What SortedUK can and cannot do

Knowing where a service stops is as useful as knowing what it does. This page sets out the boundary plainly, and tells you who to go to when SortedUK is not the right answer.

What SortedUK does

• explains what a letter, bill or decision means, in plain English
• tells you the real deadline and what usually happens if it passes
• shows the support you may be entitled to, based on the published rules
• drafts letters you can read, edit and send yourself
• points you to the official application or the right organisation
• shows its sources and the date each was checked

What SortedUK does not do

• It is not regulated advice. SortedUK is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, is not a firm of solicitors, and is not a government body.
• It does not recommend a specific debt solution — an IVA, a DRO, bankruptcy or a debt management plan. That is regulated debt advice.
• It does not give legal advice on your individual case, represent you, or tell you how a court will decide.
• It does not make decisions. It cannot approve a claim, award a benefit or overturn a fine.
• It does not submit anything on your behalf. You always send the application or reply yourself.
• It does not know your full circumstances unless you tell it, and rules have exceptions that a general explanation cannot cover.

The boundary, in one line

Explaining how a rule works is information. Telling you what you personally should do about a regulated matter is advice. SortedUK does the first and deliberately stops short of the second — because doing the second properly requires regulation, insurance and someone accountable for the outcome.

Where AI is involved, and what that means

Four features use AI to explain things: Ask Sorted, Decode a letter, the plain-English translator and the full situation scan. Those answers are generated from your text and general UK rules.

• they can be wrong, out of date, or miss something specific to you
• they are not a decision about your case
• anything important should be checked against the official source we link to
• the text you provide is sent to our AI provider — see what we send

When to talk to a person instead

Use a human service, not a website, when:

• someone is at risk of harm, homelessness or losing their home
• a deadline is days away and you are unsure
• the amount of money is significant to you
• you have had a decision you want to challenge formally
• your situation is unusual or does not match the general rules

Free, expert help exists: Citizens Advice, StepChange and National Debtline for debt, Shelter for housing, and your council’s welfare rights team for benefits. Our helpline directory lists verified numbers, and find local help searches by postcode.

If we get something wrong

Tell us. Every correction is logged publicly with the date on the corrections page — not quietly edited. Every guide carries a last-checked date and links to the official source so you can verify it without taking our word for it. Our full sourcing approach is on the methodology page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SortedUK regulated?

No. SortedUK is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, not a firm of solicitors, and not a government body. It explains rules and routes you to the right organisation, including regulated ones.

Can SortedUK tell me what to do about my debts?

It can explain your options and what each one usually means. It cannot recommend a specific debt solution for your circumstances — that is regulated debt advice, and free regulated help is available from StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice.

Does an AI answer count as advice?

No. AI-generated explanations on SortedUK are information about how rules generally work. They are not a decision about your case, and they should never be the only thing you rely on for something serious.

What if SortedUK gets something wrong?

Tell us and we will correct it publicly in the corrections log. Every guide carries a last-checked date and links to the official source so you can verify it yourself.

When should I speak to a person instead?

Whenever a decision is serious, the deadline is close, someone is at risk, the money is significant, or your situation does not match the general rules. Those are exactly the cases where a person beats a website.

Need a person, not a website?

Free, expert UK help exists for debt, housing, benefits and legal problems. We will point you at it rather than pretend we can replace it.