Debt Advice
To contact your local Citizens Advice Lancashire West Debt Advice Team, please phone: 01257 265432
Dealing with debt and money issues can sometimes be scary. It’s always important to open all your post and either contact your creditor or seek help if you are struggling to pay a bill or don’t understand something.
Knowing your rights and the consequences of being in any arrears to your creditors can help you make the best decision on tackling your debt issues going forward.
The following links will give you some of the information you need to make the right choices, including how to avoid getting into arrears, help to deal with your debt issues, what to do if you have an emergency and how to get your finances back into shape.
Contacting your creditors
Citizens Advice: Debts you’re not responsible for - Be careful about making contact in writing or making payment on a debt you have not actioned in a few years – There are time limits for creditors to enforce debts and you may reset the time limit by contacting them – Find out if your liable to pay first.
The safest option to know about a debt is to contact a creditor by phone as this will never be seen as admitting liability for debt.
Citizens Advice: Template letter to ask for a hold on an account.
Citizens Advice: Make an offer to a non-priority creditor.
Citizens Advice: Request to write off a debt.
Help Guides and information
Citizens Advice: a link for Administration orders.
Citizens Advice: Bankruptcy.
Citizens Advice: Debt Relief Orders (DRO).
Citizens Advice: Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA).
Insolvency
Citizens Advice: debt and money fact sheets.
Advice Now: know your rights and the law.
The Money Advice Service: debt and borrowing.
General Debt Issues
Citizens Advice: Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills.
Citizens Advice: switch supplier for a cheaper bill.
Citizens Advice: Make sure you claim all the correct benefits you are entitled to.
United Utilities: help with managing your water bill.
Citizens Advice: If you are vulnerable make sure your fuel and water supplier know about it. Ask them to put you on the priority services register.
Financial Capability
Citizens Advice: Find out which of your debts you should tackle first.
The Money Advice Service: prioritising debts.
Priority and non-priority creditors
Citizens Advice: Dealing with a letter saying bailiffs will visit.
Citizens Advice: stopping bailiffs at your door.
Citizens Advice: stopping bailiffs if you don’t owe the debt.
Enforcement Agents
Citizens Advice: Comprehensive information dealing with Rent Arrears on Citizens Advice.
The Money Advice Service: Help with rent arrears and problems with paying your rent.
Rent Arrears
Citizens Advice: how to deal with mortgage arrear.
Mortgage Arrears
Citizens Advice: Comprehensive information dealing with Credit Cards on Citizens Advice.
The Money Advice Service: How to reduce the cost of your credit and store card debt.
Credit Cards
Citizens Advice Lancashire West Debt Advice Drop-in Centres
For more information and advice on debt contact us on 01257 265432
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Chorley
No Appointment Needed Just Walk In!
Open Mondays 10am - 2pm
35-39 Market Street, Chorley Lancashire, PR7 2SW
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Skelmersdale
No Appointment Needed Just Walk In!
Open Thursdays 10am - 2pm
Unit 137, The Concourse Shopping Centre, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6HB
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Leyland
No Appointment Needed Just Walk In!
Open Tuesdays 12pm - 3pm
Civic Centre, West Paddock, Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 1DH
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Garstang
No Appointment Needed Just Walk In!
Open every last Monday of the month 9:30am - 11:30am
Garstang Food Bank, St Thomas' Church Hall, Church Street, Garstang, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1PA