their scope.

The applicable agreement date, policy wording and insured event must be considered.

Having insurance does not automatically mean your particular financial difficulty is covered.

If a claim may be relevant, contact the insurer promptly.

Do not assume that submitting a claim suspends your normal instalments.

Keep existing arrangement documents

If your credit provider previously agreed to a repayment arrangement, include the written terms.

Examples may include:

• A temporary reduced payment.
• A deferred instalment.
• A revised repayment schedule.
• An extended repayment term.
• A payment holiday.
• A catch-up arrangement.

Record:

Previous arrangement	Details
Start date	—
End date	—
Agreed payment	R—
Normal payment	R—
Amount deferred	R—
New instalment after arrangement	R—
Was it maintained?	Yes / No
Written confirmation available?	Yes / No

Previous arrangements can affect the options currently being considered.

If you repeatedly need temporary concessions, investigate whether the underlying problem has become ongoing.

Read temporary vs ongoing financial difficulty for that assessment.

Income and expense evidence

A payment-relief request is more useful when supported by a realistic affordability picture.

The lender may need information about your financial circumstances.

You also need that information to avoid agreeing to a payment you cannot sustain.

Start by identifying reliable household income.

Depending on your circumstances, available records may include:

• Recent payslips.
• Bank statements showing salary deposits.
• Employer confirmation.
• Pension or recurring-income evidence.
• Self-employment income records.
• Other reliable household-income information.

There is no universal rule that every lender must request exactly three payslips or three bank statements for every payment-relief application.

Ask the relevant credit provider what it requires.

The NCR’s debt-counsellor technical guidance uses income-and-expenditure assessments to examine income, basic living expenses, proposed repayments and the remaining available income.

That is useful background for constructing a realistic household budget.

It does not mean that a voluntary bank payment-relief request follows the same procedure as a formal debt-review application.

Separate reliable income from possible income

Not all income has the same degree of certainty.

For example, ordinary salary may be predictable while commission, overtime or business income may vary.

Use a table such as:

Income source	Normal monthly amount	Reliability
Salary	R—	Regular
Regular second household income	R—	Regular
Commission	R—	Variable
Overtime	R—	Variable
Bonus	R—	Occasional
Informal/family contribution	R—	Uncertain
Other	R—	—

If your income varies substantially, review a longer payment history.

Three to six months may help you understand normal fluctuations, although a lender may apply its own information requirements.

Do not treat hoped-for income as guaranteed.

Use net available income carefully

Use the income actually available after applicable deductions rather than calculating affordability solely from gross earnings.

Avoid counting the same amount twice.

For example, do not add an employer’s gross salary figure and then separately include the same salary deposit as another income source.

If household contributions depend on another person’s uncertain income, record that uncertainty.

The objective is to establish what money can realistically support the household’s commitments.

Essential household expenses

List the normal costs required for your household to function.

These may include:

• Food and household necessities.
• Electricity and water.
• Housing costs.
• Transport.
• Medical expenses.
• Insurance.
• Education.
• Dependants’ needs.
• Rates or levies.
• Essential communications.
• Other unavoidable expenditure.

Do not reduce these figures artificially merely to make a lender proposal appear affordable.

An agreement based on unrealistic expenses may fail even if the lender accepts it.

Separate essential and adjustable spending

A useful household budget distinguishes between necessary and potentially adjustable expenses.

Expense category	Current monthly amount	Realistically adjustable?
Essential	R—	Little/no
Important but partly adjustable	R—	Some
Discretionary	R—	More

Consider this hypothetical example:

Expense	Current	Realistic revised amount
Groceries	R7,000	R6,500
Electricity	R2,000	R1,900
Medical needs	R1,800	R1,800
Streaming services	R700	R150
Restaurant/takeaway spending	R1,600	R500

These figures illustrate how a household might review expenditure.

They are not recommended spending limits.

The objective is to identify changes that are reasonable and sustainable for the particular household.

