COMMUNITY: West Lindsey Citizen's Advice

Nationally, more people have been helped with a debt relief order (DRO) since the amount of debt covered rose from £15,000 to £20,000 last October. Debt relief orders are a last resort for people who have exhausted all options for repaying their debts and won’t be able to pay in the near future. They work by pausing most of your debts for a year so that your creditors can’t chase you for repayment. At the end of the year, unless your circumstances change your debts will be written off. Debt write offs can have a serious impact on people’s credit rating which makes it difficult to take out more credit agreements or even open a new bank account. Citizens Advice West Lindsey is now urging people who are struggling to keep on top of their debts to seek advice early on, so they have the best chance of repaying their debts and avoiding debt write-offs. Henrietta Davis, Project Manager at Citizens Advice West Lindsey said: “If your finances are getting on top of you and you’re struggling to pay your debts it’s crucial you seek support right away. Citizens Advice West Lindsey can help you work out what you can afford to repay, and negotiate with your creditors on how you will pay them. We can also offer advice on how you might be able to make savings, such as switching to a cheaper energy deal or mobile phone provider.” For advice on managing debts, you can drop into Marshall’s Yard in Gainsborough or at one of our rural outreach points across West Lindsey. You can visit the website for current venues and opening times at: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/local/west-lindsey/