A to Z of services: Debt Advice

You can get free and impartial help and advice regarding rent arrears and managing debt from:  

1. Housing Advice Team. Hartlepool Borough Council's homeless team who can provide advice and sign posting to debt advisory services.    
    
2. Citizens Advice Bureau. Help and advice regarding money, debt, welfare benefits and tax.   
    
3. West View Advice and Resource Centre. Help and advice regarding money, debt, welfare benefits and tax. 
    
4. Hartlepool Credit Union. A non-profit making co-operative that offers a savings and loan service that exists solely to benefit its members.
    
5. STOP Loan Sharks. A government team who provide advice and assistance regarding dealing with illegal money lenders.  
    
6. The Money Advice Service. Help and advice regarding managing money and debt.
    
7. Turn2us. A charitable service which helps people to access the money available to them - through welfare benefits, grants and other help.  
    
8. The Consumer Credit Counselling Service. A debt advice charity that provides expert debt help to anyone who needs it. 
    
9. Debt Free Solutions. A debt management service. 
    
10. Crisis Loans. An interest free loan providing financial help with an emergency or disaster.  
     
11. Community Care Grant. A grant to help you to live independantly or to ease exceptional pressure on you and your family. 
     
12. Teesside Emergency Relief Fund. A grant to help relieve immediate hardship. 
     
13. The Greggs Foundation Hardship Grant. A grant to help families and financially excluded people purchase individual items that can make a huge difference to family life. (applications must be made through social organisations such as charities, housing associations and social services acting on behalf of a family or individual in need) 
    
14. 5 Lamps. A Teesside charity providing debt advice, personal loans, help to find work, training, volunteering opportunities and help starting a business.