28/10/2009 – Outreach debt advice reaches socially and financially excluded people
New research from the Legal Services Research Centre (LSRC) shows that outreach services for people with debt problems have been very successful in reaching socially and financially excluded people who had not previously sought advice.
The LSRC has published a summary research report, following a three-year study, into the provision of debt advice in outreach locations such as prisons, family centres, housing offices, community finance organisations and other community locations, as well as home visits and video link facilities. The Legal Services Commission received £6 million from HM Treasury's Financial Inclusion Fund to pilot the provision of outreach services across England and Wales.
As well as reaching people who had not previsouly accessed advice, the research found that outreach services led to the formation of new partnerships between advice providers and delivered advice at new locations. It also identified a number of positive outcomes for people using the services that included -
- gaining nearly £1.9 million in client income over 12 months;
- preventing the loss of a home or utilities disconnection; and
- setting up payment plans.
The research also found that delivering outreach advice services costs more than standard advice services when the total costs of project funding are taken in to account.
The summary research report Outreach Advice for Debt problems is available on the LSRC website.
The latest issue of the LSC's online newsletter Focus is available here.