As we continue ensuring that our customers can access the financial products and services they need, no matter where they are on their journey, we know that we have a duty to support customers if they experience financial difficulties.
This is why a key pillar of our community investment programme focuses on providing grants to charities and specialist partners to address issues such as customer vulnerability and financial difficulties. These organisations also guide and advise our colleagues to support our customers when addressing these kinds of issues
Working with charities and specialist partners
While our businesses work to collect outstanding debt from customers, they sometimes enter debt agreement plans with leading debt charities, such as StepChange – This charity helps hundreds of thousands of people a year to deal with their debt problems. With 30 years’ experience, they offer free, flexible debt advice that is based on a comprehensive assessment of your situation. StepChange will then provide practical help and support you need to achieve long-term financial control.
customers became debt free
repaid to clients debts
We continue to accept the offers of payment when customers have sought advice from StepChange and a financial assessment has been made of their circumstances. Through the agreement we have with this charity, we contribute almost 12% of any payment we receive from a customer who has entered a debt agreement plan with them. The contributions mean our operating businesses pay for the debt advice received by the customer. They also provide the charities with financial support so that they can continue to provide free, independent advice.
During 2022, the Group’s operating companies paid £451,247 (2021: £477,251) to StepChange and CAP in fair share contributions.
people were helped in 2021
visits were made to the advice website in 2022
staff members trained 1,010 creditor organisations
The Money Charity
For over 25 years The Money Charity (TMC) has been the UK’s Financial Capability charity and their vision is that everyone achieves Financial Wellbeing by managing their money well, empowering people across the UK to develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours to make the most of their money throughout their lives. By proactively providing education, information, advice and guidance to people of all ages and at all stages of life, they help them get to grips with their money and increase their Financial Wellbeing.
We have supported The Money Charity for over a decade.
The Charity’s vision is that everyone achieves financial wellbeing by managing their money, and it works towards this by delivering products and services that provide education, information and advice to people in education, workplace and community settings.
Over the past 10 years, our support has enabled The Money Charity to deliver 2,478 workshop hours to over 57,000 children and young people.
Throughout 2023, The Money Charity delivered 32 workshop hours to over 2,700 children and young people in Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and the West Midlands. Over a third of these workshop hours were targeted at groups of ‘disadvantaged’ young people, due to an above average percentage of the young people who go to the school/college receiving free school meals, or because the group of young people have another specific vulnerability. In addition, our support enabled The Money Charity to deliver 36 workshop hours to 228 adults in a range of groups including those who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness, care leavers, refugees, and people with disabilities.
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