Our Debt Advice - What You Can Expect

What you can expect from Citizens Advice

Our debt adviser will help you to understand your rights and responsibilities and those of your creditors. Our debt advice service is free, confidential and impartial. If you wish to cancel advice you can do so at any time and at no cost to you.

Confidentiality and Consent

The records we keep are for the use of Citizens Advice only. We will not tell anyone about your enquiry and we will not pass any information to any third party without your permission, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Your adviser will:

• Help you to explore your debt problem

• Look for ways to increase your income and reduce your outgoings

• Explain the debt options you have and how they will affect you 

• Explain what you need to do next

• Keep you informed about any action we take and the progress of your enquiry

In return, we ask that you:

• Attend all appointments with us (or let us know if you can’t)

• Let us know if there is a change in your circumstances that may affect your case (such as a birth of a child, an increase or reduction in your income)

• Provide all the information your adviser asks for, such as evidence of your identification, income, spending and debts. If you don’t tell us everything, the advice we give you may not be right

• Try not to negotiate directly with your creditors before discussing it with your adviser

• Try not to borrow more money or enter into a new credit agreement

Please note: 

Wherever possible we will give you the information and resources you need to resolve your own debt problem. If the complexity of the problem or your personal situation means this is not possible, we may be able to provide a casework service.

Your adviser may help you access a debt solution or refer you to a trusted partner who will administer a payment arrangement on your behalf. Citizens Advice is not able to enter into an ongoing debt management contract with you. 

Creditors may continue to add interest and charges to your debt.

Your credit rating could be affected if you enter into a payment arrangement or insolvency solution.

It is important that you continue to pay all your priority bills.  

Trusted Partners

In some circumstances we may refer you to a trusted partner for further help.  This may be within the Citizens Advice service or outside of it. We regularly review our trusted partners to ensure they meet the highest standards of customer service and quality advice. 

Financial Conduct Authority and Complaints

Our debt advice service is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If you are not happy with the service provided to you, please follow our complaints procedure. If you are not happy with our final response you can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Further information can be found at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Extra help

Do you need any extra help, for example, sign language, large print or interpreter service? If so, please let your adviser know.

If you have any questions about the content of this information sheet, please speak to your adviser.