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Debt Advice Agencies
The agencies listed below may be able to offer you advice and assistance in dealing with money and debts.
StepChange Debt Charity (formerly Consumer Credit Counselling Service)
Registered charity offering free, impartial, confidential advice and support to anyone who is worried about debt. Dealing with debt can be a stressful experience but it need not be a challenge you face alone. Step Change Debt Charity (CCCS) has been providing free debt help to people across the UK for over 15 years. The services they can offer include debt counselling, personal budgeting, advice on borrowing and advice on setting up realistic debt repayment plans. StepChange can also help with identifying your highest priority debts and living expenses and can help you negotiate with your creditors. Use their online tool, StepChange Debt Remedy, for an instant assessment of your situation with free advice tailored to your individual needs.
- Website: www.stepchange.org
- StepChange Debt Remedy (on-line debt counselling service)
- StepChange Guide to debt management plans
- Tel: (0800) 138 1111
Opening Times: Monday-Friday 8am-8pm; Saturday 9am-4pm
Brighton & Hove Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
Offers free, confidential, impartial, and independent advice on managing your finances, including opening bank accounts, problems with bank accounts, benefit overpayments, council rent arrears, budgeting and general debt problems.
- Office based at Hove Town Hall, 1 Tisbury Road, Hove, BN3 4AH
- Drop-in advice times (held at the CAB offices at Hove Town Hall): Mon-Fri: 9.15am-11.15am.
- Tel: (01273) 223951
- Phoneline open Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 9.30am-12 noon & 1pm - 3.30pm. Tuesday & Friday: 9.30am - 12 noon.
- Website: www.brightonhovecab.org.uk
National Debtline
Free, confidential and independent telephone helpline service on debt issues. Offers specialist advice, self-help materials and individually tailored Debt Management Plans. Language Line, an interpreter service, is available offering professional telephone interpreters in over 100 languages to translate what you and the adviser are saying to each other.
- Tel: (0808) 8084000
- Line open: Monday-Friday 9am - 9pm. Saturday 9.30am - 1pm
- Website: www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
My Money Steps
Struggling to pay credit cards, loans or household bills? My Money Steps is a free and easy to use online debt advice service from National Debtline. It will give you a personalised action plan to manage your debts and help get rid of the stress that goes with them.
- Website: www.mymoneysteps.org
Brighton Housing Trust Advice
Brighton Housing Trust (BHT) can provide specialist legal advice on housing, immigration, welfare benefits and debt at their advice centre in Brighton. BHT also has an advice centre in Eastbourne. See their website for more details.
- Address: Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XG
- Tel: (01273) 234737
- Email: advice@bht.org.uk
- Website: www.bht.org.uk
Money Advice Service
The Money Advice Service provides clear, impartial information about UK financial services to help you manage your money better and make more informed financial service choices. The website contains a section devoted to getting free debt advice. The Money Advice Service was set up by the government, is funded by the UK financial services industry and is run by an independent chair and board, appointed by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.
- Tel: (0300) 500 5000 - calls should cost no more than 01 or 02 UK-wide calls and are included in inclusive mobile and landline minutes. You can also ask to be called back.
- Opening Times: Monday-Friday 8.00am-8.00pm. Saturday 9.00am-1.00pm
- Website: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
St Luke's Advice Service
Provides help with completing welfare benefit forms, appeals, correspondence with creditors and can offer legal representation at tribunals. Specialises in debt solutions such as agreeing suitable repayments and negotiating with creditors. Also offers help with income and expenditure forms, and advice on Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) or Bankruptcy.
- Address: 18 Exeter Street, Brighton, BN1 5PG
- Opening times: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 10am - 4pm. Friday 10am - 1pm
- Tel: (01273) 549203
- Email: info@stlukesadviceservice.org.uk
- Website: www.stlukesadviceservice.org.uk
Debt advice from Shelter
Shelter, the housing charity offers advice on dealing with debts and advice on where to get expert help.
Debt Advice Foundation
Registered UK debt advice charity offering free, confidential support and advice to anyone worried about debt. Can offer you information on what options are available to you based on your own personal circumstances.
- Tel: (0800) 043 40 50
- Lines Open: Monday-Friday 8am - 8pm. Saturday 9am - 5pm
- If you're calling from a mobile phone, you can ask to be called back.
- Website: www.debtadvicefoundation.org
Debt Support Trust
The Debt Support Trust is a national charity offering advice on dealing with debts, including the use of debt management plans, Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), Bankruptcy, Protected Trust Deeds* and Sequestration* (*for people living in Scotland).
