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Debt Advice

It's common for people to avoid dealing with debt, often fearing final demand letters. However, ignoring debt only makes things worse over time. Advice centres often help people who are struggling to keep up with their bills, and with rising energy prices, it’s more important than ever to seek help now.

Across Lincolnshire, free and confidential advice is available.

Visit Your Local Advice Centre

Contact your local advice centre for support. Make sure to bring your bills and bank statements to your appointment. Use the Citizens Advice branch locator to find your nearest branch.

Contact us - Citizens Advice

 

Use a budget planner

A budget planner can help you see exactly where your money is going and how much you’re earning. Managing a budget and tracking every pound is an essential first step toward becoming debt-free. Try the free online budget planning tool from MoneyHelper.

Budget planner | Free online budget planning tool | MoneyHelper

 

Claim the benefits you are entitled to

It's more important than ever to make sure you're receiving all the benefits you're entitled to. Use benefit calculators like Turn2us Benefits Calculator or the entitledto Benefits Calculator to check.

You’ll need accurate details about your:

  • Savings

  • Income (including your partner’s income, such as payslips)

  • Existing benefits and pensions (including anyone living with you)

  • Outgoings (e.g. rent, mortgage, childcare payments)

  • Council Tax bill

 

Budgeting advance

If you need help covering a specific expense, you may be able to get a loan through your Universal Credit called a 'budgeting advance'. Learn more on the Citizens Advice website: Getting a Universal Credit budgeting advance. Alternatively, you can message your work coach through your Universal Credit journal.

 

Call a helpline

Below are two charities that provide free, confidential, expert debt advice:

 

Free debt advice in the UK

Choosing where to go for advice can feel overwhelming. Below are some of the free and impartial debt advice services in the UK, available online and via telephone.

 

Citizens Advice

The Citizens Advice webpage has information about debt and solutions to debt problems.

 

StepChange Debt Charity

www.stepchange.org

0800 138 1111

Advice, budget support and solutions to help you manage your debts.

 

PayPlan

https://www.payplan.com/debtadvice

0800 072 1206 (Mon to Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 9am–3pm)

PayPlan provides free debt advice and a variety of solutions through their freephone service and online services. You can chat with debt experts via live chat, email, WhatsApp, or request a call back using their debt help request form. Their website also offers a range of helpful resources and tools.

 

Citizens Advice Web Chat

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

0800 144 8848

Free, independent, confidential and impartial debt advice through their web chat service and advice line.

 

National Debtline

nationaldebtline.org

0808 808 4000

National Debtline offers free debt advice online through its My Money Steps tool, along with web guides, fact sheets, and sample letters.

 

Debt Advice Foundation

www.debtadvicefoundation.org

0800 622 6151

The Debt Advice Foundation is a national charity that provides free, confidential support and advice to anyone concerned about debt.

 

Christians Against Poverty Debt help

No matter how big or small your debt problem is, we can help. Our free, expert debt advice will guide you on the best way out of debt and offer different types of support to help you become debt-free.

The first step can be the hardest, but it’s worth it. Asking for help may feel daunting, especially for those who have reached a crisis point before seeking support. Our appointments are face-to-face with a local debt coach.

Our friendly New Enquiries team is here to listen and help you start your journey out of debt.

CAP Debt Help is available in Lincoln, Boston, and south Lincolnshire. Check our website to see if your postcode is covered.

https://capuk.org/get-help/cap-debt-help

 

Money Helper

To find face-to-face advice, you can use the search facility on the Money Helper website at: debt advice locator webpage.

If you're struggling to pay your bills, it’s important to prioritise the most critical ones first, as some bills have more serious consequences if left unpaid. To manage your finances, divide your bills into three categories:

  • Priority debts
  • Non-priority debts
  • Debt emergencies

If you're facing a debt emergency, such as the risk of court action, bailiff visits, disconnection, or eviction due to mortgage or rent arrears, it's crucial to seek advice from a debt adviser.

 

Money Helper Bill Prioritiser

MoneyHelper offers a bill prioritiser tool, which lets you select the bills you need to pay. It then creates a personalised list, showing you the order in which to tackle them.

Bill prioritiser: which debts or bills are most important? | MoneyHelper

If you have a loan with the same bank where you hold your account, your loan repayments are often taken directly from your account. If your account is heavily overdrawn, incoming payments may be absorbed by bank fees.

In such cases, you might want to consider switching to a new bank account. Make sure to formally close the old account and transfer all direct debits to the new one.

You can find helpful guidance on this topic on the How to open, switch and close a bank account | MoneyHelper website.

You may be visited by a bailiff or enforcement agent if you don't pay debts like Council Tax bills, parking fines, court fines, or judgments from the county court, high court, or family court.

Bailiffs will send you a letter before they visit, so it’s important not to ignore any letters stating that bailiffs will be involved.

There are different types of bailiffs, including:

  • 'Certificated enforcement agents' (also known as 'civil enforcement agents')
  • 'High court enforcement officers'
  • 'County court and family court bailiffs'
  • Bailiffs who enforce magistrates' court fines and arrest warrants (either 'civilian enforcement officers' or 'Approved Enforcement Agents')

A bailiff may also visit your home for other reasons, such as serving court documents or delivering notices and summons.

 

GOV.UK 

The Government's website explains what can happen if a bailiff visits your home and what your rights are. Visit their website for more information:

Bailiff powers when they visit your home: What you can do when a bailiff visits - GOV.UK

 

Citizens Advice

For advice on what to do if you receive a letter from a bailiff about a debt, or if a bailiff visits your door, Citizens Advice offers helpful information:

Bailiffs - Citizens Advice

 

Shelter England

The guidance is different if a bailiff is coming to evict you. Shelter’s website has advice on what to do:

What happens when bailiffs evict tenants - Shelter England

If your business is in debt, you can get advice on the Business Debtline website.

If you've been declined for credit, you may have considered borrowing from a loan shark. Stop Loan Sharks investigates and prosecutes illegal money lenders and offers support for borrowers in the UK.

If you've borrowed from a loan shark or are worried about someone else, Stop Loan Sharks is here to help keep you safe. Their staff are trained to provide both emotional and practical support tailored to your needs.

Stop Loan Sharks

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In this section

  1. Money Talk Lincs
  2. Debt Advice
  3. Food Help
  4. Claim Benefits
  5. Council Tax Support
  6. Pension Credit
  7. Plan and Budget
  8. Reduce Your Bills
  9. Borrowing
  10. Saving
  11. Advice and Support Services

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