Young woman with curly hair wearing a light brown long sleeved top smiles calmly and looks into the distance

Get free and trusted debt advice

Many people are struggling to make ends meet as the cost-of-living crisis continues to cause financial difficulty.

Even a small change in circumstances can turn a manageable situation into a debt problem. Whatever the amount, dealing with debt can be stressful, overwhelming and all-consuming. But there’s lots of help out there to get you back on track and it’s important to know you’re not alone.

Peace of mind

It’s closer than you might think. You can turn to UNISON Debtline, a free debt advice service for members run by our trusted partners, PayPlan. The service offers free, confidential debt advice to help you on the road to becoming debt-free.

“After 18 months of worrying I feel like a huge weight has been lifted.” – UNISON member

The UNISON Debtline service, provided by PayPlan, deals with all types of debt from credit cards through to County Court Judgment (CCJ) claims and priority debts such as mortgage, rent and council tax arrears.

  • Get advice in the way that suits you – by phone, email, live chat or WhatsApp
  • Free and nationwide confidential service with no hidden charges
  • A personal Case Officer to advise you and negotiate with the people you owe money to
  • An overview of your options for dealing with your debts, including manageable debt plans to suit your circumstances
  • Any further support you might need

As part of the UNISON Debtline service, your advisor will look at the financial support that’s also available to you through our charity, There for You, to ensure you’re getting all the help you’re entitled to. Find out more about There for You.

Start your journey today

You’ll have an initial chat with one of PayPlan’s dedicated advisors to get an accurate picture of your circumstances. You’ll be listened to and supported. And you’ll be well on your way to peace of mind.

Meet one of our UNISON Debtline advisers

How UNISON Debtline helped Tania move forward with her finances

With the help of UNISON Debtline, Tania entered into a Debt Management Plan (also called a DMP) which lasted for three years.

“It was great when I spoke to UNISON Debtline and created a plan. I had buried my head in the sand, and I was just paying the minimum amount off every time and then taking out another credit card.

“With UNISON Debtline, it made me think about what I was doing. I felt the weight being lifted off my shoulders. I wasn’t panicking every time the post came with a reminder of what I owed.

“I got paid on the 28th of every month and I paid what I needed to on the 28th of every month too so I didn’t need to worry about the 15 different store cards and the loans.

“I looked at the different options and felt the DMP had less impact on me and each year it was reviewed.

“I have tried to keep my payments at the maximum so I could clear it off as quickly as possible. The review meetings were great because we had to check that I could make these payments as my son left school and I lost certain benefits.

“It was my debt, and it was something I was dealing with – not my husband – and I didn’t want his income to be involved. I wanted to be able to do it for myself.

“Paying off my debt has given us more opportunity because I wouldn’t have been able to do certain things before because of that debt.

“Once you’ve made that initial step, it’s almost a case of taking your head out of the sand and accepting that. My £14,000 debt, although it wasn’t a massive amount of debt to some, was having an impact on my life because it was affecting my work, it was affecting my health as I was getting stressed with things and, as I said, I was worried about things.

“There’s no negative stigma around debt, so people need to understand that and take the safer options rather than payday loans. Many years ago, when my husband and I split up, I was going to loan sharks for £50. I’d end up paying back £150 – it was a vicious circle to get out of.”

It is a serious issue to owe money, but it’s okay as long as you manage it.  That’s why it’s important to get help from a trusted organisation.

Resources