Welcome to debt advice You are about to start debt advice with StepChange You share details of your finances and debts We work out your budget You get free, impartial debt advice Find out more here about what information we collect about you and why, as well as who we share your personal data with.
How we help you Watch our video to find out more about our free and flexible debt advice service. Click for sound 1:00
We ask you for details to help identify your account. Such as: The creditor name and account numbers Your name Your address and postcode Your date of birth We let your creditors know what we recommended following your advice and the date we advised you. We share this with creditors to: Let them know we are helping you, if we have an arrangement with your creditors. We will you know if this will happen To get funding for the services we offer you, if we have a funding arrangement with your creditor Please be reassured it will have no impact on how they treat you or on how we advise you. If you don’t have this information to hand, you can take a break and come back later. Find out more about how we use your data
There are lots of ways to deal with debt. And there are solutions that work for different situations. These include: Debt management plans (DMP) Individual voluntary arrangements (IVA) Bankruptcy Debt relief orders (DRO) If you live in Scotland, there are also: : Trust deeds debt payment plan via the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) You may not be aware that we help people across the whole of the UK. Find out more about our debt advice service in Scotland.
Our advice is based on your situation. We look at: How much you can afford to pay towards your debt How long it would take you to repay your debt Where you live Your job Any other things you are dealing with that may make it harder to repay what you owe If you can afford to make payments each month, we may recommend a repayment plan. Such as a debt management plan. Or we may tell you about ways to write off your debt. Insolvency solutions, like bankruptcy or an IVA, can write off some or all of your debt and give you a fresh start. But they may also affect your job, home or being able to take out credit. We will let you know what we think you should do and what to do next. We are here for you as long as you need us.
At the end of your debt advice, we share your 'personal action plan with you'. This is clear and practical advice about how you can deal with your debts, based on what you have told us. In your personal action plan, you will see: Your monthly budget Simple steps to follow. Including how to apply for your debt solution Advice on dealing with the people you owe
It depends on what solution you are on. If you are on a debt management plan: Use our advice to check if a DMP is right for you. You can switch to us if you like, as nobody is tied to a DMP. And our DMPs are always fee-free. That means all the money you pay goes towards paying your debt. If you are on an IVA, trust deed or other formal solution: You should speak to your insolvency practitioner first. They will look at your situation. Tell them if you cannot afford your monthly payments. If you think another option would work better for you, they can talk to you about that.