Debt charity gets government approval
Dec 29 2009 by Jon Griffin, Birmingham Mail
A BIRMINGHAM-based charity which is helping thousands of people face up to debt worries has received VIP credit approval – from the Government.
Housing Minister John Healey paid a visit to the West Midlands to thank some of the 110 staff at Birmingham’s National Debtline, working to provide advice and support to help homeowners avoid repossession during the downturn.
During his visit to the city, Mr Healey saw for himself the work of the charity, a free phone facility available for anyone with financial worries to call for advice. Each day, National Debtline receives around 1,600 calls, with each call lasting an average 17 minutes.
Mr Healey said: “I wanted to see for myself the important work that the National Debtline in Birmingham is doing to provide much-needed advice and support to help struggling families to avoid losing their home.
“This is a key part of the comprehensive range of support the Government has put in place to help homeowners avoid repossession, which has helped more than 330,000 people since April last year.
“I would urge anyone facing mortgage difficulties not to stick their head in the sand, but to contact the National Debtline or visit our website to get free, impartial advice so they can take control and keep their home.”
Chief executive of National Debtline Paul Mullins said: “We are delighted that the minister was able to visit our Birmingham offices.
“We have seen a continued rise in demand for advice from people with mortgage arrears and this festive season is shaping up to be our busiest on record.
“Over the last two quarters, the number of callers behind with their mortgage payments rose by more than 15 per cent and we are delighted to be part of the campaign to help prevent repossessions. For many people, being in debt can be a terrifying experience.
“And it is vital that people know that high quality, impartial debt advice is available for free from the third sector.”
National Debtline announced in October that it had taken on 47 new advisers to enable the charity to help an extra 70,000 clients a year.
The new recruits were hired following the granting of an additional £5.85 million in funding over a three-year period from the Government.
Last year the Birmingham charity helped over 60,000 clients.
The figure included around 8,000 who struggling with mortgage arrears.
