Transcript Slide 1

National Debtline
Performance Evaluation
August 2008
Prepared for:
National Debtline
Prepared in compliance with the International quality standard covering market research,
ISO 20252 by Illuminas, Lion House, 141-145 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3AR, UK
T +44 (0)20 7909 0929 F +44 (0)20 7909 0921 E [email protected]
www.illuminas-global.com
Background: a measure of performance
 In order to secure ongoing support for the services offered by
National Debtline, it is considered important to monitor the
performance of the service against specific objectives
 Research objectives:
 To measure and evaluate the performance of National Debtline
 Specifically, to look at caller satisfaction with the overall service, including the
telephone advice service, the email service and the website
 To compare performance measures with previous years to investigate whether any
significant changes are evident
 To look at immediate & on-going impact of contact with National Debtline
 In particular, to investigate the impact of contact with NDL on a caller’s ability to
manage their money and debt
 To look at any wider issues that may result from contacting NDL and the impact on
overall control of finances
2
A quantitative approach providing robust measurement
 Performance evaluation

15-minute telephone interviews with individuals who had contacted National Debtline between
September 2007 and February 2008
250 interviews with callers from England & Wales
50 interviews with callers from Scotland
Total 300 interviews
 Longitudinal impact evaluation
 15-minute telephone interviews with individuals who had contacted National Debtline 2 years ago, 4
years ago and 5 years ago
2 years on callers:
Participated in performance evaluation survey ‘06
Total 90 interviews
4 years on callers:
Participated in longitudinal impact survey ‘06 and
performance evaluation ‘04
5 years on callers:
Participated in longitudinal impact survey ’06 and ‘04
and performance evaluation ‘03
Total 41 interviews
Total 31 interviews
 Website pop-up survey
Pop up survey on NDL website
3
Total 450 responded
Methodology
 All fieldwork conducted by The Wire, Illuminas’s own telephone and
online interviewing unit
 Data sources:
 Performance evaluation:
 Caller details provided by National Debtline
 All provided consent for details to be passed on to a third party for
purpose of research
 Longitudinal impact:
 Those who participated in previous waves of research and agreed to
be re-contacted - 162 interviews achieved
 Website evaluation:
 Pop-up placed on National Debtline website during May – July 2008
4
Overview of Performance Evaluation


Executive summary
Part I: Performance evaluation





Performance evaluation: key measures
Making the first call: awareness and experience
Delivering advice: literature and website
Part II: Website evaluation
Part III: Longitudinal impact evaluation




Longitudinal impact evaluation: key measures
Practical long-term benefits
Wider impact of contact
Literature

