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Our Services

Our Services

How we can help

The EMMA partnership employs trained debt advisers who work from office locations across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire. We support our partners to deliver top quality advice so you can be sure, whichever partner you access help through, you get the same high quality debt advice you have come to expect from EMMA.

Getting in touch with us is easier than ever with our virtual advice offerings. We offer support over webchat, telephone, SMS, and video calling every weekday from 9am through to 4pm (except Bank Holidays). All of these services are run by real people at our partner organisations, so you won't have to deal with chat bots when trying to access our help.

If you prefer, all of our partners are able to offer face to face appointments. You can find your local EMMA partner and their direct contact details by accessing our partner map.

What happens when you seek advice from EMMA?

Speaking to us for the first time

Whether you contact us online, on the phone or by visiting one of our partners in person, you will first need to provide some details so the person dealing with you can find out if you have a debt issue or not. This person may be a debt adviser, assessor or a volunteer.

If you have a debt issue, the next thing that will happen is likely to be an assessment. You’ll be asked to give some information about yourself and your circumstances. This is important to help us understand what kind of support you might need, and how best we can give you this support. If you’re worried about sharing personal information, you can ask the person helping you why they need the information, and you can ask to see the organisation’s privacy policy.

After the assessment, we might suggest you can receive help in a number of different ways. Here are some of the ways you can get advice:

Self Help – we might suggest where you can get the information you need to deal with the issue yourself. For example, we might suggest that you take a fact sheet, or look online and then come back to us if you still feel that you need help.

Online – We might be able to provide you with support through webchat or email.

Telephone – You can get help on the phone by calling EMMA. One of our partners will be available to answer the phone Monday – Friday between 9 am and 4pm (except for Bank Holidays). If you prefer, you may be able to access a video call to be able to see the person you are speaking to.

Face to Face – You might need to see an adviser face-to-face. In some cases, you might be able to see someone straight away depending on which organisation you visit and how busy they are. It’s more likely that you’ll be invited to make an appointment.

Getting advice online or on the telephone might be the best thing for you. You can do this by using our webchat facility, telephone number or sending us an SMS. If all our advisers are busy when you contact us, or if it is out of hours, we can arrange a call back for you.

 

Speaking to an Adviser

A debt adviser won’t judge you or make you feel bad, they’ll be able to help you with big or small debt issues, and they’ll help you to find ways to manage your debts. Advisers in the EMMA partnership have their work assessed regularly to ensure it is of a high standard.

There are four stages an adviser will normally go through with you:

Information Gathering – you will be asked for information about your debts, housing, family situation, income, and any assets you have. This will allow the debt adviser to make a thorough assessment of your situation.

Completing a Budget – this will help show how much money you have left after paying for the things you need and help you to plan your spending. The adviser can then work out how much you can afford to pay towards your debts. If you want to have a go at creating a budget, you can do so by using the MoneyHelper Budget Planner.

Maximising Income – the adviser will often check to ensure you’re getting all the income you are entitled to. This can include checking you are receiving all the benefits you should be and whether you could receive a discount on any of your bills.

Finding solutions – based on your budget, the adviser should be able to talk you through all of the options that are relevant to you and can support you in moving forward with whichever option you choose. Some of these options come with certain eligibility requirements and conditions, some of which involve insolvency, so it is important that you speak to a debt adviser when considering these options. You can find out more about the different options using Money Helper website.

 

Contact Us

If you’re worried about debts, contact us to seek free, impartial and expert advice