Debt and Money

Keeping on top of your money is a very important aspect of most people’s lives. Sometimes unexpected events can cause real money problems. Dumfries & Galloway Citizens Advice Service offers a full range of debt and money services, ranging from assistance to accessing formal and informal debt remedies.

These range from negotiating repayment plans for multiple debts by negotiating with creditors, assisting with applications to the Scottish Government’s ‘debt arrangement scheme’ and applications for bankruptcy.

The Money Advice Process

The money advice process is used to help people struggling with problem debt, and is a well-established five-step process. The five steps are:

Find out all your background information

We will aim to gather all the relevant information about your background to ensure we take a holistic approach when dealing with your debts. This includes gathering all relevant information about your health, your household, your income and your debts.

Help you with any emergencies

We will seek to address any emergencies you have. We understand that emergencies are often the reason people seek out debt advice and it is important to deal with these quickly.

Maximise your income and help minimise your expenditure

We aim to maximise your income whilst advising you on how you may be able to minimise your expenditure. This may include completing a benefit check and also ensuring you are not paying any unnecessary direct debits or charges. You may be asked to see one of our financial capability advisers before you see a debt adviser.

Assist you to draft a personal budget plan

We will help you to draft a personal budget, which will outline what your income and expenditure is. This is a crucial stage in dealing with your debt problems, as it is important your finances are balanced and we establish what you can afford to pay towards your debts.

Discuss all the options open to you

We will then discuss with you all the options available to you to help you deal with your debts.

Online Guides & Resources

Citizens Advice provide a wide resource of advice, information and guidance relating to family and relationship issues at the following link:

Debt & Money Resources – Citizens Advice Scotland