Let’s tackle debt together; debt guidance for Debt Awareness Week

In this month’s edition of MoneyHelper’s monthly financial guidance column, Dawn Cummins, Regional Manager for the West-Midlands at the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), talks about debt and how you can get free support. 

1. What is problem debt?

Debt can happen in lots of different ways; you might borrow money on a credit card or loan and then find you struggle to keep up with the agreed repayments. 

Or you may not have enough money to cover council tax or energy bill and start getting letters and calls asking you to repay the money you owe. 

If something like this is happening to you then it's time to seek help. 

But don't worry, there are friendly, non-judgemental debt advisers who can support you and help you to find a solution that works for you. 

Reach out for help if you need it. Use the  MoneyHelper debt advice locator tool to find a debt adviser near you. 

2. Why tackle it early 

When people realise they are in problem debt, many people struggle on, trying to cope with the debt themselves. But this often leads to further complications, and the longer you wait before getting professional support, the worse your situation can become. 

Struggling with problem debt can negatively affect your mental and physical health, work and relationships with family and friends. But you are not alone, and help is available. 

If I could encourage one thing in the month of Debt Awareness Week, it would be to seek debt advice early if you need help. 

3. How debt advisors help  

Debt advisors can give you guidance on better ways of managing your money, check to see if there are any benefits or entitlements you might be able to claim and tell you about the ways of dealing with debts that are open to you. 

4. What can you expect from a debt appointment 

During a debt appointment, a debt advisor will suggest ways of dealing with your debts that you might not know about, and they’ll help you to prioritise if you have multiple debts. 

Seeking debt advice can feel overwhelming, but there is no need to feel this way. Debt advisors will never judge you or make you feel bad about your situation, so there really is no need to feel embarrassed about seeking help. 

Within a debt advice session, all your data will be kept confidential, so you don't need to worry about your personal information being shared. without your permission. 

You are also in control right the way through the process, a debt adviser will never take an action with checking with you first and getting your agreement on next steps. 

5. How to get help 

There are several ways to seek debt advice, including face-to-face, over the phone or online, so you can choose the channel that best suits you. 

MoneyHelper has plenty of free tools and resources to help manage debt and payments, including the  Bill Prioritiser tool to help understand which bills to tackle first. 

Use MoneyHelper’s free  Debt Advice Locator tool to find free debt advice near you.