Your Wellness

Debt Management

Business Debtline

(Suitable for the self-employed or the Small Business)

Excellent information and advice but they will not contact your creditors on your behalf. You will have to do that yourself, using the information that they provide.

Telephone calls from landlines are free and the charity has a special service for those who have a problem with speech or hearing. Business Debtline has a list of organisations that can help if you have any mental health difficulties and also warns about the companies which charge a fee for debt services.

The website shows a simple four step process that gives clear advice including claiming any benefits that may be due and advice for businesses that are having financial problems.

Whilst the website is useful in explaining how to go about paying off creditors, it appears to only offer advice and in that sense is not really a debt management organisation. i.e. it will not deal with creditors but will only advise you how to do this. So, for anyone who is under pressure this organisation delivers some good advice but not practical help.

StepChange Debt Charity

StepChange is one of the top debt charities in the UK. It was formerly known as the Consumer Credit Counselling Service but in 2012 it changed its name in order to make people more aware of the help that it provided. Using the media the charity was able to make thousands more people aware of the debt services that were available for free and this charity has many years of experience in helping people who are in financial difficulty.

An advisor from StepChange will work with you to organise a budget to suit your personal circumstances and set up a debt management plan where one monthly payment to the charity will cover your debts. The charity will also be able to help you decide whether this is the right way forward or whether another option will present a better solution.

Christians Against Poverty

You can contact Christians Against Poverty by the helpline, by post, by email and through debt centres. The advice and help is free as the charity is funded by donations. If you apply for help you will be given a case manager who will contact your creditors and arrange a debt management plan or you will be provided with different options to deal with your debts.

Citizens Advice Debt Management

Citizens Advice Debt Management can be contacted through the Citizens Advice Bureau, via a helpline or you can look it up through the Internet. The website shows helpful advice about other debt management companies and charities. However, in order to take up a debt management plan with the organisation you need to approach the Citizens Advice Bureau in person.

Debt Advice Foundation

The Debt Advice Foundation is a registered charity. The website is very informative and shows you an array of options that can be considered as well as a debt management plan. These include bankruptcy, IVA (Individual Voluntary Agreement) and debt consolidation.

There is a free debt advice helpline and you can speak confidentially to an advisor between the hours of 8.00 am to 8.00 pm Monday to Friday and 9.00 am to 3.00 pm on Saturdays. The organisation is useful for outlining the different options about dealing with debt and advice on how best to protect your home, reduce monthly payments and how to prevent creditors from taking you to court.

Debt Support Trust Management

The Debt Support Trust Management can be contacted using the enquiry form on the website or by ringing the helpline. Like the other free advice charities it lists different methods of getting out of debt and you can read about the different kinds of debt i.e. unsecured loans and secured loans, priority debts and the charity will tailor advice to your specific circumstances.

National Debtline Debt Management

This organisation is another one that offers advice about the steps to take if you are in debt and it has a free helpline or you can contact an advisor by an enquiry form or by post. National Debtline Debt Management has lots of fact sheets covering all aspects of debt but in order to put together a debt management plan you need to sort out your own budget. However, if you qualify i.e. can pay at least £5 per month off your debts and clear them within 10 years then you can use it to set up a Debt Management Plan.

Shelter Debt Management

Shelter is a charity that is mainly dedicated to the homeless and as such is not really a specialist service for those in debt. The website gives advice on how to negotiate with creditors but then refers you to other charities if you want to set up a debt management plan.