Powering up support: unlocking better pathways from energy debt to debt advice
October 2025 - The Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol, in partnership with StepChange and the energy regulator Ofgem put forward an evidence-based plan for improving debt advice referral pathways between energy suppliers and debt advice providers.
As energy prices continue to be a pressing concern for many households across the UK, energy suppliers play a crucial role in supporting customers and referring those with energy debt to free, independent debt advice.
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Debt, ethnicity and local area deprivation in London
June 2025
Our report in partnership with the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) based at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) explores household over-indebtedness and debt advice reach within London. It investigates their relationship and interrelationship with area deprivation and ethnicity
Somewhere safe to turn
June 2025
StepChange’s new briefing uses analysis of national polling to segment the need for credit alternatives and affordable credit in the UK. We estimate that four in ten UK adults would not be able to meet all of an unexpected £1,000 expense without borrowing.
Too close to home: StepChange debt advice clients’ experiences of coerced debt
March 2025
Our report offers an initial exploration of the issue of coerced debt from a debt advice perspective, examining the experiences of victim-survivors, identifying barriers to good outcomes, and setting out next steps.
Debt’s early grip: The challenges facing young adults
November 2024
This report in our client insights report series focuses on the experiences of clients aged 18-24 who are experiencing financial difficulty.
How consumer credit causes harm for people struggling with the cost of living
May 2024
StepChange's new infographic explores why consumer credit can lead to poor outcomes for people struggling with living costs and what government, regulators and industry can do to help.
In work. But still in debt: Charting the rise of clients in full time work
April 2024
Many people across the UK in full-time employment still face problem debt and their employment hasn’t been able to shield them from this. The report highlights the potential inadequacy of existing safety nets, the prevalence of in-work debt problems, and gender-specific experiences. YouGov polling commissioned by StepChange reveals that in the UK, among those that are experiencing problem debt (9% and around 2.8 million people), around 52% are in full-time employment.