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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.
Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS)
Registered charity offering free, impartial, confidential advice and support to anyone who is worried about debt. A range of services is provided, including: an online Debt Remedy Service, debt counselling, personal budgeting, advice on borrowing and advice on setting up realistic debt repayment plans. CCCS can also help with identifying your highest priority debts and living expenses and can help you negotiate with your creditors.
- Tel: (0800) 138 1111
- Opening Times: Monday-Friday 8.00am-8.00pm
- Email: contactus@cccs.co.uk
- Website: www.cccs.co.uk
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: (08451) 203710
- Phoneline open Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 9.30am-12.00 noon & 1.00pm-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 9.00am-9.00pm. Saturday 9.30am-1.00pm
- Email: info@nationaldebtline.co.uk
- Website: www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
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
Direct Debt Line
Charity that provides money advice to anyone experiencing problems with debt. Can provide money advice over the telephone and case-working for tenants of Registered Social Landlords. Services are free of charge.
- Tel: (01323) 635999
- Email: info@directdebtline.com
- Website: www.directdebtline.com
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 IVA or Bankruptcy.
- Address: 64 Old Shoreham Road, Brighton, BN1 5DD
- Opening times: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 10.00am-4.00pm. Friday 10.00am-1.00pm
- Tel: (01273) 549203
- Email: info@stlukesadviceservice.org.uk
- Website: www.stlukesadviceservice.org.uk
Money Made Clear
UK financial watchdog set up by the government to regulate financial services and protect your rights. Provides clear, impartial information about financial products and services to help make money matters clearer for you.
- 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.
- Opening Times: Monday-Friday 8.00am-8.00pm.
- Website: www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk
Community Legal Advice
Provides free help or legal advice over the phone for problems with debt, housing, employment, education, welfare benefits and tax credits. Also, if applicable, Legal Aid can provide free, specialist, confidential legal advice over the phone.
- Tel: (0845) 345 4345
- Opening Times: Monday-Friday 9.00am-8.00pm. Saturday 9.00am-12.30pm.
- Website: www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk
Debt Advice Network
Charitable organisation offering free, confidential, independent and impartial advice tailored to individual needs and circumstances. Also provides a website offering self-help tools including budgeting calculators and template letters for use with creditors.
- Central Adviceline: (0300) 011 2340
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Opening Times: Monday-Friday 9.00am-5.00pm. Saturday 9.00am-12.00 noon. Outside these hours, if you would like a call-back, call and leave a message.
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Email: advice@debtadvicenetwork.org
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Website: www.debtadvicenetwork.org
Money Advice and Community Support
Charity providing advice and assistance with financial difficulties. This is a confidential and impartial service focusing on debt and benefit issues for people coping with illness, hardship or old age.
- Address: 24 Old Steine, Brighton, BN1 1EL
- Tel: (01273) 664040
- Line Open: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 10.00am-12.00 noon. Tuesday & Friday 2.00pm-4.00pm. Outside of these hours you can call and leave a message to request a call-back.
- Fax : (01273) 664001
- Email: info@macss.org.uk
- Website: www.macss.org.uk
The UK Insolvency Helpline
Interactive online resource providing direct access to free professional advice on all debt and insolvency issues including monthly budgeting advice, avoiding bankruptcy, Individual Voluntary Arrangements, debt consolidation solutions, bad credit and debt management plans.
- Tel: (0800) 0746918
- Debt Advice Service open 24 hours a day.
- Email: info@insolvencyhelpline.co.uk
- Website: www.insolvencyhelpline.co.uk
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 8.00am-8.00pm. Saturday 9.00am-5.00pm
- If you're calling from a mobile phone, you can ask to be called back.
- Website: www.debtadvicefoundation.org
Payplan
Offers free, impartial debt solutions tailored to meet personal circumstances such as Debt Management Plans (DMPs) and Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs).
- Tel: (0800) 280 2816
- Lines Open: Monday-Friday 8.00am-9.00pm. Saturday 9.00am-3.00pm
- Website: www.payplan.com
talk about debt
Provides free and independant guidance on which charity is best suited to help you with your financial situation and to make sure you receive the right debt advice to suit your individual needs: www.talkaboutdebt.co.uk
Online resource: Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) Advice Guide
Online help provided by the Citizens Advice Bureau: www.adviceguide.org.uk
Online resource: Directgov 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 Directgov, the UK Government’s public services access website: www.direct.gov.uk/benefitsadviser
Online resource: Now Let’s Talk Money ~ from Directgov
Advice and help with basic bank accounts, loans and mortgages focusing on the needs of those on low incomes. Includes information on how to borrow money without resorting to high-cost or doorstep loans: www.nowletstalkmoney.com
Online resource: Martin Lewis ~ Money Saving Expert
For help with debts, budgeting advice, a useful budgeting tool and ways to make your money go further: www.moneysavingexpert.com
Online resource: What About Money ? ~ for 16-24 year-olds
Website provided by the Financial Services Authority primarily for young people giving useful information on borrowing, budgeting and how to look after money: www.whataboutmoney.info
Other agencies offering advice are listed on our benefits links page.