Consumer Proposal Acceptance Rate in Canada: What the Process Actually Shows

The short answer is not “99%.” A meaningful acceptance rate needs a dated source, a defined population, and a clear definition of success: accepted as filed, accepted after amendment, deemed accepted, or completed successfully are different outcomes.

The OSB’s consumer-proposal guidance describes the process. A Licensed Insolvency Trustee files the formal proposal, creditors receive it, and creditors have 45 days to accept, reject, or request a meeting. If no meeting is requested during that window, the proposal can be deemed accepted under the process.

How Acceptance Works

1. The LIT gathers your financial information and files the proposal.
2. Creditors receive the proposal and the report about your circumstances.
3. Creditors can respond during the 45-day period or request a meeting.
4. If a meeting is held, votes are counted by the dollar value of proven claims.
5. An accepted proposal still follows the applicable court-approval process before becoming binding.

The OSB says creditors representing at least 25% of the total value of proven claims can request a meeting. At a meeting, the acceptance result is based on the value of claims, not a headcount. Read the OSB’s detailed voting explanation for the current statutory process.

Why a Single Percentage Misleads

An acceptance statistic can change depending on whether it includes:

• only proposals accepted as originally filed;
• proposals accepted after amendments;
• files that were withdrawn, annulled, or rejected;
• a particular trustee, creditor mix, province, or time period; and
• proposals filed, proposals accepted, or proposals fully completed.

Without those definitions, a headline such as “99% accepted” is not a forecast for your file. It is also unsafe to claim that CRA, banks, or any creditor follows one public acceptance percentage for every proposal.

What Makes a Proposal Easier to Evaluate?

Before filing, ask the LIT to explain:

• which debts and claims are included or excluded;
• how income, expenses, assets, and secured obligations affect the offer;
• what the creditor report says about your circumstances;
• what could cause an amendment request;
• what happens if the proposal is rejected or annulled; and
• which payments continue outside the proposal.

Use the consumer proposal calculator to test arithmetic, not acceptance odds. A calculator cannot see your complete file or negotiate with creditors.

If Creditors Ask for an Amendment

An amendment changes the decision. Do not treat it as an automatic failure or an automatic success. Compare the revised total, payment schedule, term, missed-payment rules, early-completion terms, and consequences with the original offer. Ask for the change in writing before agreeing.

For the next procedural step, read the consumer proposal timeline. For the broader choice, compare consumer proposal and bankruptcy.

Bottom Line

The useful question is not “What percentage gets accepted?” It is “What process applies to my filing, what terms are being offered, and what could change them?” Start with the consumer-proposal hub, review the fee questions to ask, and speak with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee before relying on an acceptance claim.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice.