Main debt advice services in selected European countries
| Country | Main entity providing debt advice | Distinguishing features | Customers assisted | Website/source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | staatlich anerkannten Schuldenberatungen | They can provide services free of charge, receive public subsidies and are officially recognised, entitled to use a specific debt advice label | 60,469 people assisted in 2019; 35.2% of the customers are unemployed (five times more than the population). 33% of customers have an income of less than €1,000 | www.schuldenberatung.at/english/debtadvice.php |
| Belgium | Centre public d’action sociale (CPAS) (or OCMW) | Broad-based social support service. Among its services, it offers credit mediation | n.a | www.belgium.be/fr/famille/aide_sociale/cpas |
| Denmark | Danish consumer council | Develops various initiatives, including debt advice through the Danish Consumer Council debt counselling, a project that offers advice to consumers with low income, significant debts or low disposable income through various channels (online, telephone, in person, by mail) | There are currently centres in seven Danish cities involving more than 120 volunteers, who have offered support to more than 15,000 individuals on debt-related issues since 2010 | https://taenk.dk/om-os/om-forbrugerraadet-taenk/about-us |
| France | Associations Cresus, e Points Conseil Budget (PCB) | Support to individuals on over-indebtedness or budget management | In 2020, local offices carried out a total of over 7,600 support interviews for 4,700 over-indebted households | www.cresus-iledefrance.org/ |
| Germany | Various organisations, including professional associations (e.g. Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Schuldnerberatung – BAG SB), welfare associations (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Schuldnerberatung der Verbände), consumer associations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband) | In person and online counselling, financial education, debt simulation tools and debt counselling service updates | Originating at the end of 1953, debt counselling services have evolved and today have many providers. BAG SB alone offers advice to more than 1,400 households | www.agsbv.de/mitglieder-organe-gremien/ www.bag-sb.de/ |
| Luxembourg | Debt information and counselling service (SICS), Inter-Action and Ligue luxembourgeoise de Prévention et d’Action medico sociale | Information and counselling services on the subject of debts and over-indebtedness, including by telematics means | In 2019 alone, Inter-Action handled 349 new users, of which 281 by telephone. There were 2,415 contacts on the site. The Ligue handles, on average, 2,000 requests per year since its foundation | https://ligue.lu/en/home/translate-to-english-service-dinformation-et-de-conseil-en-matiere-de-surendettement |
| The Netherlands | Bureau Wet Schuldsanering Natuurlijke Personen | The agency carries out work on debt restructuring of natural persons (a legal scheme for persons with problematic debts) on behalf of the Minister of Justice and Security | n.a | www.bureauwsnp.nl/ |
| Norway | Arbeids-og velferdsforvaltningen | Among other services to support welfare, it also offers financial and debt advice free of charge in person or online | n.a | www.nav.no/no/person |
| Portugal | Consumers’ Union (Rede de Apoio ao Consumidor Endividado) | Initiatives aimed at preventing over-indebtedness and offering debt and budget advice, including a support network for over-indebted individuals and families | The latest available data (2014) refer to more than 9,300 requests for support | www.consumidor.gov.pt/consumidor_4/rede-de-apoio-ao-consumidor-endividado.aspx |
| Great Britain | Money advice Trust (MAT), National debtline, Citizen advice | There are currently around 2,700 debt advice centres across Great Britain providing free, independent advice on debt, tax and arrears issues. Support is provided in person and remotely | National debtline during 2020 provided support to over 103,000 people over the phone and a further 43,750 people through its Webchat service. Citizen advice provided support (not only on debt issues) to over 2.8 million people | www.nationaldebtline.org/ www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ |
| Country | Main entity providing debt advice | Distinguishing features | Customers assisted | Website/source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | staatlich anerkannten Schuldenberatungen | They can provide services free of charge, receive public subsidies and are officially recognised, entitled to use a specific debt advice label | 60,469 people assisted in 2019; 35.2% of the customers are unemployed (five times more than the population). | |
| Belgium | Centre public d’action sociale (CPAS) (or OCMW) | Broad-based social support service. Among its services, it offers credit mediation | n.a | |
| Denmark | Danish consumer council | Develops various initiatives, including debt advice through the Danish Consumer Council debt counselling, a project that offers advice to consumers with low income, significant debts or low disposable income through various channels (online, telephone, in person, by mail) | There are currently centres in seven Danish cities involving more than 120 volunteers, who have offered support to more than 15,000 individuals on debt-related issues since 2010 | |
| France | Associations Cresus, e Points Conseil Budget (PCB) | Support to individuals on over-indebtedness or budget management | In 2020, local offices carried out a total of over 7,600 support interviews for 4,700 over-indebted households | |
| Germany | Various organisations, including professional associations (e.g. Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Schuldnerberatung – BAG SB), welfare associations (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Schuldnerberatung der Verbände), consumer associations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband) | In person and online counselling, financial education, debt simulation tools and debt counselling service updates | Originating at the end of 1953, debt counselling services have evolved and today have many providers. BAG SB alone offers advice to more than 1,400 households | |
| Luxembourg | Debt information and counselling service (SICS), Inter-Action and Ligue luxembourgeoise de Prévention et d’Action medico sociale | Information and counselling services on the subject of debts and over-indebtedness, including by telematics means | In 2019 alone, Inter-Action handled 349 new users, of which 281 by telephone. There were 2,415 contacts on the site. The Ligue handles, on average, 2,000 requests per year since its foundation | |
| The Netherlands | Bureau Wet Schuldsanering Natuurlijke Personen | The agency carries out work on debt restructuring of natural persons (a legal scheme for persons with problematic debts) on behalf of the Minister of Justice and Security | n.a | |
| Norway | Arbeids-og velferdsforvaltningen | Among other services to support welfare, it also offers financial and debt advice free of charge in person or online | n.a | |
| Portugal | Consumers’ Union (Rede de Apoio ao Consumidor Endividado) | Initiatives aimed at preventing over-indebtedness and offering debt and budget advice, including a support network for over-indebted individuals and families | The latest available data (2014) refer to more than 9,300 requests for support | |
| Great Britain | Money advice Trust (MAT), National debtline, Citizen advice | There are currently around 2,700 debt advice centres across Great Britain providing free, independent advice on debt, tax and arrears issues. Support is provided in person and remotely | National debtline during 2020 provided support to over 103,000 people over the phone and a further 43,750 people through its Webchat service. Citizen advice provided support (not only on debt issues) to over 2.8 million people |
Note:
n.a. in the table stands for “not available”
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