Do not reduce essential expenditure below a realistic level simply to create an apparent surplus.

Include other credit commitments

Your credit provider is not necessarily your only lender.

Record all existing monthly credit repayments, including:

• Vehicle finance.
• Home loans.
• Personal loans.
• Credit cards.
• Overdrafts.
• Store accounts.
• Other applicable credit agreements.

If a proposed arrangement is affordable only because another credit account will not be paid, your overall financial position may remain under pressure.

ConsumerLaws Basic Affordability Snapshot

Calculate:

Reliable monthly income − essential household expenses − other contractual credit repayments = amount available before the affected account

Exclude the affected instalment from the other repayments so that it is not counted twice.

For example:

Monthly item	Amount
Reliable household income	R43,000
Essential household expenses	R21,000
Other debt repayments	R13,000
Amount available before affected account	R9,000
Normal affected instalment	R12,500
Expected payment gap	R3,500

The calculation identifies a R3,500 expected shortfall.

However, it does not determine whether a lender will approve relief or whether the consumer is legally over-indebted.

The next question is whether the same deficit will continue.

For a more detailed diagnostic assessment, use temporary vs ongoing financial difficulty.

Look beyond one month

A realistic proposed payment should also account for the months after temporary relief ends.

Use a simple forecast:

If the first month shows a shortfall but the next two months recover, the problem may be temporary.

If all three months show a deficit, further affordability assessment may be appropriate.

Use the figures to inform your conversation, not to assume that a particular solution must be accepted.

Proof of the event causing difficulty

If a specific event caused the expected payment shortfall, gather reasonable evidence of that event.

The purpose is to show what changed and how it affected your ability to pay.

A lender may ask for different evidence depending on your circumstances.

There is no universal hardship certificate required for every South African payment-relief request.

Possible supporting documents include:

Event	Possible supporting evidence
Retrenchment	Retrenchment letter or employer correspondence
Reduced working hours	Employer confirmation or changed payslip
Temporary unpaid leave	Employer correspondence
Salary delay	Employer or payroll communication
Change of employment	Relevant employment documentation
Significant medical expense	Relevant invoice or account, where appropriate
Insurance-related event	Policy and claim documentation
Business-income interruption	Relevant business or financial records
Major once-off essential expense	Invoice, quotation or payment evidence
Death affecting household income	Relevant formal documentation, where genuinely required

Only provide documents reasonably relevant to the lender’s request, using a verified and appropriate submission channel.

Sensitive medical, financial and identity information should be handled carefully.

The evidence should explain the timing

Useful supporting evidence helps answer three questions:

• When did the difficulty begin?
• How did it affect household income or expenses?
• When is the financial position expected to improve?

For example:

“My salary decreased” does not explain the size or expected duration of the problem.

Where available, relevant records may establish the previous income, current income, date of the change and whether it is temporary.

A credible recovery date may help the lender understand the proposal.

However, do not promise a recovery date without reasonable support.

Do not exaggerate the circumstances

Your explanation should be factual.

Do not describe a resignation as retrenchment.

Do not claim permanent unemployment if you remain employed.

Do not present a temporary income interruption as permanent merely because you believe it will increase your chances of receiving assistance.

Similarly, do not exaggerate medical or disability circumstances.

Accurate information supports a clearer assessment.

It also reduces the possibility of misunderstandings when the lender checks supporting documents.

Distinguish proof of the event from proof of affordability

One document rarely answers every question.

For example, a retrenchment letter may establish why your employment ended.

It does not necessarily show your current household income, essential living expenses or the amount you can afford.

That is why preparation should cover four separate areas:

1. Account evidence: What is currently due?
2. Affordability evidence: What money is available?
3. Event evidence: What caused the difficulty?
4. Proposed payment: What arrangement might be sustainable?

These documents serve different purposes.

A useful payment proposal brings the information together.

Check insurance before assuming the lender arrangement is the only option

If your financial difficulty followed an event potentially covered by insurance, check the applicable policy.

