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Respondents demonstrated relatively low awareness of how or where to get advice or information for debt problems. Generally, respondents had heard of the CAB and very often it was the only advice source they were aware of. The general perception of the CAB was that it had a good reputation, gave good advice and was able to refer people to other sources of advice or help if necessary. However there was also a perception that it was sometimes quite hard to access help from a local CAB due to the restricted opening times. Also, it was felt that it was ‘stretched to the limit’ as it had to cope with a large volume of enquiries and this could make it difficult to get an appointment. In addition, whilst respondents felt that the CAB offered useful advice, the advisors were not regarded as specialists, and so it was felt they sometimes lacked expertise about a particular financial matter.

“I didn’t think they were that professional…it seems like they’re volunteers and they use a lot of books and stuff to look up things and things like that, it’s almost like you could do with somebody, you know, maybe a solicitor or someone who really does know.”

(Male, Sought Advice)

However there were respondents that were aware of the CAB due to having used their services before for an unrelated issue, such as a divorce or problems with a landlord, who had not been satisfied with the advice they were given.

Very occasionally respondents mentioned they were aware of the National Debtline and the Samaritans as a source of advice and help for people with debt problems. It is likely that other respondents were aware of the existence of the Samaritans, but had not considered them to be an advice source for debt problems. Respondents sometimes had a vague awareness of DMCs from seeing advertisements on the television, or they had seen them when they had been looking for help on the Internet. That said there were respondents who were not aware of any formal advice sources and felt there was no help available for people with debt problems.

5.2

Influences on choice of advice

A number of different factors had a bearing on the type of advice respondents chose to contact. Broadly these revolved around the following different influences;

• Recommendation of family, friends or a respected professional: Perhaps unsurprisingly given the low level of awareness of advice sources, it was quite common for respondents to seek advice on the basis of recommendations received from family, friends or other respected acquaintances, such as a psychiatric consultant. If respondents had been recommended a source of advice, it tended to be the CAB. In some instances those recommending the CAB had previously sought advice from them for a debt problem, or for another issue such as a divorce. Respondents’ family and friends also recommended the CAB on the basis of their general knowledge about the type of advice provided, or as a result of investigations they made on a respondent’s behalf. For example, a respondent’s aunt had used the Internet to find out what advice was available to people with debt problems and recommended the CAB to the respondent as a result of her search. Of course, respondents tended only to be recommended an advice source if they had told other people about their situation, or if other people had become aware of their debt problem.

• Personal experience of seeking advice or views about the experience of others had resulted in people either using a service again or actively avoiding using a particular source of advice. For example, respondents said they avoided using the CAB in circumstances where they had been dissatisfied with the advice

provided in the past for issues unrelated to debt, such as divorce or housing problems. In contrast, another person chose to return to the CAB or to visit a solicitor because they felt positive about the advice they had previously received. Similarly, if the respondent was aware of someone they knew having had a positive or poor experience with an advice agency, this could affect whether they used this particular source. There was a respondent who described how her mother had seen her bank manager when she had been experiencing debt problems and he had recommended she take out a loan in order to resolve her debt problem. The respondent did not consider this to be good advice and so avoided seeing her bank manager during her own debt problem.

• Personal connections: Respondents’ choice of using a particular advice source was also influenced by their own personal connections. For example, a respondent approached the CAB as a friend worked there. Similarly there was a respondent who confided in her friend who was a solicitor, who then went on to represent her when the respondent had to attend court regarding her debt.

• Perceptions about the type of advice available: The respondent’s perception of an advice source also influenced whether or not they chose to seek advice from that source. Respondents who preferred to speak to someone in person rather than on the telephone would choose an organisation, such as the CAB, where this type of help was available. Whether or not the advice source was independent also influenced respondents’ decision as to where they sought advice from and this often resulted in the CAB being chosen. Whereas those looking for a confidential source of advice had sometimes been dissuaded from going to the CAB as they were concerned that their details would be leaked to the creditor;

“The only worry with [going to the CAB] was I was frightened they were going to leak things with [the creditor] because I was really in trouble with them, so I thought if I went in there they might say ‘hey, we’ve got a guy here’, you do get yourself into some predicaments at times and it gets worse and worse…you just don’t know.”

(Male, Sought Advice)

• Cost of advice: The cost of the advice source was also a factor. Due to their debt problem, respondents felt they could not afford to pay for advice from people such as financial advisors and solicitors and therefore they favoured the CAB.

• Media campaigns: Other influences on the respondent’s choice of advice were advertisements that respondents had seen on the television for debt management companies.