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Doorstep loans are a type of personal loan that you get from people who visit your home. This can be an expensive and risky way to borrow. You may not be fully protected as some doorstop loan companies do not follow the guidelines for responsible lending.
This is a type of high-cost, short-term credit.
If you are worried about money, we are here to help you. Find out more about our free debt advice and support service.
Yes, this is still happening even though many people use online banking and credit services. Doorstep loans are also called:
They may also be in the form of cash or vouchers.
Not all people offering loans can be trusted.
It can be a big relief when someone you know offers you a loan. This could be a friend or family member, or someone who lives nearby.
They may not be a loan shark or illegal lender. But loan sharks can be hard to spot. They may use trust or friendship to trap you in debt. They may pretend to represent a company you are more willing to trust.
Read our guide to loan sharks to find out more.
Doorstep loans usually have quite a high rate of interest or annual percentage rate (APR). It can be as much as 200% or even more.
Interest means the amount you must pay back on top of the money borrowed. Think of it as the ‘cost’ to borrow money.
Here is an example:
You borrow £100 with 10% interest
But if you borrow £100 when the interest rate is 200%, this means:
Read our guide to understanding interest and charges.
There are a number of organisations who can support you if you need help paying for food or bills.
We work with companies who can provide these for you. You can use these to pay for debt solution fees, energy bills and more.
Find out where to get a trust fund.
Your local council can help you in different ways. They should have something called a ‘welfare assistance scheme’. These can provide:
Find out more about getting emergency help with money for bills or food.
There are companies who provide loans for people with bad credit. But this is a very expensive way to borrow money. Read our guide to loans for bad credit.
We will not judge you, we are here to help. Whatever you are dealing with we can help find a way to deal with your money worries.
✓ We have helped 7.5 million people since 1993
We have helped millions of people since 1993.
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"Fantastic service, has taken all the worry of debt off me. My creditors are happy. No more phone calls and letters from them telling me I'm in arrears. Peaceful sleep at last."
Yvonne, Feefo Review