Help with managing your finances 

One of the most important things to do is to set out all your income and your expenditure in a budget. This budget planner is really useful. Work out your budget – Citizens Advice 

It can be scary If you’ve got debts you can’t handle. New figures from the Money Advice Service show that getting free advice really can help. 65% of people who received regulated debt advice were repaying the money they owed or had repaid in full within three to six months. 

Debt advisers won’t judge you or make you feel bad for any decisions that caused the problems. Instead, they’ll suggest ways to deal with the debt, and offer advice on ways to better manage your money. 

You can access free advice online, over the phone or face-to-face. What you discuss will also be confidential. The debt advice locator tool can help you find the right place for you. 

Try the Money Advice Service debt advice locator tool 

You should be able to get the support you need to rebuild your finances and clear your debts from charities or free organisations, so avoid any company that wants to charge you a fee for the same services. 

Debt problems tend to build up over time, gradually getting to the point where finances reach crisis point.   

With one in six people at risk, there’s a good chance you know someone struggling – even if they’re trying to hide their problems. We’re calling on friends and family to keep a look out for any of these signs and potentially intervene to show there’s support out there, and to hopefully stop the debts getting out of control. 

Often when people have money worries, they hide them due to embarrassment or to protect their family. Or perhaps they just don’t realise the severity of the situation – or want to admit it. But there are clues you can look out for. 

Ask yourself: 

• Have you been in debt in the past? 
• Have you had a recent life event? – an event that has resulted in a loss of income or higher spending for example having a baby, being made redundant, illness, divorce or a death in the family. 
• Are you living beyond your means or overspending? – you always seem to have the latest ‘must have’ items although you don’t have the income to cover this. 
• You appear anxious, withdrawn or depressed – you have reduced time socialising, you are avoiding friends. 
• Are you starting to hide issues and avoid talking about finances?    
• You have changed your spending habits – either reducing spending (such as going on fewer holidays or eating out less) or overspending (spending without a plan for repayment for example putting luxury items on credit) 
• Are you tired or having trouble sleeping? 

Finally, take the Debt test on the Money Advice Service website. It helps them work out which way is the best bet to resolve your worries.  

Take the Money Advice Service debt test and find options to solve your money problems 

Are you: 

• in arrears? 
• need welfare benefits advice? 
• affected by the welfare reform? 
• have utility company debts? 
• have loans that have high interest? 
• have other debts and you need help with arranging repayments? 

If so, contact us.  We can help. 

We can help with advice on paying your arrears. Any arrangements made will depend on the amount of the arrears and how much you can pay. We will try and make an agreement with you to clear your arrears, considering your income and other priority payments you must make.