Pages 51-56 in the full Wise
Guide book
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If you are over 60 and in debt, you're not alone. A study by Scottish Citizens Advice reported
on the growing phenomenon of the baby boomer generation bringing
their many forms of credit and debt with them into their pension
years. It said: 'Pensioners have often struggled to live on their
relatively small incomes but many are now faced with the prospect
of trying to finance large debts at the same time'.
What a debt counsellor can do for
you
- separate your priority
debts like rent, mortgage and Council Tax (for which there
are serious consequences if you don't pay such as eviction,
imprisonment, loss of power or seizure of possessions), from your
non-priority debts (less
serious consequences for non-payment)
- contact the people you owe, explaining why you can't pay
immediately
- work out how much money you need to live on
- negotiate on your behalf with the people you owe.
Creditors who bombard you with letters and phone calls are not
necessarily the people you should pay first. Bullying by debt
collectors is illegal; if you are being harassed, contact your
local council's trading standards department.
The Anglian Water Assistance Fund (anglianwater.co.uk/awaf),
British Gas Energy Trust (britishgasenergytrust.org.uk),
EDF Energy Trust (edfenergytrust.org.uk)
and Three Valleys Water Trust (3valleyswatertrust.org.uk)
are others who might be able to help depending where you live. For
an application form, call 01733 421060, email admin@charisgrants.com.
Alternatively, Citizens Advice and other advice agencies can also
help you get the right form and fill it in.
Where to find free debt advice
Your local Citizens Advice (0844 411 1444, 0844 477 2020 in
Wales, citizensadvice.org.uk)
can offer advice in person and over the phone. In England and
Wales, visit adviceguide.org.uk, in
Scotland cas.org.uk and
in Northern Ireland, citizensadvice.co.uk.
Consumer Credit Counselling Service is a charity which provides
free, independent, impartial and realistic support to people in
debt, (0800 138 1111, cccs.co.uk).
National Debtline gives free, confidential advice over the phone
(0808 808 4000, nationaldebtline.co.uk).
Payplan provides a free debt management service to people with
debt problems (0800 280 2816, payplan.com).
For free and confidential community legal advice and where to
find your nearest specialist debt advisor, call 0845 345 4345.
Money Advice Scotland (0141 572 0237, moneyadvicescotland.org.uk)
can direct you to your nearest source of free impartial debt and
money advice in Scotland.
If you are in Northern Ireland, ring 028 9064 5919 or visit adviceni.net, ring 0800 917 4607
or go to advice4debtNI.com.
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Guide