For example, retrenchment may raise two separate questions:

• What repayment arrangement could the lender consider?
• Is there credit-life or other cover under which a claim should be investigated?

The two enquiries should not automatically be treated as mutually exclusive.

The insurer must assess a claim according to the relevant policy and law.

The lender must assess any requested payment arrangement according to the applicable agreement and circumstances.

Do not assume an insurance claim guarantees that your instalment is suspended.

A realistic proposed payment figure

One of the most important questions a lender may ask is:

“How much can you afford to pay?”

Your response should be based on a realistic calculation.

Do not simply offer the highest figure you believe the lender wants to hear.

Also avoid stating that you cannot pay anything without first checking the actual household position.

The purpose of the calculation is to identify an amount you may be able to sustain.

ConsumerLaws Proposed Payment Builder

Do not count the same expense or credit instalment in more than one category.

When using the table, exclude the affected account’s contractual instalment from other credit commitments.

The amount remaining is a planning figure, not a guaranteed entitlement to a repayment arrangement.

Ask yourself:

Can I afford the normal instalment and any additional payments after the arrangement ends?

Do not offer a figure that requires new borrowing

Suppose your household budget shows that you can realistically afford R6,500.

However, you offer the lender R9,000 because you plan to use a credit card to cover the additional R2,500.

The proposed R9,000 may not be sustainable.

You have transferred part of the shortfall to another credit facility.

If this happens repeatedly, the household’s total debt burden may increase.

Calculate what you can afford from reliable resources rather than assuming additional borrowing will always be available.

Do not ignore the catch-up requirement

Consider this hypothetical proposal:

Payment information	Amount
Normal instalment	R10,000
Proposed temporary instalment	R6,000
Monthly difference	R4,000
Arrangement duration	3 months
Total temporary reduction	R12,000

The reduction provides short-term cash-flow relief.

However, the lender must explain how the unpaid portion will be treated.

Ask whether the amount:

• Becomes payable later.
• Is spread across future instalments.
• Affects the remaining repayment term.
• Remains part of the outstanding balance.
• Is treated in another way under the arrangement.

Interest and other contractual consequences may also affect the final cost.

For detailed questions to put to the lender, use contact bank before missed payment.

Use a recovery test

Before accepting an arrangement, check whether the expected recovery-month budget can support it.

For example:

Recovery-month item	Amount
Expected reliable income	R42,000
Essential household expenses	R20,000
Normal other credit repayments	R9,000
Normal affected instalment	R10,000
Catch-up payment	R6,000
Remaining amount	−R3,000

This example produces a R3,000 shortfall.

Although the temporary arrangement may help immediately, the catch-up payment would leave the household unable to cover the full illustrated commitments in the recovery month.

That is a reason to reconsider the proposed arrangement or ask the lender whether another option is available.

If the proposed payment is far below the contractual instalment

A large difference between the normal instalment and the affordable amount may indicate deeper financial pressure.

For example:

Normal instalment: R14,000

Amount realistically affordable: R4,500

Expected difference: R9,500

If the same difference is likely to continue each month, the problem may not be resolved through a brief payment reduction.

Use temporary vs ongoing financial difficulty to examine whether broader affordability assistance is appropriate.

A large shortfall does not, by itself, determine that the consumer is legally over-indebted.

A proposed payment is not a unilateral new contract

Telling the lender that you can afford R5,000 instead of R10,000 does not automatically change the contractual instalment.

Your proposal is a request.

The lender must communicate whether it is prepared to accept an arrangement and on what terms.

While the request is being assessed, ask what payment remains due.

Do not assume that submitting documents or proposing a lower amount postpones your contractual payment obligation.

Download my Payment Relief Preparation Checklist

What records to keep after speaking to the lender

Preparing documents is only the first part of a successful lender discussion.

After contacting the lender, you should be able to establish:

What you requested, what the lender said, what documents you supplied, what was agreed and what payments were subsequently made.

A clear record helps prevent misunderstandings.

