Middlesbrough Council provides a free and confidential Money Advice Service to anyone living in Middlesbrough who is experiencing financial problems, providing advice, conciliation and advocacy on a range of debt issues. This service also holds the CLS Specialist Quality mark for debt advice – demonstrating our commitment to providing free, specialist advice to the highest standard.

The main objectives of the service are:- 

• to provide a service for those on very low incomes and facing social exclusion, who have a genuine need for advice on debt problems.
• to establish and maintain easily accessible points of contact for the provision of the service.
• to establish links with relevant departments and organisations to ensure appropriate referrals.
• to provide practical help and advice in dealing with creditors and the courts and taking the steps necessary to alleviate financial difficulties and worries.
• to collect information about trade practices and, when necessary, feed that information to the Trading Standards enforcement team and/or the Office of Fair Trading to take appropriate action.

Based in the Town Centre the service offers Money Advice surgeries at a number of venues throughout the Borough, with home and hospital appointments available when necessary. More recently, following a survey of more than one thousand Middlesbrough residents, the Service has introduced a Town Centre evening surgery.

The service operates through an appointment system and the main aim of Money Advice is to put people back in control of their finances.

This is achieved by:

• Assessing  the nature and basis of the debt problem
• Advising on crisis situations
• Maximising income by checking eligibility for benefits
• Detailing debts, legal liabilities and possible consequences
• Advising on priority debts and planning apportionment of assets
• Preparing financial statements and providing budgeting advice
• Negotiating authorised repayments with creditors
• Dealing with Court correspondence, summonses, orders, etc
• Monitoring results

If you are a Middlesbrough resident and wish to access the service please telephone: 01642 728448.

Other useful websites if you are experiencing debt problems are listed on the right hand side in the 'external links' section.

An important  part of our work involves monitoring of the sale of consumer credit and associated products such as insurance. People in debt also sometimes have concerns about the conduct of debt collectors.

If you feel you have been misled about a loan or the behaviour of a debt collection company is unreasonable, please contact us via the Consumer Direct weblink which is on the right-hand side.