The Money Advice Trust, a charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline, has teamed up with global information services company Experian to better understand its clients and more effectively tailor its free debt advice for those in financial difficulty.

National Debtline gave free advice to 287,919 people in 2014, with its sister service Business Debtline providing advice sessions to 42,352 small business owners.

Experian analysed National Debtline and Business Debtline clients from 2014 using its widely-used Mosaic consumer insight tool to provide a demographic breakdown of people and small business owners seeking free advice.  The analysis found that 50 percent of National Debtline clients fall in four key Mosaic groups – Family Basics, Transient Renters, Aspiring Homemakers and Municipal Challenge.

Joanna Elson OBE, Chief Executive of the Money Advice Trust, said:

“After nearly 25 years of helping people to tackle their debts and manage money wisely, we have accumulated a wealth of knowledge that our advisers put into practice to help thousands of people every day.

“However, the debt advice landscape is in constant flux and we are always further developing our knowledge of how we can best serve those in financial difficulty.  In particular, as our recent Changing Household Budgets research showed, we are increasingly helping people who have fallen behind with everyday household bills and who are struggling to repay smaller debts.  This and other consequences of the recession mean the demographics of those in difficulty are changing significantly.

“We are grateful for Experian’s support in helping to better understand these changes, enabling us to continue to develop and improve our services – and continue to raise awareness of National Debtline and Business Debtline across the UK.”

Chris Clark, Managing Director, Experian UK & Ireland commented:

“We’re delighted to continue our support for Money Advice Trust and the people who rely on its vital services. It is absolutely right we make sure there’s a robust safety net for anyone who falls into financial difficulties so they can quickly and easily get a helping hand. The trigger is often an unplanned life event such as redundancy or a relationship breakdown.

Experian is a long-time supporter of free debt advice, providing funding and a wide range of support, including free credit reports and regular expert training for debt advisors. We did this new piece of analysis to help the Trust better understand and serve people who use its popular National Debtline and Business Debtline services, and we’re delighted that the insight is proving so valueable.”

Used in conjunction with the Money Advice Trust’s own insight, the project has helped inform the charity’s three-year plan to help “more people, more effectively” by tailoring its services to reach and support those in need of free debt advice. 

Money Advice Service research shows that only 17 percent of people who are over-indebted actually seek advice, so this Experian insight is also helping shape crucial efforts to raise awareness of National Debtline and Business Debtline amongst key demographic groups.  Experian analysis of debt advice demand on a local authority level has also been used as part of the Money Advice Trust’s ongoing policy and public awareness work on issues such as council tax arrears.

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For information contact Matt Hartley at the Money Advice Trust on 02076539741or press@moneyadvicetrust.org or James Jones at Experian on 0115 9922336 / 07967 567267 or james.jones@experian.com  

About the Money Advice Trust

  1. The Money Advice Trust is a charity which helps people across the UK tackle their debts and manage their money wisely. The Trust’s main activities are providing free advice through National Debtline, Business Debtline and My Money Steps; supporting advisers through Wiseradviser and Innovation Grants; and improving the UK’s money and debt environment through policy, research and awareness raising campaigns.
  1. National Debtline provides free, impartial debt advice from experts who care. National Debtline is run by the Money Advice Trust and can be contacted at:

    www.nationaldebtline.org  
    - 0808 808 4000 Monday to Friday 9am to 9pm, Saturday 9.30am to 1pm. Calls are free.

  2. The National Debtline twitter handle is @natdebtline

About Experian

We are the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to our clients around the world. We help businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. We also help people to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.  In 2015, we were named by Forbes magazine as one of the ‘World’s Most Innovative Companies’.

We employ approximately 17,000 people in 38 countries and our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2015, was US$4.8 billion.

To find out more about our company, please visit http://www.experianplc.com or watch our documentary, ‘Inside Experian’.

To find out more about the Mosaic consumer classification tool please visit: Experian Mosaic.

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