Advice
Help with Debt Check your options for getting out of debt If you have lots of debts and are struggling to pay, there are things you can do to help you get out of debt.
Dealing with money issues can sometimes be off-putting, but if you don’t understand how things like credit or mortgages work, you could end up losing out financially or getting yourself deep in debt. Citizens Advice can give you the information you need to make the right choices, including help to deal with your debt problems, how to avoid losing your home and how to get your finances back into shape.
• you’re being taken to court for a debt
• Gas or electricity bills
• your gas or electricity company is threatening to cut you
• Phone or internet bills
off
• TV licence payments • Court fines
You might be able to talk to your creditors and arrange a way to pay them, or make a formal agreement called a ‘debt
Making a list of your debts
• Overpaid tax credits
We constantly need volunteers to support the delivery
solution’.
• Payments for goods bought on hire purchase or
of our work across North Kesteven and Boston.
conditional sale
situation. It’ll depend on things like:
There are many benefits to volunteering including:
• Unpaid income tax, National Insurance or VAT
• the type of debts you have
• making a difference to an individual’s life
• Unpaid child maintenance or child support
• the total amount of debt you have
• changing the way things work for the better
2. Deal with your other debts
• how much money you can pay towards your debts
• receiving highly respected training
You’ll need to decide what the best solution is for your
Once you’ve got your priority debts under control, you
• obtaining invaluable work experience
should look at all your other debts. They’re ‘non-priority
arrange to pay off your debts over a few years. You might
• developing new skills - which can help with employability
debts’ because the problems they cause are less serious.
be able to get a debt management plan, an administration
• putting existing skills to good use
order or an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA).
• getting involved with the community
creditors to stop chasing you while you deal with your
• making new friends
priority debts.
If you have some money to pay your debts, you could
If you don’t have any money to pay your debts there are still options that could help you. If you owe less than £20,000, you might be able to apply for a Debt Relief
Get help from Citizens Advice on how to ask your other
Your non-priority debts might include:
• reducing the feeling of isolation We have a range of volunteer roles including: reception
Order (DRO). If you owe more than £20,000 applying for
duties; providing advice either face to face or by telephone,
bankruptcy might be an option.
email or web chat; Trustee; Fundraiser; Research &
Different debt solutions can affect your life in different
Campaigns and Administrator.
ways. For example, they might affect your credit rating, mortgage or savings, or restrict the work you can do. Make sure you understand how you’ll be affected before you apply for a debt solution. If you need more help understanding the different
• credit card or store card debts • catalogue debts • unsecured loans including payday loans • unpaid water bills - your supplier can’t cut off your water supply
Work out which debts to deal with first ‘Priority debts’ are debts that can cause you particularly serious problems if you don’t do anything about them.
• overpayments of benefits - apart from tax credits • unpaid parking tickets - these are called Penalty Charge Notices or Parking Charge Notices
You need to work out which of your debts are priority
• money you owe to family and friends
options and their risks, contact Citizens Advice Mid
debts and deal with them first. Make sure you’ve collected
Lincolnshire.
together information about all of your debts.
to court to get you to pay - Citizens Advice can help if you
1. Identify and deal with your priority debts
don’t know what to do if you’re being taken to court.
Collecting information about your debts If you owe money and you’re struggling to pay it back, there are actions you can take. Get help from your nearest Citizens Advice if you have an urgent debt problem. This could be, for example, if:
Contact Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire if:
If you don’t pay these debts, your creditors can take you
If you owe money to family and friends, it might help to
• you’re struggling to deal with your priority debts
tell them you have other debts. They might offer to wait
• you have more than 1 priority debt and you need help
until you’ve paid off your other debts before asking you to
deciding which to deal with first
pay them back.
If you’ve got any of these, they’re your priority debts:
We are here to help, for further information and
• bailiffs are coming round
• Rent arrears
advice on Debt and money contact Citizens Advice Mid
• you’re being evicted for rent arrears
• Mortgage arrears or secured loan arrears
Lincolnshire or visit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
• you’re being evicted for mortgage arrears
• Council tax arrears
debt-and-money/
Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire gi ves people th e knowledge and confidence th ey need to find th eir way forward. We offer free, confidential advice to everyone in Boston and North Kesteven.
s U o t k l a T
Boston Office
Sleaford Office
Municipal Buildings West Street Boston PE21 8QR Mon to Thur 09.30 - 4.00
Moneys Yard, Carre Street, Sleaford NG34 7TW Mon to Wed 09.15 - 2.00 Thurs 09.15 – 2.00 & 4.00 – 6.30 Fri 09.15 - 12.30
North Hykeham Office Info-Links Office OneNK, Moor Lane North HykehamLN6 9AX Mon & Thurs 9.30 to 12.30
Adviceline : 03444 111 444 Monday – Friday 10am- 4pm National Language Line: 0845 310 9900 Email: outreach@ citizensadvicemidlincs.org.uk
Do you shop online? Want to raise important donations for Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:
1. Any time you want to buy something online, be it groceries or getaways, go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk first. 2. Search for the shop or site you want and we’ll take you there, so you can shop as normal. 3. When you check out you’ll collect a free donation. It doesn’t cost a penny extra!
8 | SIMPLY BOSTON | www.simplyboston.co.uk
