Free independent help and advice
Don’t suffer in silence. If you’re worried about money, talk to someone. These organisations offer free support and guidance.
Organisations offering free support:
PayPlan – Free debt advice and support
- Free, confidential debt advice
- A personalised action plan for your money
- Help available online or by phone
Call: 0800 280 2816
Lines open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm and Sat 9am-3pm
StepChange Debt Charity
- Free, impartial advice to get your finances back on track
- Budgeting tips and a wide range of solutions
- Support available online 24/7 or by phone
Call: 0800 138 1111
Lines open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm and Sat 8am-4pm
National Debtline
- Free, confidential debt advice
- Guides, fact sheets, budgeting tools and sample letters
- Advice via phone and online
Call: 0808 808 4000
Lines open Mon-Fri 9am-8pm and Sat 9.30am-1pm
Turn2Us – Financial support charity
- Access funds, grants and benefits
- Straightforward articles with no jargon
- Local advisers you can talk to
Call: 0800 802 2000
Lines open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Guidance from MoneyHelper
- Government-backed with advice for every stage of life
- Get clear on benefits, tax, pensions, homes and savings
- Use their handy money calculators to plan, save and budget
Call: 0800 138 7777 for money guidance or 0800 011 3797 for pensions guidance.
Lines open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm
Help from Citizens Advice
- Free advice on a range of topics, including benefits, debt, housing and consumer rights
- Help with managing your money
- Practical and impartial support online, in person or over the phone
Call: 0800 144 8848 or 0800 702 2020 if you’re in Wales Lines open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Mental Health and Money Advice
- Clear, practical advice and support for people experiencing mental health and money worries
- Specialist knowledge of benefits, managing money and mental health care
- Award-winning UK-wide online advice service
Shelter - Housing and Homeless Charity
- Provides those struggling with bad housing or homelessness the help they need, through their advice, support and legal services
- Help with money and debts
- Talk to someone online or by phone
Contact Shelter using their online support page
Visit Shelter
Important: the content of this page is not intended to be taken as financial advice or recommendation from MBNA. You should seek independent financial advice if you’re unsure about your financial needs.
How could a debt management company help me?
A debt management company could help you manage your debts and negotiate with your creditors to try to reduce your overall payments, making a difficult financial situation easier to control.
They assess what you can realistically repay each month and create a debt management plan for you. They’ll also contact your creditors to negotiate a repayment term or amount.
A debt management company will manage your repayments from a monthly payment you make to them – you’ll receive regular progress updates and, in most cases, you’ll no longer be contacted by your creditors. Your circumstances will also be monitored to make sure your plan stays on track.
Just keep in mind, some debt management companies charge service fees but not the ones on this page. Plans are subject to status and signing up will affect your credit record, as well as your ability to obtain credit in future.