Blackfriars Advice Centre Drop-in and telephone advice for the local community of Southwark and surrounding areas

The Capitalise project started in April 2006. The project is funded by Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), formerly DTI, as part of their Financial Inclusion Fund. The aim of the project is to provide fact-to-face debt advice. We can provide advice and assistance with managing debt problems, check you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to, assist you with preparing a financial statement, advise you on which are your priority and non priority debts and try to negotiate affordable repayments with the people you owe money to.

For details of where to get advice visit the Capitalise website at www.capitalise.org.uk or visit Capitalise, Housing Options, 25 Bournemouth Road, SE15 4UJ. Or visit Stillness Infant School, Brockley Rise SE23 1HN

Helping with fuel debt

The British Gas Energy Trust project began at Blackfriars Advice Centre on 1 December 2006 . The role of the project is to promote the work of the trust, encourage take up of the grants available for fuel debt and to provide money advice to people with fuel debts.

Over the last year, the project worker has had contact with many legal, voluntary and community based organisations, providing them with the information and skills needed to make successful applications to the trust on behalf of their clients and users.

The average gas debt of the clients seen is approximately £225. The average for electricity debts is slightly lower, around £200. Older clients (above 60 years of age) tend to have smaller fuel debts that people below this age.

As well as awarding grants for fuel debts, the trust also has a second smaller pot of money. FAP (further assistance payments) is available to people for essential needs. We have been very successful in tapping into this, particularly for bankruptcy deposits which many people with large debts just cannot afford themselves.

For locations of the Capiatlise Project outside of Southwark please see the following addresses

Wandsworth Carers Centre
181 Wandsworth High Street
SW18 4JE

Mortlake Community
Association
The Old Bakery
Lower Richmond Road
SW14 7H

Broomleigh Housing Association
Community Flat
Basement Meon Court
Rye Crescent, Orpington
Kent BR5 4NN

Dulwich
Bromley Community Drugs
Project
35 London Road
Bromley BR1 3QR

Case Study 4

Mr and Mrs C came to Blackfriars Advice Centre wanting help with their Council Tax arrears, a Provident Loan, and a Littlewoods catalogue debt.

Unfortunately the Council Tax arrears had gone to bailiffs, who had levied a walking possession order against the couple, and they had signed the agreement. We had no choice but to negotiate with the bailiffs for a realistic payment plan, and this we managed to do. The Provident Loan and the Littlewoods Catalogue were dealt with in much the same way. We wrote to both of the companies, requesting a copy of the signed Consumer Credit Act agreement. Neither of the companies had the agreement, and so the debt could not be enforced in the county court. Provident said they would write-off the loan, and Littlewoods said they would place a ‘hold’ on the clients’ debt for the ‘foreseeable future’. Mr and Mrs C have not been pursued for this debt as far as we are away.

Case Study 5

Mr B presented at reception with several non-priority debts, which had all accrued when he had to give up work due to ill health. He had no possibility of being in employment again due to the nature of his illness and had only £71 Incapacity Benefit to live on every week.

We wrote to all of his creditors asking them to accept token payments, with all interest and charges suspended for the foreseeable future. All creditors accepted, and one creditor wrote off £11,262.51, as we had provided them with medical evidence suggesting the clients’ possible inability at ever being to pay back his loan to them.

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