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Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Borrowing over a longer term can mean paying back more in total.
Free, impartial debt advice in the UK is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange and National Debtline, among other charities, and none of them charge for an initial conversation about your situation. They can help with credit cards, loans, mortgage arrears or a mix of debts, and they’ll look at your whole budget rather than push a single product.
Getting advice early, before debts feel unmanageable, tends to open up more options, including some that a lender or broker won’t necessarily raise first.
Who provides free debt advice?
- MoneyHelper is backed by the government and covers budgeting, debt options and pension guidance, with online tools and phone advice.
- StepChange is a debt charity offering a full budget review, advice on your options, and free debt management plans where appropriate.
- National Debtline is run by the Money Advice Trust and offers phone and webchat advice, plus detailed fact sheets on specific debts and processes.
- Citizens Advice offers free debt advice alongside broader help with benefits, housing and consumer issues, through local offices and online.
- Advice NI, in Northern Ireland, provides free debt and welfare advice specific to Northern Ireland’s rules and processes.
What does a free debt adviser actually do?
A typical first conversation covers your income, your outgoings and a full list of what you owe, so the adviser can see the whole picture rather than one debt in isolation. From there, they’ll usually talk through the realistic options: a budget adjustment, negotiating with creditors, a debt management plan, or, for more serious debts, a formal option such as an IVA, a debt relief order or, in Scotland, a protected trust deed. Advisers explain the consequences of each, including the effect on your credit file and, where relevant, your home, rather than steering you towards a particular outcome.
Free advice compared with paid debt management companies
| Free debt advice charities | Some commercial debt management companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost for advice | Free | May charge a setup or ongoing fee |
| Who they work for | You, independently | Also runs as a business, though still regulated |
| Range of options discussed | All realistic options, including those with no fee | May focus on the services the company itself provides |
| Regulation | Charities and government-backed services | Regulated by the FCA if offering debt management activities |
If you’re offered a paid debt solution, it’s worth checking what a free charity would offer for the same situation first, since a free debt management plan can achieve the same practical outcome as a fee-charging one in many cases. Always check any company offering debt advice is on the Financial Conduct Authority register.
What if you’re behind on your mortgage specifically?
Free debt advisers can help you budget and prioritise, but your mortgage lender is who ultimately agrees any arrangement on the mortgage itself. Contact your lender as early as possible if you’re struggling, since lenders are required to consider forbearance options such as a payment arrangement. Our page on remortgaging with mortgage arrears covers what typically happens next, and our guide on how long a debt management plan lasts explains how an existing DMP can interact with your mortgage.
What if you’re considering remortgaging to deal with debt?
Debt advisers can also help you think through whether moving unsecured debts into your mortgage is sensible for your situation, alongside the alternatives. This matters because once debts sit inside a remortgage, they become secured on your home, and a longer term can mean paying more overall even where the monthly cost falls. Our guide on whether you should remortgage to pay off debt covers this decision in more detail, and our page on debt consolidation remortgages explains how the process works if you decide to go ahead.
What about an IVA, DRO or protected trust deed?
These are more formal routes for larger or more serious debt problems, and free advisers will only usually suggest them once other options have been ruled out, because of their consequences, including for homeowners. If you’re already in one of these arrangements and thinking about your mortgage, see our pages on remortgaging after an IVA and remortgaging with a debt management plan, and always check your own terms with your IVA supervisor or DMP provider before making changes.
Does getting advice cost you anything in the long run?
No, beyond your own time. None of the charities named here charge for advice, and using them doesn’t commit you to anything. Many people speak to a free adviser more than once as their situation changes, for example before and after agreeing a remortgage, or when a fixed deal is coming to an end. There’s no limit on how often you can seek free advice, and doing so before signing up to anything, including a remortgage to consolidate debt, is generally sensible whatever your situation.
What this means if you’re remortgaging with adverse credit
If you already have a CCJ, defaults or a history of missed payments, a free debt adviser can help you understand how those affect your realistic options before you approach a lender or broker, separately from any mortgage-specific advice. Combining free debt advice with a specialist mortgage adviser, once you know which route you’re considering, tends to give a clearer, more complete picture than relying on either one alone.
Frequently asked questions
Is free debt advice really free?
Yes. Charities such as MoneyHelper, StepChange and National Debtline are free, confidential and impartial, and none of them will ever ask you to pay for the initial advice. Some also set up debt management plans free of charge, whereas some commercial providers charge fees for the same service.
What information should I have ready before contacting a debt adviser?
A rough idea of your income, your regular outgoings, and a list of what you owe to whom, including balances and minimum payments if you have them. You don't need everything perfectly organised first; advisers are used to helping people pull this together.
Will contacting a debt charity affect my credit file?
Contacting a debt charity itself doesn't appear on your credit file. If you later set up a formal arrangement, such as a debt management plan, the underlying missed or reduced payments on your accounts may be recorded by your creditors, separately from the advice itself.
Can free debt advice help if I'm behind on my mortgage?
Yes, alongside speaking to your lender directly and as early as possible. Debt advisers can help you work out a budget and priorities, though your lender is who ultimately agrees any arrangement on the mortgage itself. See our page on remortgaging with mortgage arrears.