ConsumerLaws Lender Contact Record

Record	Details
Date and time	__________
Credit provider	__________
Department	__________
Representative	__________
Contact method	Call / Email / Secure message / Branch
Reference number	__________
Request made	__________
Documents requested	__________
Documents submitted	__________
Proposed payment	R__________
Lender’s proposed arrangement	__________
Payment required while request is pending	R__________
Arrangement approved?	Yes / No / Pending
Written confirmation received?	Yes / No
Next action date	__________

Keep this record with the relevant account information.

Keep proof of submission

If you submit information through the bank’s online portal, banking application, email, secure messaging system or branch, retain evidence of the submission.

This may include:

• A submission receipt.
• Confirmation email.
• Reference number.
• Secure-message record.
• Date of submission.

If a document later appears to be missing, you can establish what was provided and when.

Keep the written arrangement

If a lender accepts a payment arrangement, request clear written confirmation.

Check that the document explains:

• Amount payable.
• Start date.
• Duration.
• Payment dates.
• Deferred amounts.
• Interest treatment where applicable.
• Fees or charges.
• Changes to the remaining term.
• Future instalments.
• Catch-up payments.
• Conditions and requirements.
• Debit-order arrangements.

Compare the written terms with what you understood during the discussion.

If there is a discrepancy, request clarification before relying on the arrangement.

Keep proof of every payment made under the arrangement

Save relevant payment confirmations, receipts and subsequent account statements.

Check whether payments have been allocated correctly.

If an account statement does not reflect an expected payment, contact the provider and provide the relevant transaction details.

The objective is to maintain a reliable record of the arrangement and its implementation.

Keep rejection or “No Arrangement Available” responses too

A lender may decline a request or explain that no suitable arrangement is currently available.

Keep the response.

Where a reason is provided, record it.

Also confirm:

• Whether additional information may be submitted.
• Whether another arrangement can be considered.
• The amount that remains payable.
• The next contractual payment date.
• Any relevant follow-up deadline.

If no workable arrangement is available, reconsider the underlying affordability problem.

Use temporary vs ongoing financial difficulty for the appropriate diagnostic guidance.

Do not keep sensitive documents in unsafe places

Payment-relief preparation may involve sensitive information such as income records, identity documents, banking details, employment information or medical records.

Use verified lender channels.

If someone contacts you unexpectedly claiming to represent your bank, independently verify the contact before sharing documents.

Avoid submitting full financial records through unverified links or messaging contacts.

ConsumerLaws’ initial enquiry should allow you to explain the nature of the difficulty without unnecessarily disclosing sensitive account details.

Where supporting documents are required, the appropriate secure process should be explained.

ConsumerLaws Payment Relief Preparation Checklist — Downloadable Copy

Use this checklist to organise your information before and after contacting your lender.

Tick the items relevant to your circumstances.

Not every item will apply to every consumer or agreement.

Section A — account

• ☐ Credit provider identified
• ☐ Account/agreement number available
• ☐ Type of credit identified
• ☐ Latest statement obtained
• ☐ Normal instalment confirmed
• ☐ Next payment date confirmed
• ☐ Current account status checked
• ☐ Recent payments checked
• ☐ Previous arrangements located

Section B — agreement

• ☐ Credit agreement available, if retained
• ☐ Quotation/pre-agreement documentation available, where relevant
• ☐ Interest/payment terms understood sufficiently for discussion
• ☐ Balloon/residual identified where relevant
• ☐ Insurance policy identified where relevant
• ☐ Previous variation/arrangement letters included

Section C — income

• ☐ Reliable monthly income calculated
• ☐ Recent income evidence available
• ☐ Variable income separated from guaranteed income
• ☐ Household income contributions identified
• ☐ Income reduction quantified

Section D — expenses

• ☐ Essential household expenses listed
• ☐ Expenses are realistic rather than artificially low
• ☐ Vehicle/home ownership costs included where relevant
• ☐ Other unavoidable obligations included
• ☐ Discretionary spending reviewed separately

