Debt Advice Foundation: free tools and practical guides

national debt charity - Debt Advice Foundation - has developed a range of free online tools and practical guides

Debt Advice Foundation (DAF) was established in 2002 and is a registered charity in England and Wales (1095705). Their mission is to help the growing number of people who find themselves with unmanageable debts. We do this in a number of different ways including one-to-one advice and education initiatives. The charity also offers dedicated helpline assistance for community groups and other organisations (see below).

The last 18 months or so have been difficult for all of us and unfortunately, the Chancellors recent emergency budget indicated that things are going to get much worse before they get any better, with talk of further public sector job cuts, pay freezes and an impending rise in VAT.
 
This is likely to lead to more and more families, particularly those on low incomes, struggling to meet their monthly credit commitments whilst maintaining a reasonable standard of living.

If you do find yourself struggling to keep up with payments, it’s important to keep in mind that there are a number of organisations that offer free advice and support to help you get back on track. 

For those that don’t yet feel comfortable enough to talk to an Advisor about their financial problems, national debt charity Debt Advice Foundation has developed a range of free online tools that can help you to take those first few steps anonymously.

The tools include:
- Debt Analyser - which will show you how to negotiate directly with your creditors if you do have a debt problem.

- Budget Planner – for those that struggle to manage their monthly incomings and outgoings effectively.

- Benefit entitlement checker – so you can be sure you’re in receipt of you full entitlement.

Go to www.debtadvicefoundation.org/ to access the tools or download the guides. Alternatively for free, confidential advice on any aspect of debt phone 0800 043 4050.


Community Helplines
Whilst Debt Advice Foundation freely offers its advice and support to anyone that needs it, we recognise that there are often practical barriers preventing vulnerable groups within society seeking independent advice. That’s why we offer helpline assistance specifically for community groups and other organisations. This might be as simple as branding a section of our website with your logo and messaging so your members feel more comfortable speaking to us, right through to providing assistance with special needs. If this is of interest to you or your organisation, please feel free to get in contact with us so we can discuss your requirements in more detail.

David Rodger, Managing Director
david.rodger@debtadvicefoundation.org
01254 778 401