All debt advice work is only possible because of the information you give us. Without this information we can do virtually nothing to help you; the length of your case depends mostly on how much paperwork and information you have ready for your first telephone meeting.
After you first contact us, you will be sent a “pack” – a blank income and expenditure form; This will be the most important document at your first appointment. Below we list some simple things you must do to prepare for your first telephone appointment. Just take it step-by-step, and if you get stuck at any stage, just call or message us for help.
Go through the blank income and expenditure form carefully and fill in all the sections that apply to your situation
Collect all letters from the people you owe money to (creditors) – keep all your post and have it ready to share with us if we ask
Please take immediate steps to get copies of your last 3 months’ bank statements (We need these to verify your budget)
Collect together your most recent benefits letters
You will also be asked to sign some documents and return them to us BEFORE your first meeting – details will be in the letter with your “pack”
If you have either COUNCIL TAX or HOUSING BENEFIT debt, please phone your local council for details.
We need to know what time period the debt relates to, how much you owe – and is there a deduction in place from either your earnings or benefits?
If you are on UNIVERSAL CREDIT phone Universal Credit Debt Management 0345 850 0293 to find out if you have any Universal Credit deductions.
For each debt ask: what is it for, how much is the balance, and how much is the deduction?
If you receive TAX CREDITS, phone the Tax Credits Helpline 0345 300 3900 and find out if there are any old debts.
For each debt ask: what tax year, how much is the balance, and is there a deduction from earnings or benefit (which one?) in place?
If you have DEDUCTIONS FROM EARNINGS ask your employer for a copy of the letter(s) they had telling them to set up the deduction(s).
USEFUL TIP Calls to the Council, Universal Credit etc can be slow – so look at the free WeQ4U app, which can save you loads of money when making mobile phone calls and takes away the stress of long waits in a queue.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.