A diary of a debt adviser

National_Debtline

Hi all,

I’ve really enjoyed reading many of your debt-free diaries and thought that it could be interesting to write one from the perspective of a debt adviser! National Debtline is one of the largest debt charities in the UK and we’ve been around since 1987. I have been a National Debtline adviser since 2006 and have personally spoken to nearly 20,000 callers. The reason I wanted to write this blog is to give you all a bit of an insight into the work of a debt adviser and to also share some hints, tips and entertaining stories from the world of money advice. I want to point out that this blog will be based around my own thoughts, views and opinions - although they generally fit very well with those of my employer! I’ve often found some really useful hints and tips from the MSE forums and I find the diaries especially empowering. I love following someone’s journey as it’s often clear that the weight is quickly being lifted off their shoulders from each post they put up.

From a personal perspective,I’ve had plenty of first-hand experience of debt issues brought on by unemployment, separation and relocation. I know exactly how it feels to have debt collection agencies screaming at me for money and to suffer from sleepless nights. I think it is useful to have been there myself, and I hope that this comes across to the callers I speak to each day.

So, that’s it! If you have any questions please feel free to ask. I look forward to sharing my diary with you all J

Amyboo

I'm looking forward to reading your posts! I shall subscribe now!

Puzzcat

Me too......

Pepperoni

Subscribed - looking forward to reading your posts!

jwil

Subscribing too

beanielou

Look forward to reading your updates

Monkeyballs

Subscribed! Sounds like a great idea

Pickle29

I'm in!
I'm fascinated to know how you cope with all the crying, distressed callers. Its refreshing to know that you have been there, come through it and now getting paid to help others
I look forward to following you x

National_Debtline

Hi all!

Thank you for taking the time to read my diary, I really appreciate it. Thanks also for making me feel welcome!

I thought it would be best to start from the very beginning, and to talk about when debt may become a problem. Being in debt isn’t always a bad thing – after all, everyone with a mortgage is in debt. Debt becomes an issue when it stops being manageable. For most of the people I speak to, this happens when there is a change of circumstances such as a relationship breakdown, ill health, retirement and, the most common of all, a change in employment. That was certainly the case with me, I was maderedundant (although it led me to a career in debt advice – every cloud!). Very few of the folks I speak to have run up their debts through living way beyond their means. I’m sure that many of you reading this may have had changes inyour life that have made managing your money more difficult.

Something that I have picked up from the Money Saving Expert forums is the idea of a‘light bulb moment’ - the point where someone realises that their situation needs to change. For most people, there is usually a ‘trigger point’, something happens that makes you realise you need to do something. It can be a very worrying and stressful time. It is fantastic that there are wonderful community resources like this forum where people can share their experiences, concerns and advice. The UK is also well served by a network of debt advice charities.We’re all good friends and share lots of useful ideas to help people get the advice they need.

So, going back to my light bulb moment, I was made redundant from a job in telecommunications. I remember telling my parents about my debt – which in itself was a very difficult thing to do; they are quite old-fashioned when it comes to borrowing. They ended up lending me the money to pay off my outstanding debt. This didn’t really teach me a lesson as I simply ended up borrowing more and ended up in an even bigger mess. This time around I was on my own. To this day, I am so grateful that my parents made that clear to me(although I didn’t feel like that at the time!) I learned how to budget and deal with my creditors to set up affordable repayments. I often speak to callers who are considering paying off debts for their children/family members; it must be a very difficult decision to make. If you are considering doing this for any one, do be 100% sure that they will not end up doing what I did! It is a similar situation with consolidation loans too. Although the idea of a lower monthly payment can be very tempting, it takes an awful lot of resolve and willpower to not start borrowing on those credit cards again. There are often several ways to deal with a debt situation. Getting proper advice is key, as is a budget. Doing a budget may seem like hard work but it really is the only way to start dealing with your debts, and understand what your options are.

Pickle29: Hello, thanks for the questions. It can be a difficult job, many of our callers are very stressed and upset for a variety of reasons and I would be lying if I said that there haven't been times when I've felt terrible about what has happened. Some of the behaviour I've been told about beggars belief - especially with regard to bailiffs and debt collection agencies. That said, there is never a situation that cannot be resolved. Once a caller is aware of their options and what processes to follow you can hear the weight beling lifted off their shoulders. For many people the key concern they has is simply the fear of the unknown. Once they know that a credit card company is a 'non-priority' debt as they have relatively few powers they often start to feel a lot better. I have lost count the amount of times I have been told that a caller will be able to 'sleep tonight', it's always wonderful to hear. I think empathy, objectivity, passion and honesty are the four most important traits to have when helping people.

Best wishes,

David.

Pickle29

Hi David
Thanks for this, I know when I contacted SC I was so embarrassed about the situation I was in, for a supposedly intelligent person I felt so stupid and I was scared and I became very upset - on several occasions. You guys were so calming, helpful and reassuring, I thought you were just good at your job, but knowing you know what we are going through (and places like Sc actually employ people who have been through debt problems) has helped and makes me feel not so stupid now! Coupled with these forums, you are like a strong painkiller that takes the pain away for a little while! You must get job satisfaction from helping others even though it's stressful.

We have all come to be where we are today for a variety of reasons but there is so much information here and such a strong support network, I feel so much stronger to deal with things.

Thank you (and others) for sharing your story, I look forward to reading and learning other coping strategies from you x

National_Debtline

Hello again,

I think the majority of the staff here have either been through debt problems themselves or have had significant involvement in a debt/finance-related environment for a long time. The advisers here have come from all sorts of backgrounds – banking/finance, teaching, insurance, law. We even had an ex-bailiff working here who was one of the nicest people you could ever meet! We work closely with Stepchange as the folks there administrate debt management plans for us, they are a great bunch.

The majority of callers I speak to feel exactly the same way you did, and it is totally understandable. Debt has a way of often creeping upon you, it only takes a ‘trigger’ event for the house of cards to fall down. As I mentioned before, it’s nearly always the case that something occurs which was completely unplanned that causes the trigger. In cases like this I would always try and point out that the situation is not the caller’s fault – how could they have predicted what was to come? Even if someone’s situation was caused simply by living beyond their means, the fact that they’ve had their lightbulb moment and are now looking to seek practical help and support should be applauded. There are always options. Always!

There is an awful lot of job satisfaction. It is a great place to work! I’ve have learned a great deal from the callers I’ve spoken with to –some of them are incredibly resilient in the face of great adversity. The best thing of all is empowerment. The fear of the unknown can be overwhelming. Once people know that (most) bailiffs cannot just break in to property or that adebt collection agency has no further powers than the credit card company, or that bankruptcy is actually a pretty painless exercise (for most) – the cloud starts to lift quickly.

From a personal perspective, I think the best coping strategies are:

A) Be organised

Share what you’re going through with others

C) Realise that you’re not the only one going through it (We received over 20,000 calls in January alone!)