Debt advice service hits £2m in active cases on Isle of Man

Salvation Army’s debt advice service reaches £2M in active cases as debt awareness week prompts more to seek support

The Salvation Army’s Isle of Man debt advice service has reached a case workload tackling more than £2M of debt as more people are pushed into financial stress just trying to live day to day. 

The church and charity on the Isle of Man is currently supporting over 40 active cases with debt totalling £2,217,629.84. Run from The Salvation Army’s church and community centre on Isle of Man Business Park, Ballacottier Crescent, the debt advice service is ready to welcome more clients with an aim to reshape people’s financial future, bolstering its standing as one of only two avenues for debt support on the Island. 

The announcement comes as Debt Awareness Week arrives, running from 16th – 22nd March, with an overall theme of debt stigma and how to overcome it, with The Salvation Army championing abolishing the stigma around debt through its service. 

Debbie White, area debt advice co-ordinator for The Salvation Army said: “The Salvation Army’s mission has always been to help people in need, and we are proud to be currently assisting on over £2M worth of debt for our Island community, helping people get their lives back on track and their finances under control.

“The high cost of everyday living has pushed people’s finances to the max and finance is one of the biggest factors that can impact people’s lives. 70% of our clients don't have money for their liabilities as they have either negative or balanced household
~ budgets before making any kind of debt repayments. We want to walk alongside and work with people to find a solid solution and help them get themselves out of financial struggles.

“Debt can affect anyone and our team of experts are ready to show how being in debt isn’t an embarrassment; it is a consequence of the high cost of living and life events and not a personal failure.”

The Salvation Army is only one of two organisations providing debt support on the Isle of Man with the Office of Fair Trading also offering assistance.

The Salvation Army’s debt advice service is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is available to everyone within the community, offering one-to-one support with debt advisors working alongside clients to look at what they owe and make a realistic plan for repaying debts. The service can also contact creditors on a person’s behalf and explore and negotiate available options such as repayment holidays and marked it’s fifth anniversary at the end of 2025.

For anyone seeking debt advice or anyone worried about bills that are in arrears or struggling to meet regular monthly payments, The Salvation Army can be contacted on (01624) 675702 or via email at iomdas@salvationarmy.org.uk