- Website: www.debtsupporttrust.org.uk
- Helpline: 0800 085 0226
- Opening times: Monday-Friday 8am - 7pm
Money Advice and Community Support
Charity providing a welfare benefit and debt advice telephone line. The service is impartial and confidential and the advice is free.
- Office address: 24 Old Steine, Brighton, BN1 1EL
- Advice line: (01273) 664040
- Line Open: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 10am - 12 noon. Tuesday & Friday 2pm - 4pm. Outside of these hours you can call and leave a message to request a call-back.
- Email: info@macss.org.uk
- Website: www.macss.org.uk
East Sussex Credit Union
East Sussex Credit Union is a not-for-profit savings and loans co-operative focusing on the needs of those on low incomes. The credit union offers easy-to-access savings accounts and affordable, flexible loans. It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority with savings 100% guaranteed by the FSA Compensation Scheme.
If you are in debt and are looking for ways to raise some money or if you’ve been refused loans by the high street banks, East Sussex Credit Union can offer an alternative to the high-cost loans offered by predatory lenders or doorstep lenders, sometimes referred to as loan sharks.
- Address: Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XG
- Help Point at Community Base: Mon-Fri 10am - 3pm (call for details of help points outside of Brighton & Hove City Council's area.)
- Tel: (01273) 234 858 open Mon-Fri 10am - 4pm
- Email: info@eastsussexcu.org.uk
- Website: www.eastsussexcu.org.uk
Knoll Advice Centre
- Open Mondays 10.00am-1.00pm (except bank holidays)
- Tel: (01273) 410 383
- Address: St Richard's Church & Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove, BN3 7FP
Turn2us
Turn2us is a charity that helps people with financial difficulties to access the money available to them in the form of welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial assistance.
- Helpline: (0808) 802 2000 open 8am - 8pm Monday to Friday
- Calls are free from landlines.
- Advice is confidential and independent.
- Website: www.turn2us.org.uk
Business Debtline
The Business Debtline provides a free telephone debt counselling service for the self-employed and small businesses facing financial hardship.
- Tel: (0800) 197 6026
- Lines open: Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm
- Website: www.bdl.org.uk
Payplan
Offers free, impartial debt solutions tailored to meet personal circumstances such as Debt Management Plans (DMPs) and Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs). Payplan is part-funded by donations from the UK credit industry. It is not a registered charity.
- Tel: (0800) 280 2816
- Lines open: Monday-Friday 8am - 9pm, Saturday 9am - 3pm
- Website: www.payplan.com
Online resource: Gov.uk guide to dealing with debt problems
Step-by-step guidance provided by the UK Government’s public services access website: www.gov.uk/options-for-paying-off-your-debts
Money Matters Online
A collection of links vetted by Brighton & Hove Library Service and designed to help you with money and finances.
Online resource: Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) Advice Guide
Online help provided by the Citizens Advice Bureau: www.adviceguide.org.uk
Online resource: Brighton & Hove NHS ~ Information Prescriptions
The Information Prescriptions website has been developed to help people with long term health conditions or social care needs. The website offers information and links to support organisations that can help people manage their conditions better and live longer, healthier and more independent lives. The site includes tips on where to look for financial advice and benefits advice, both locally and nationally - go to: www.ipbh.org.uk/financial-advice-and-benefits
Online resource: Martin Lewis ~ Money Saving Expert
Guidance on dealing with debt, including budgeting advice, a useful budgeting tool and ways to make your money go further. There’s also a guide to mental health & debt. The website is run by Martin Lewis. It is not a registered charity. Website: www.moneysavingexpert.com
Legal Aid
Legal Aid can help you pay for legal advice, mediation or representation in court if you can’t afford it. This could include help for housing or debt problems. The Gov.uk website has an online Legal Aid checker to help you find out if you are entitled to this help.
- Legal Aid on the Gov.uk website: www.gov.uk/legal-aid
Online resource: Gov.uk Benefits Adviser
Many people are missing out on benefits and tax credits by not knowing that they may be entitled to them. The Benefits Adviser is an online questionnaire to help you find out which benefits and tax credits you and your family may be entitled to. No personal information is required. The Benefits Adviser tool is provided by Gov.uk, the UK government’s public services access website: www.gov.uk/benefits-adviser
talk about debt
The talkaboutdebt website provides useful information and tips on dealing with debts and suggestions on which of the national debt help organisations might be more suited to help you, based on your circumstances. The website also has some reviews of debt management companies and debt help charities from people who have used them. The website is run by Talk About Holdings Limited. It is not a registered charity. Website: www.talkaboutdebt.co.uk