National Online Database of FREE Debt Agencies - A Suggestion

johnloch2008

Hi Folks :cool:

I am a virgin poster on the Forum so please be gentle with me.

For a number of years now I have been frustrated that no-one in the UK has used the Internet to compile and offer a search list of FREE, ofice-based (etc) Debt Agencies in the UK. This would mean anyone with the internet could find out the address of their local Debt Advocate and access instant free help. it would thus save them money instead of having to pay for it(?) by cunning adverts...:money:

So today i have sent This email to the Forum Leaders to pass onto Martin, in the hopes that it will save many many people loads of money by gettting free debt management.

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Dear Forum Team.
I wanted to get this message to Martin, so I thought it would be more appropriate to contact him through yourselves.

I am a debt advisor part time for a local FREE debt centre. We deal with the full range of debt advice in our office.

As someone who has been involved with debt advocacy for 7 year, I have often been frustrated by the lack of simple, fast information about the nearest debt centres in any particular area of the UK. Last week I had a contact from Edinburgh and had to trawl the net to find the nearest agency that they could visit for such free advice.

So its with that in mind that I am asking Martin to consider setting up (on MSE) either a new tool or a part of his site to search the UK for the nearest free advice centres. Input a postcode and print out the local ones within 50 miles? That simple. (?)

Obviously there would have to be the initial input from the agencies themselves (CAB, Christians Against Poverty, CMA) etc, who would happily provide the details for a referral. Naturally there would have to be checks on individually run advice centres like mine, to see if they really do offer free advice – and not Ltd companies etc.

With all the skill and talent there is in MSE, I am sure that your guys could get this on the go on a super-quick basis. You are all so great at it. His would mean it is available to all those in debt NOW to access help, instead of being ‘conned’ (imho) by those who charge for the same (TV Newspaper, Magz ads).

So how’s about it guys......... will you rise to the challenge?

I am always available to offer my support for this at any time.

Keep up the good work.

John Lochrie

Involve Northwest Wirral
:A

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Anyone else think this is a good idea? Please pm Martin, Forum members or myself if you do... every little bit of support helps.

RAS

Read here http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/debt-help-plan?utm_source=forum&utm_medium=clicks&utm_campaign=resourcebar#help

fermi

This? https://www.moneyadvicemap.com

johnloch2008

Hi RAS and Fermi. Thank you so much for your suggestions. Both of those sites i have seen, and they have some merit.
The suggestion is still valid though that allows a one-page, postcode searable, database of ALL, FREE, face-to-face, debt agencies around a local area.

Imagine the dilemma. Imagine I am a person who has been swamped with debt over a period of time and I've buried my head in the sand. I've just seen Martin on ITV in the morning and finally have to get up the courage to sort it out. martin says, contact a free local advice company?

Where are they?

Imagine then that I continue to watch tv and loads of companies offer to sort me out (for a fee of course), I'm not in a fit state to judge who is who so I go with one of them.

Well, now imagine if Martin (or the website, gave out the page for a tool which would find me a list of FREE, local within 50 miles advice agencies with a face. Bingo.

Also remember that not all advice centres are linked to CAB, CCCS, CAp etc. Some (like the one I work in) are independent. There may be many smaller agencies too, for example in churches or community centres.

People NEED urgent information on who to contact and become disheartened when they have to google things. Some are even afraid of it.

I am still making the suggestion that someone somewhere create a simple, single, one-shot search page with all the details quickly output.

John

(Also remember that sometime it's like The Samaritans, people need an instant response (if not a voice to chat to))

ceejaydee23

Maybe petition Downing Street then!? or local MP surgeries?

fermi

It's unlikely that Martin or his editorial team will see this thread here, so I'll move it over to the Site Feedback & Suggestions board.

Tixy

I guess the main issue is that someone would need to vet all the independant advice centres who wanted to join to check that they really were offering free advice and free debt services (not one of the many companies who advertise 'free advice' and then charge money for running a DMP). And that the advice the independants were giving was of a high standard and accurate.
Sounds like it would be a costly exercise and for MSE to recommend such places they would need to do this.

johnloch2008 wrote: »

Also remember that not all advice centres are linked to CAB, CCCS, CAp etc. Some (like the one I work in) are independent. There may be many smaller agencies too, for example in churches or community centres.

I would still have thought the link that Fermi provided was a good source of information - are you saying that independant places such as yours are not on that list? Is your advice centre a registered charity/trust? Have you tried to register so you are on that list - or suggested to them to expand the list so it does include places such as yours.