Accessing Debt Advice Services

							Accessing Debt Advice
      Services
           Steve Wilcox
 Sheffield CAB Debt Support Unit
The main strategies for dealing with
             debt……
 Negotiating affordable or token payments
 Debt Relief Orders
 Bankruptcy
 Individual Voluntary Arrangements
 Debt Management Plans
Who can you trust?
  Citizens Advice Bureaux and
  Advice UK Member Centres
Independent and impartial.
Free.
Rights based advice.
Advise on all options for dealing with debt.
Will normally provide a full casework
service.
BUT….. don’t have sufficient capacity and
can, therefore, be difficult to access.
National Telephone Helplines
National Debtline – 0808 808 4000 –
telephone advice coupled with excellent
written information.
Community Legal Advice – 0845 345 4345
– full casework service provided – but
must be eligible for “Legal Help”.
Free Debt Management Plans
Consumer Credit Counselling Service –
0800 138 1111

Payplan – 0800 716239
 Fee Charging “Debt Advice”
Fee charging companies are in the
business of selling specific debt rescue
products – IVAs, DMPs and consolidation
loans.
Can’t rely on them for impartial advice
about all options for dealing with debt.
Being a Registered Charity doesn’t
guarantee impartial advice, or a quality
service.
 Early Intervention Debt Advice
             Project
Tenants with rent arrears often have other debts
and/or problems claiming benefits.
Rent arrears/evictions are costly for RSLs to deal
with.
“Early intervention” debt and benefits advice can
deliver cost-savings for RSLs.
Project being developed in Sheffield to deliver
Quality Marked debt and benefits advice for RSL
and Sheffield Homes tenants at £200 per
referral.