StepChange

StepChange Debt Charity, formerly the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS),[1] is the trading name of the Foundation for Credit Counselling, and is a debt charity operating across the United Kingdom. The organisation offers free debt advice and money management and can be contacted through its freephone telephone helpline[2] or online through StepChange Debt Remedy, its online debt advice tool.[3]. In 2017, around 620,000 people contacted the charity for help.[4] The charity also campaigns to change policies and practices that trap people in problem debt.

StepChange Debt Charity
Founded1993
FounderVic Ware, Malcolm Hurlston
Area served
United Kingdom
ServicesDebt advice and support
Employees
1,500
Websitestepchange.org
Formerly called
Consumer Credit Counselling Service

Its current Chair is John Griffith-Jones [5], replacing Sir Hector Sants in January 2019. The Chief Executive of the charity is Phil Andrew, who took over from Mike O'Connor in November 2017.[6]. In 2018 the charity embarked on an ambitious four-year plan to double the number of people it helps and to develop new services. These changes come in light of the Wyman review of debt advice funding.[7]

History

The charity was founded in 1993 when Vic Ware OBE and Malcolm Hurlston introduced the Consumer Credit Counselling Service to the UK via a pilot scheme based in Leeds.[8][9]

The introduction of debt counselling over the telephone proved to be a success and the charity expanded throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The charity has continued to grow in recent years. In 2007 it established a non-profit individual voluntary arrangement service[10] and in 2010 launched a free equity release advice service.[11]

On 5 November 2012 the charity rebranded as StepChange Debt Charity.[12][13]

In 2017 the charity was contacted by almost 620,000 people seeking debt help and delivered over 357,000 detailed debt advice sessions.[14]. In 2018, the charity embarked on a four-year strategy to double the number of people helped by 2022, including the development of earlier intervention services alongside existing services.

Policy work

As well as providing advice, the organisation also campaigns for change to reduce the incidence of problem debt, and successfully worked with other charities to influence the Government to introduce a statutory a “Breathing Space” debt respite scheme.[15] Other campaigning work on overdrafts, credit cards, and high cost credit[16] has resulted in policy changes from the Financial Conduct Authority, and the charity continues to press for the reform of bailiff legislation.

Locations

The charity's head office is in Leeds, England. There are also centres in the English municipalities of Newcastle, Birmingham, Chester, and Halifax, Scotland's largest city of Glasgow, and the Welsh capital of Cardiff. The charity also has an office in London. Since November 2015 the charity has also provided help to the people in the Republic of Ireland.[17]

Funding

StepChange Debt Charity is funded mostly by voluntary donations from creditors,[18] and works with over 900 partner organisations.[19] In 2017, the charity received income of £53.2m and had operating costs of £52.8m, including investment of £1.4m in IT transformation as part of a rolling investment programme to future-proof the charity’s operations and improve delivery capacity.[20]

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References
  1. Mason, Tania (12 October 2012). "Debt charity CCCS to rebrand as StepChange". Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  2. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/borrowing/article7112903.ece
  3. Free online debt advice in 20 minutes | StepChange Debt Remedy (CCCS)
  4. "UK Personal Debt Statistics & Trends 2017: StepChange".
  5. StepChange Debt Charity Governance Trustees
  6. StepChange announce new CEO
  7. "Peter Wyman Review of Debt Advice Funding 2018" (PDF).
  8. House of Commons - Treasury - Written Evidence
  9. http://www.mmc.gov.uk/inquiries/completed/2006/storecard/pdf/initial_subs_consumers_fcc.pdf
  10. CCCS (Consumer Credit Counselling Service) | StepChange
  11. Charity cuts equity release cost by £3,000 | This is Money
  12. Debt charity CCCS to rebrand as StepChange
  13. StepChange Debt Charity - new name for Consumer Credit Counselling Service
  14. "UK Personal Debt Statistics & Trends 2017: StepChange".
  15. "Breathing space scheme: call for evidence response" (PDF).
  16. "FCA publishes outcome of high-cost credit review".
  17. StepChange Debt Charity Ireland to launch in November
  18. Our approach | StepChange Debt Charity (CCCS) – UK debt help charity
  19. Who we work with - our partners
  20. "2017 Annual Report & Accounts".
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