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Review of the StepChange, Debt advice:

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Stepchange gave me life and hope!

I contacted Stepchange in 2019, as recommended by The Citizens Advice Bureau, I was medically retired from the Civil Service, so one day i was on a high salary with a Mortgage, Personal Car Plan and loads of Credit Cards. The following day i had nothing but debts. I put most of my retirement money in to my mortgage, as I was scared of losing my home! The rest went to buy my car from the plan. After that were all of my Credit Cards, which were no problem when i was employed, but now i could see a point where they would become unmanageable. I had to wait for ages to find out what benefits i could claim, as i had no other income. I worked out my total debt and it was nearly £62,000... still the remaining mortgage and the cards, which were being used constantly, as it was taking so long to obtain my benefits, with no other income. Finally, Stepchange literally changed my life. Now, in 2025, i feel so good about my debts, as they are now £38,000. I have achieved a massive reduction and i know many people who owe similar amounts, simply as part of life! It only took me just under 6 years to achieve this and i can see the end of the tunnel. Thank you Stepchange! Reviewed on: 23rd May 2025

Review of the StepChange, Debt advice:

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Without Stepchange, i would have lost everything!

Without Stepchange, i would be homeless, with huge debts. I had an excellent job, which went with an excellent salary. Very suddenly, i became ill and could no longer work. I had to purchase my car, which was on a plan... updating yearly, credit card debts that added up to more than my house cost (in 1994), but completely manageable whilst working and a mortgage left to clear. So, in a nutshell, all my finances were perfectly manageable one day, but the next, i had nothing. I did have a medical retirement payment, but i put this directly into my mortgage, reducing it to only about 11,000. I reviewed all of my credit cards and the car and could see that my new Incapacity Benefit and Disability Allowance would never cover even the basics, never mind my debts. I contacted the Citizens Advice and they helped me with the options open to me. I did not want to go to court and make myself bankrupt, as this would have been too hard, with my health problems. Also, i would probably have had a CCJ against my name, making it difficult to recover to a normal life again. They also suggested Stepchange and they came to the rescue. It was so simple, they just take your income and outgoing monies per month, tell you how much you could afford to pay your Creditors and they distribute your payment appropriately. OK, so it takes a long time, if you owe a lot, but they review your payments each year. Another wonderful feature they offer, is a month payment break for emergency expenditure. I have been with Stepchange since 2019 and i cannot believe that i still have my home, my car (ok, so it was purchased new in 1999!), but it still runs. I guess, if i had chosen to go bankrupt, all of these "assets", would have been taken? Life is tight and as i get older, i need more in the way of things like dentistry, etc., but StepChange understand and will talk things through with you to see where adjustments can be made. They gave me my life and dignity back... still a few years to go, but then i will be debt free. I will be forever grateful to them and there continuing assistance. Reviewed on: 5th May 2024

Review of the StepChange, Debt advice:

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Helped me, when i thought no one could.

I ran up debts of approx £61,000. At the time i could afford the repayments, but when i looked at a projection of these debts, when my special offers on Credit Card transfers, etc. expired, I was horrified at what my new outgoings per month would be. I had also become very ill and any additional income stopped too. As i saw what was about to happen, i contacted National Debtline, but due to the amount i owed, they would not help me. I thought i was heading for the courts, but then i found Stepchange and they completely turned my life around. We had a conversation to dicuss my income and outgoings and how much i could afford to pay my creditors. I set up a plan with them and after just 1 year, my debts were down to £56,000. They have also alowed me a couple of months at a reduced payment, as i had to carry out some household problems and get my car repaired after it was hit in a car park. They really are so helpful and understanding. Even during this Covid-19 crisis, they understood that i had to pay much more for my food, as it had to be delivered and asked me to revise my plan for a while, to allow for the additional costs. I cannot thank them enough! Reviewed on: 8th July 2020

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