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Partner news

Keep up to date with the latest charity news, blogs and announcements about our partnerships. 

July 2023

Report: StepChange sees increase in clients needing help with car finance debts

11 July 2023 

New data from StepChange Debt Charity reveals a marked increase in the proportion of clients contacting the charity for debt advice with car finance debt. Read the report here. 

June 2023

7 June 2023 

In June 2022, consumer credit provider NewDay became our first partner to adopt our new service, StepChange Direct, with incredibly encouraging results so far.  

In June 2022, consumer credit provider NewDay became our first partner to adopt our new service, StepChange Direct, with incredibly encouraging results so far.  

Designed to complement creditors’ digital collections strategies, StepChange Direct embeds into creditor websites and mobile apps, offering customers a free, short and easy to complete money health check at the most appropriate touchpoints in their journey. StepChange Direct then determines whether a customer would benefit from debt advice, budgeting support, or targeted help from their credit provider and directs them to this, significantly reducing customer dropouts.  

NewDay initially agreed to trial the new approach through its Aqua brand and has since adopted the solution permanently and will extended this to the rest of its other well-known brands. 

As of November 2022, the collaboration has seen 26% of customers referred to debt advice, complete the debt advice process, and receive a solution recommendation. This represents a significant increase compared to  signposting using traditional methods, for example being given a telephone number or web address over the phone. 

Ben Rogers, Head of Digital Collections at NewDay, said: 

“Partnering with StepChange on this innovative new service has allowed our growing number of digital customers the opportunity to seamlessly begin their debt advice journey when needed, aligning with the already well established and successful telephony process. 

“In an ever-evolving space, NewDay continues to pioneer digital solutions to support customers experiencing financial difficulty, and this new development is a welcome addition to our existing toolkit. 

“The results StepChange are already seeing highlight the benefits of working together to improve customer experience. This quick, frictionless journey is proving a real success with customers needing third party support and we look forward to rolling this out across our wider portfolio and contact strategies in 2023.” 

Our research shows that the way in which creditors communicate with their customers can make a massive difference to the actions that customers take, and that showing people a positive path forward makes them more likely to take action that will help their financial situation. The results from this pilot collaboration show how integrating a co-branded financial health check into creditors’ websites and apps can positively influence customers and encourage them to engage with support, of the right type and at the right time. 

To find out more about our StepChange Direct tool, click here. 

We're Credit Award winners

1 June 2023 

We're thrilled to have been awarded two awards at the 2023 Credit Awards, for Best Response to the Cost of Living Crisis (Non-Creditor) and Debt Advice Provider of the Year. Read more here

May 2023

Report: Trapped in Rent

23 May 2023 

Our new report has found that 2 in 3 private renters struggle to pay their rent, while more than 1.2 million renters are turning to credit to make ends meet.

Find out more

New client data shows increasing demand for debt advice

4 May 2023 

Demand for debt advice is up 15% year-on-year according to StepChange Debt Charity’s client data for March, released today. This continues a consistent trend of markedly higher year-on-year client volumes in each month of 2023.

Find out more

April 2023

Report: Our Impact in 2022

18 April 2023 

Our Impact Report takes a look at how we've worked together with our partner organisations throughout 2022 to deliver against our strategic objectives

Find out more

Our new partnership with ClearScore

6 April 2023 

We’re delighted to have launched a new partnership with ClearScore to help their users access free, impartial debt support using our new tool, StepChange Direct.

Our partnership will see ClearScore use their wealth of data to identify customers who are showing early signs of financial difficulty such as late or missed payments, offering them the chance to take our Money Health Check and access the right support for their individual circumstances.

As the cost of living crisis continues to put pressure on households across the UK, working collaboratively to support consumers is more important than ever before. ClearScore’s data shows that the number of people missing two or more credit cards payments has increased by 15% since February 2022, while our own research has shown that the same proportion have £20 or less left over each month after paying for essentials.  

As interest rate and inflation rises continue, this lack of financial resilience and increased reliance on borrowing is likely to cause a growing number of people to fall into problem debt later down the line. By working with ClearScore and harnessing their data to identify potential financial difficulty sooner, we can make sure users have access to the tools and resources they need to get on top of their finances before their situation spirals out of control.

Richard Lane, Director of External Affairs at StepChange said: “It’s a very worrying time for many households, millions of whom are one unexpected expense away from being plunged into debt. For some this will be temporary, but for those unable to keep up, there’s a very real danger of borrowing becoming unsustainable and turning into long term problem debt.

“Time and again our clients tell us they wish they’d reached out for help sooner. But the average StepChange client waits more than a year from the point at which their debt becomes unmanageable before they turn to us for support. Through our work with ClearScore we can begin to turn the tide and reach people earlier, catching consumers before they fall into real hardship and ensuring their path to becoming debt free is as quick as possible.”

Justin Basini, CEO and co-founder of The ClearScore Group, said: “We have insight into millions of consumer’s financial histories and understand the dangers of ignoring the warning signs of problem debt. Early intervention can have a huge impact and our aim with this partnership is to make it easy for people to reach out for help before their finances get out of control. We believe that getting people to take action and seek debt advice early on is the key to keep people moving forward.

“It is a common myth that taking debt advice will affect your credit score. This is simply not true, and we’re teaming up with StepChange to combat these misconceptions. The reality is that missed payments will show on your credit report and have an immediate impact on your score, so it pays to act fast if you feel your debts could become a problem. If you’ve got money worries, just know that you are not alone.”

To find out more about the Money Health Check, part of our StepChange Direct tool, click here. 

March 2023

Report: Our Statistics Yearbook 2022

29 March 2023 

Our latest Statistics Yearbook reveals the extent of the impact of rising costs on our clients, including a 25% increase in the average unsecured debt per client year-on-year.

Find out more

Vikki Brownridge appointed as new StepChange CEO

21 March 2023 

We're delighted to announce that Vikki Brownridge, currently Director of Operations at the charity, will become StepChange's CEO from 1 May 2023.

Find out more

Blog: Why is Debt Awareness Week so important?

20 March 2023 

Director of Client Experience, Gail Arkle, shares our latest polling data which highlights the lack of consumer understanding about debt advice, and how organisations can help to combat these debt myths.

Read the blog here

Interview: Cost of living insights with Jamie Buckley

8 March 2023 

We spoke to Senior Partnership Development Manager, Jamie Buckley, about how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting our clients and how organisations can offer support to their customers impacted by the rising cost of living. 

Read the interview here

LinkedIn Live: Join us on 23 March to find out how we're working with NewDay to support earlier intervention

1 March 2023

On Thursday 23 March join us for a round table discussion during Debt Awareness Week, exploring how early intervention is key in supporting customers through the cost of living crisis and how StepChange and NewDay are working together to improve customer outcomes and increase efficiency.  

Register here

February 2023

30 Years of StepChange: Partner highlights 

21 February 2023 

At the end of January we marked our 30th anniversary, a huge landmark that wouldn’t have been possible without the support of all our partner organisations. To help mark the occasion, we asked some of our partners to reflect on StepChange’s impact over the last 30 years, and the importance of our role in supporting their customers in financial difficulty.

Read more