Section E — other debt

• ☐ Other monthly credit commitments listed
• ☐ Vehicle-finance payment included
• ☐ Bond payment included
• ☐ Loans included
• ☐ Credit cards included
• ☐ Overdraft/store/revolving credit included
• ☐ No debt intentionally hidden from own affordability calculation

Section F — cause of difficulty

• ☐ Main cause identified
• ☐ Start date identified
• ☐ Expected end/recovery date identified
• ☐ Supporting evidence available where relevant
• ☐ Insurance possibility checked where relevant
• ☐ Temporary versus ongoing pattern considered

Section G — proposed payment

• ☐ Normal instalment recorded
• ☐ Current affordable amount calculated
• ☐ Proposed temporary amount calculated
• ☐ Proposal tested for more than one month
• ☐ Catch-up consequence considered
• ☐ Proposal does not rely on new borrowing
• ☐ Recovery-month budget checked

Section H — lender discussion

• ☐ Questions prepared
• ☐ Amount/duration questions prepared
• ☐ Interest/fee/term questions prepared
• ☐ Asked what remains payable while request is pending
• ☐ Asked when arrangement becomes effective
• ☐ Requested written confirmation
• ☐ Reference number recorded

Section I — after the discussion

• ☐ Written outcome saved
• ☐ Documents submitted saved
• ☐ Submission receipt saved
• ☐ Proof of arrangement payments retained
• ☐ Later statements checked
• ☐ Follow-up date recorded
• ☐ Wider assessment arranged if proposal remains unaffordable

Download my Payment Relief Preparation Checklist

How to use the checklist

Do not wait until every box is ticked if your next payment is approaching.

The checklist is intended to help you prepare, not prevent you from contacting the lender while you are still gathering information.

Start with the documents available.

Then ask your credit provider what additional information it needs.

ConsumerLaws Stage and Next-Step Bridge

How ConsumerLaws can help

ConsumerLaws provides consumer credit consultancy to help you understand and organise your position before requesting a payment arrangement.

We can assist you with reviewing:

• Account information.
• Upcoming instalments and due dates.
• Reliable income.
• Essential household expenses.
• Existing credit commitments.
• The cause of financial difficulty.
• Its likely duration.
• A realistic proposed payment.
• Relevant supporting documents.

This preparation can help you approach the credit provider with clearer information and understand which options may warrant further assessment.

If the documents suggest an ongoing affordability problem, additional assessment may be appropriate.

The provision of information does not guarantee that a lender will approve a payment holiday, reduced instalment, interest concession or another repayment arrangement.

Where legal advice or court representation becomes necessary, ConsumerLaws can facilitate referral to an independent affiliate attorney.

Where court representation becomes necessary, ConsumerLaws can refer you to an independent attorney within our affiliate network, who will assess your matter and handle the legal proceedings if instructed.

Every matter must be considered according to its circumstances.

Request a financial-pressure assessment

For a broader early-intervention assessment:

Check my situation before I miss a payment

For consumers unsure whether their financial difficulty is temporary or ongoing:

temporary vs ongoing financial difficulty

For the broader secured-credit journey:

can’t afford a car or bond payment act before arrears

Prepare your documents, understand your financial position and approach the lender before the payment problem becomes more difficult to manage.

Primary legal and regulatory sources

• National Credit Act 34 of 2005, particularly sections 110 and 111.
• Banking Association of South Africa, Code of Banking Practice — financial difficulties for personal customers.
• National Credit Regulator consumer guidance on early credit-provider engagement and repayment difficulties.
• Final Credit Life Insurance Regulations, 2017, where applicable.
• Kubyana v Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd [2014] — distinction between voluntary early communication and later statutory notice/enforcement procedures.

Editorial note: Individual credit providers may request different documents and assess payment-relief proposals using different criteria. This checklist is a preparation resource. It does not amend an agreement, guarantee a concession or replace an appropriate regulated assessment where one is required.