How to get debt help from us
Whether you use our online advice tool, or call us, the process is the same. When you have a debt advice session, we recommend ways to deal with your debts, based on what you’ve told us about you.
No-one needs to know that you’ve come to us for debt help. Our advice is confidential and doesn’t affect your credit score.
To make sure the advice and solutions we offer are right for you, we need to know more about your financial situation. We’ll ask you about the money you have coming in and going out, who you owe money to and if there’s anything else you’re dealing with that’s affecting your finances.
Both our online debt advice tool and our advisors guide you through the session. If you need more time, you can pause and come back later
We recommend gathering information about your finances, including income, outgoings and debts, before you start and having these to hand – but you don’t have to provide any documents at this stage.
Frequently asked questions
Whether you choose to go through our online tool, or we speak to you on the phone, we recommend you prepare for your debt advice session. It helps if you can gather details about:
- The money you have coming in, for example your wages, benefits, pension payments or tax credits
- Your regular living costs, such as your rent or mortgage, what you need to spend on food, travel and insurance, among other things
- How much money you owe and who you owe money to, including any interest, fees and charges
You can get this information by checking your recent account statements, receipts and payslips. This will help us to get a clear picture of what you can afford and which payments you’re struggling to keep on top of.
It’s important to be as accurate as possible, but we won’t ask you to send us any documents, at this stage, to get a recommendation for the best solution for your situation.
Ready for debt advice?
If you’re self-employed, living in England, Wales or Scotland and looking for help with your debts, please contact Business Debtline.
They offer specialist help to the self-employed, including advice on tax implications, court proceedings and business liabilities. They’ll also be able to help with any personal debts.
Call them on 0800 197 6026. They’re open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm.
If you live in Northern Ireland, please contact Advice NI who offer free and impartial advice for Sole Traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies.
You can call them on 0800 0838 018, Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm.
We provide debt advice and solutions for people living in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
While some solutions, such as debt management plans, are available in all these countries, we also have specialist teams who deal with IVAs and DROs (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), and trust deeds and the Debt Arrangement Scheme (in Scotland).
Looking for debt advice in the Republic of Ireland? Sorry, we’re not able to help you. If you live in the Republic of Ireland, please contact the MABS helpline on 0761 07 2000. They’re open Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.
Read our guide to dealing with UK debts from abroad.