Debts: Advisory Services

Question

The Government recognises the vital role that debt advice and management services play in helping people in financial difficulty and vulnerable circumstances.

The Government Debt Management Function (GDMF) works closely with the debt advice sector through the Fairness Group to improve the way vulnerable debtors are identified and supported. This includes through improved signposting / referrals to the advice sector.

The GDMF has published the Debt Functional Standard, Vulnerability Toolkit and Economic Abuse Toolkit. These set expectations for government organisations to, where appropriate, signpost to external support services and debt advice.

To help people access debt advice, the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) launched MoneyHelper in 2021, a consumer-facing service which provides free online guidance for people dealing with money worries and debt and connects people to free advice through its debt advice locator tool.

This year, MoneyHelper undertook a cost-of-living promotional campaign to increase awareness of its content for those struggling with rising cost of living pressures, including tools to support people with prioritising bills, talking to creditors and budget planning. As of the end of March, the campaign had generated around 85,000 additional online sessions.

MaPS also promotes the Money Adviser Network (MAN), a free partnership opportunity for organisations having conversations with people in financial difficulty. The MAN seeks to simplify how people access regulated debt advice, providing a single point of entry to a panel of free, high quality debt advice agencies. It now comprises more than 500 referral partners including DWP’s Debt Management and Universal Credit Service Centre, HMRC, Crown Commercial Services and the Child Maintenance Service.

MaPS also engages with the GDMF’s Fairness Group, supporting improvements to the government’s debt management practices including promoting the use of the Standard Financial Statement (SFS).