If you’ve landed yourself in financial hot water, don’t fall for the hundreds of adverts promising to clear your debts - and don’t be tempted to take out any more credit.
Instead, talk to the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, CCCS. It’s a charity so it won’t try to talk you into an arrangement that makes them money but doesn’t solve your problems, and their advisors won’t get you into a payment plan you can’t handle.
The helpline number is 0800 138 1111.
So what does CCCS actually do? Here’s the gist, from the CCCS website.
People in financial difficulties reach us through our 0800 free phone number, or online using CCCS Debt Remedy. Over the telephone, the helpline advisor will perform an immediate assessment of the situation ending in emergency help, self-help material or the offer of a counselling appointment. Through CCCS Debt Remedy, visitors receive online expert debt advice tailored to their individual circumstances.
Whether a client chooses to use CCCS Debt Remedy or has a counselling appointment, CCCS conduct a full review of the credit and debt situation followed by a recommendation. The first priority wherever possible is to allow for essential expenditure, priority debts and living expenses. We will assess whether the client has enough left over to make an offer of repayment to other creditors. If so, creditors are asked to freeze interest, stop penalties and charges, accept a longer repayment period and sometimes a reduced sum.
Such is the quality of counselling that many creditors now accept our repayment proposals without further checking and the repayment records of clients we have counselled are uniquely good. This is because CCCS follow the two key principles of best advice and sustainable plans.
