If you have received a Notice of Enforcement telling you a bailiff is going to call at your house, you may be able to negotiate some sort of repayment to the lender (your creditor) before they call.
Make sure you know who your creditor is, because it’s possible your original creditor could have already sold the debt to a debt recovery agency. Alternatively you may be able to make an application to the court to suspend the bailiff’s action. If you cannot suspend the action, it may not be too late to make an offer to repay the debt over a period of time.
You can discuss this without letting the bailiff into your home, although you may feel awkward discussing such matters in public.
If you cannot afford to make an offer your local CAB may be able to help by negotiating with the bailiff on your behalf. When you seek advice make sure you have all the necessary papers informing you of the bailiff action, as well as (if they have already visited) any documentation left by them.
If you know a bailiff is going to call, try to have a witness there and make sure you note down everything that is said or any of the powers they claim to have. A bailiff can only ever visit your home 7 days after they’ve issued you with a Notice of Enforcement.