I have debts I cannot pay — where do I get free help?
Free, confidential help exists in every country and works better the earlier you go. Service d'information et de conseil en matière de surendettement (SICS) (49 83 33 1) is the debt-advice service for Luxembourg: they look at everything you owe, stop the panic, negotiate with creditors and, if needed, start the legal debt-relief route. Your Office social de la commune / Assurance dépendance (CNS) (guichet.public.lu) can refer you and may cover emergency costs. Assistance judiciaire (Barreau) / consultations juridiques gratuites (barreau.lu) is for the legal side — a bailiff at the door, a garnishment, a court letter. Do not take a "consolidation loan" from an advert; that is how debts grow.
🗣️ What to say
"I have debts of about [total] to [number] creditors and I can no longer keep up. I would like a first appointment to go through my income, my debts and my options — including a payment plan or debt relief."
🪜 Step by step
- Make the listEvery creditor, amount, and what is already in collection. Bring the letters, even unopened.
- Book with Service d'information et de conseil en matière de surendettement (SICS)Free, non-judgmental. They can write to creditors on your behalf and freeze interest in many cases.
- Protect the essentialsRent, energy and food first. Contact those creditors before anyone else; they have hardship procedures.
- Payment plan or reliefA plan you can keep beats a plan that looks good. If the debts are hopeless, the legal debt-relief scheme wipes them after a set period.
- Court letters: Assistance judiciaire (Barreau) / consultations juridiques gratuitesA court letter has a deadline. Never ignore it — respond or bring it straight to your adviser.
📇 All contacts
❓ Frequently asked
Will my employer or family find out?
Not from the adviser. A garnishment of wages does reach the employer, which is one reason to act before it gets there.
Can I keep my home?
Usually, if you keep paying rent or the mortgage. Say so to the adviser first thing — housing is protected in every plan.
Is the legal debt relief really free of debts at the end?
Yes, apart from a few exceptions such as fines and maintenance. It takes discipline for a few years and a clean start after.
📎 Sources
- Service d'information et de conseil en matière de surendettement (SICS) →
- Office social de la commune / Assurance dépendance (CNS) →
- Assistance judiciaire (Barreau) / consultations juridiques gratuites →
- Administration communale →
🔎 Common searches
Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.
- “free debt advice Luxembourg”
- “debt help Luxembourg cannot pay”
- “debt relief scheme how does it work”
- “bailiff at the door what are my rights”
- “stop interest on debts”
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