Feedback on Sandra Blake's talk on struggling with debt

Here first is one person's report on the talk on 23 March at Argyle House:

Our talk today was given by Sandra Blake, Manager of the Edinburgh Central Citizens Advice Bureau, 58 Dundas Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QZ. She gave a warm, humorous and sometimes poignant insight into the extent and effects of debt today, yet provided more than a glimmer of hope by describing the work of the CAB in helping people to move forward debt-free.

Sandra started off by telling us how she began as a volunteer with the CAB 20 years ago, then became manager of the Edinburgh Central office over 10 years ago. She also explained a little of the history of the CAB, and how the issues it has dealt with since it was started in 1939 have reflected the trends and concerns of society through the years - from ration books and gas masks, to employment and housing, and now increasingly in the area of consumer debt.

Sandra gave us a staggering statistic which illustrates the extent of the problem of debt today for many people: the average total debt levels in the cases dealt with by Sandra's own office is £0.5m per month - and that is just in one CAB office.

Many causes of debt can be identified - changes in consumer legislation and easier availability of credit, the acceptance of credit as a normal part of life, increasing expectations by children about the things their families will buy for them, changes in lifestyle, people simply not knowing how to look after money, and so on.

Sandra confirmed that debt affects all kinds of people and that people in debt cannot be stereotyped. She outlined anonymously three situations that her office is currently dealing with, showing different causes of debt and different age groups that it affects. In all cases, what came across from the stories she told was the sheer stress levels that people experience from being in debt, including the unrelenting contact by creditors, denial and feelings of guilt.

Sandra then explained what the CAB can offer to help people with unmanageable debt. The first thing she acknowledged is the sheer bravery of people who have been able to walk into her office and admit they have a problem. She mentioned that the primary concern is to look at the current debt situation of the person, and to encourage them to be completely honest about their debt levels; then they will work with the person to find a way forward out of the debt.

In some cases, they will investigate whether debts can be waived, or rescheduled. In other cases, they will help people to draw up repayment plans. Increasingly, bankruptcy is being used to allow people to start again. Sometimes it is the best thing where otherwise people would be facing 10 years or more of debt repayments: it provides a "place of safety" (principally from the hassles of debt collectors), and after 3 years, during which people can hopefully learn to live within their budget, allows people to move forward without the burden of past debts. However, Sandra stressed that bankruptcy is not an easy option (and usually people will lose their home in the process).

Sandra left us with some helpful leaflets from the CAB and information on a very useful Chrstian-led website: http://www.creditaction.org.uk. Credit Action is a national education charity that produces a range of excellent, inexpensive resources, e.g. a booklet called "Dealing with Personal Debt" priced just £2.00. Credit Action can also put you in touch with debt counselling services which are absolutely free.

Here are quotes from people who attended the talk:

A - a man in Scott-Moncrieff:

"The talk made me realise how narrow the dividing line is between being in control of one's finances and being in serious trouble"

B - a lady in Standard Life:

"What struck me most was how much the CAB can help someone with money problems - and what a great job they are doing ! It was good to realise that all sorts of people can have debt problems, often through no fault of their own."

V - a lady in McGrigors

"I found the session very helpful and it is good to bring this topic into the open as it affects so many different people but is often something people find difficult to talk about. The main thing that struck me from Sandra's talk was her acknowledgement of the bravery of people in seeking help (I'm sure this attitude must be an important element in the success of the CAB in helping people), and also the fact that the CAB will work with people over the long term, not simply providing short term information."

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