Debt advice is covered under CONC guidelines which limits what we can & can’t do. CONC is the FCA’s Consumer Credit sourcebook.

We can provide information and a only a certain, limited amount of advice, e.g.

• We can give tailored information (e.g. potential consequences of not paying cl’s specific debts)

• We can give broad options, e.g. we can discuss repayment plans but we can’t suggest they do it and we can’t set them up. We can say the client could make a repayment plan if their circumstances allow but clients need to speak to a debt adviser to do a Standard Financial Statement (SFS) and get debt advice. 

• We can discuss options suggested in the Casebook debt assessment but can’t recommend they do one/any of them.

• We can do letter writing and form filling – but they must be from the client, i.e. in their name.

• We can contact 3rd parties but only to ask for information for the client.

We cannot do the following:

• Apply for a S13a debt solution. Also, it may not be appropriate if the client has multiple debts as we can’t favour one creditor.

• If a client is disputing a benefits overpayment, we can do it as benefits work. However, if the client accepts they have to pay it back, it then becomes debt work and see above. If a client is disputing a PCN etc. then that's debt work (even during the dispute phase) so we can only give general advice as per above. 

• If a client needs help contacting a creditor to ask for a debt to be put on hold while they get debt advice we can only support the client to make that call, but we can't do it for them. 

Guidance in relation to making applications for grants:

Grant applications are not debt advice so we can do them. However, whilst grants sit outside of debt advice, we still need to check ID and verify any budgets we send on behalf of clients for grant applications as per CONC 8.5.

Options for debt clients that see us:

We do have a variety of options for clients who need debt advice:

• Any of the supervisors or Matt can refer the client to Nucleus for debt advice

• Citizens Advice has a debt webchat and phone helpline that clients can contact - Contact us (EW) § If you need help with money or debt

• We can refer certain clientss to Payplan.

• We can refer one debt client a week to Westminster Citizens Advice.

• We can signpost to National Debtline or Stepchange.