In England, Wales and Northern Ireland:
If a creditor waits too long to take court action, the debt will become ‘unenforceable’ or statute barred. This means the debt still exists but the law (statute) can be used to prevent (bar) the creditor from getting a court judgment or order to recover it.
However, they may still be able to take other action depending on the type of debt.
In Scotland:
If the creditor waits too long, the debt will become prescribed. Once a debt is prescribed, the law says it no longer exists so there’s nothing more the creditor can do collect it.
Find out more about debt collection and what creditors can and can't do