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Beware of the Debt Collector
Andrew HorneOperations Manager Scotland
Addaction A charity with over 100 substance
misuse services across the UK Over the past three years we have
developed Addaction Scotland with services in Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dundee and Borders.
Projects include direct access, community rehabs, SMART Recovery, Family work and employability.
Debt is like any other trap, easy enough to get into, but hard enough to get out of.Henry Wheeler Shaw
Financial Inclusion Project – Feb 2007 Addaction approached the HBOS
Foundation in 2006 to fund a service working with people around their money problems.
Across our 100 plus UK projects we had considerable anecdotal evidence of people getting into real problems because of money issues. These problems included homelessness, relapse and legal problems.
HBOS Foundation agreed to grant Addaction £100,000 over a two and half years for the project.
Aims and Objectives The aim of the service is to assist
people with their money problems. The objectives are to work with service
users to minimise their debt and increase their income.
In addition the project holds training sessions with Addaction Scotland staff so that they better understand money problems for service users.
The process We agreed with HBOS Foundation that we
would recruit a skilled finance worker to work across the Addaction Scotland services.
The work would include surgeries and staff briefing/training sessions.
The crucial part of the work would be to work with a range of agencies including CABs, Money Matters, Welfare Rights, and law centres.
Challenges faced by People
Rent Arrears Debt collectors Wrong benefits Crisis Loans Mortgage arrears Court Appearances Filling out application forms
The work itself In depth financial assessment with as
much paper work as the service user has available.
Written permission to act on a persons behalf.
Hundreds of phone calls and letters. Be patient and be polite. Be assertive Get to like the musick and vivaldi in
particular.
Case History Tom was made homeless after relationship
breakdown. £7000 worth of debt with 4 creditors. Addaction Scotland negotiated £1 a month
payment for each creditor for 6 months to be reviewed.
All threatening letters stopped. After 4 months Tom is sticking to his
repayment plan. He has stopped drinking and is no longer on
antidepressants.
If I owe you a pound, I have a problem; but if I owe you a million, the problem is yours.John Maynard Keynes
Training for staff included
Simple house hold budgets Understanding Incapacity Benefit Income Support Housing Benefits Council Tax
Achievements Reduced payments with creditors Bank account set up Introducing Credit Unions (Pollok and
Glasgow City Council). Direct Debit payments.
Advocating at benefit appeal hearings Helping people budget for coming off
benefit and going on to work. Helped 69 people and delivered training
to 102 staff.
Conclusions Money problems can really affect recovery Holistic assessment should include key
questions regarding money matters Care plans should include a section on finance
where appropriate. Key workers should help services users to
access specialist money advice. Where possible larger services or groups of
services should explore having a financial inclusion worker.
Services should develop close links with CAB’s, Welfare Rights Officers and Credit Unions.
Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.Groucho Marx
If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of card payments.Anon