Summary and conclusions

Appendix



Performance evaluation
Website evaluation
Longitudinal evaluation
5
Executive Summary
Executive Summary: A continued success story
 Continuing short and long-term satisfaction:
 Both recent callers to National Debtline and callers who used the service some time ago report high levels of
satisfaction with the service received:
 …95% of callers satisfied who used the service during 2008
 …94% of callers satisfied from two years ago
 …92% of callers satisfied from four years ago
 …97% of callers satisfied from five years ago
 High levels of recommendation:
 Majority find the information provided by National Debtline extremely helpful and are keen to recommend it
 75% of 2008 callers found the advice to be extremely helpful
 85% of 2008 callers would definitely recommend the service to someone experiencing debt difficulty
 Reducing debts over time:
 For many, speaking to National Debtline prompts them to take positive action to reduce their debt
 Of those callers who spoke to National Debtline 2 years ago, 19% no longer have any outstanding debt,
while 27% of callers from 4 years ago and 32% from 5 years ago no longer have any outstanding debt
 Use of the website:
 Website usage continues to increase in terms of first time and repeat usage – and is rated now even more
highly than two years ago, particularly in terms of ease of use (a major positive attitudinal shift seen among
callers in Scotland)
 Areas for consideration:
 Those with new debt are much more likely to be those who first called five years ago (and are less likely to
be confident about managing money and feeling in control of life). Proximity to the advice engenders
confidence and control
7
Executive Summary: Performance Evaluation (I)
 Continuing high levels of satisfaction and recommendation in 2008
 78% of callers were very satisfied with the service
 75% of callers found the information and advice provided to be extremely helpful
 85% of callers would definitely recommend the service
 Encouragingly, satisfaction amongst callers in Scotland is now largely on a par with
callers from England
 72% of callers in Scotland were now very satisfied with the service versus 66% in 2006
 78% now found the information and advice provided extremely helpful versus 66% in 2006
 A large proportion of callers were prompted to take direct action after contact
 70% of callers contacted the companies they owed money to and 76% of these callers came
to an arrangement with the companies using the advice provided by NDL
 91% of those callers who contacted and made arrangements with companies have kept to
the agreement
Contact also had a positive attitudinal effect on managing debt
 90% of callers agreed they felt more knowledgeable about financial matters overall
 85% of callers agreed they felt less likely to find themselves in a similar situation again
 84% of callers agreed they felt more confident about managing money in general
8
Executive Summary: Performance Evaluation (II)
 Mixed levels of awareness of what the service offered before contact
 39% of callers knew nothing about what the service offered when they first called NDL
 59% of callers knew that National Debtline offered advice on handling debts
The Internet is an ever-increasing source of awareness of National Debtline
 27% of callers first heard about NDL via the internet (versus 22%, 15% and 11% previously)
A vast increase in proportion of callers able to reach an adviser the first time they called
 80% of callers got through first time (versus only 53% in 2006)
 High levels of praise reserved for NDL advisers
 80% of callers strongly agreed that the adviser was easy to talk to
 84% of callers strongly agreed that the adviser dealt with their situation in a professional way
 65% strongly agreed they had a better understanding of how to manage debt as a result of NDL
 Increased use of website continues in 2008
 Website rated more highly against all performance measures
 Note: substantial positive shift in scores amongst callers in Scotland
 Overall, and in terms of contact with advisers, literature and website
9
Performance Evaluation: Website Evaluation (I)
 Website searches are an extremely effective method of drawing people to the website
 Half (50%) of website users found the NDL address via an internet search
 However, a significant proportion (23%) experienced problems finding the NDL website
 Website being used even more fully in 2008
 59% of users this time versus 38% in 2006 had searched for information/ advice about debt
 NDL clients are almost twice as likely this time to have: viewed templates; downloaded
templates; accessed factsheets; used budget sheet; etc
 Some evidence to suggest the website is assisting more users to take productive action
 48% of users this time versus 36% in 2006 state are going to contact creditors
 Reactions to the website even more positive in 2008
 E.g. 80% of users this time versus 71% in 2006 rated the website as “good” or “excellent”
for providing easy-to-understand information
10
Executive Summary: Longitudinal Evaluation (I)
 High levels of satisfaction and recommendation remain over time
 98% of callers from 2 years ago, 95% from 4 years ago, and 96% from 5 years ago were
satisfied with the service they received from National Debtline
 98% of callers from 2 years ago, 97% from 4 years ago, and 100% from 5 years ago would
recommend the service
 Previous callers appear successful in reducing their debts
 19% of callers from 2 years ago no longer have an outstanding debt
 27% of callers from 4 years ago no longer have an outstanding debt
 32% of callers from 5 years ago no longer have an outstanding debt
 A high proportion of respondents are able to maintain payment arrangements over time
 78% of callers from 4 years ago contacted companies they owed money to and 81% of these
callers came to an arrangement with these companies
 Of those callers who had made arrangements, 92% kept to these arrangements. The majority of
these arrangements had been made over two years ago
11
Executive Summary: Longitudinal Evaluation (II)
 Respondents report that contacting NDL engenders self-sufficiency in financial matters
 Around 6 in 10 callers from 2-4 years ago strongly agreed they were more in control, more
knowledgeable, or more confident about managing their money. However, those from 5 years
ago were slightly less likely to strongly agree (and are more likely to have new debt)
 Evidence suggests there are wider consequences of debt
 36% had visited a doctor because of the stress of debt
 23% had time off work as a result of stress
 NDL advice has a positive impact on callers’ emotional states in particular
 9 in 10 of callers from 2 to 5 years ago state this
 Literature provided by National Debtline is shown to be of high value over time
 83% of callers from 2 years ago and 84% from 4 and 5 years ago reported that they read the
literature and stored it for future reference
 38% of these callers have looked at the information since they first stored it
12
Part I:
Performance Evaluation
Performance Evaluation:
Key Measures
The service continues to generate high levels of
continued satisfaction amongst callers
 Overall satisfaction remains at the same level as 2006 (95% satisfied)
 Callers in Scotland appear less content than callers in England and Wales, albeit
satisfaction levels in Scotland are increasing after a slight dip in 2006
 Overall, how satisfied with service you received from National Debtline?
Very satisfied
Fairly satisfied
Neither/ nor
Fairly dissatisfied
78
Very dissatisfied
17
3 11
Base: all (300)
% very satisfied
Total
Scotland
2008
78
72
2006
79
66
2005
79
76
2004
74
69
Base: Scotland (50)
15
%
Reasons for satisfaction (I)
I was impressed with the
level of professionalism,
comprehensive knowledge
and response
They went extra mile for me…
they were very informative and
sent everything out that they said
they would do
They are readily available to
call without an appointment
I felt that they knew
what they were talking
about and that it was
objective
They gave me the
information that I
needed; they were
very helpful, very
pleasant and
understanding
Whenever I phone
they are very
understanding. They
don't try to hurry
you; they give you
all the time in the
world, are very
professional and
very effective
I phoned them up in distress; they
were able to calm me down, listen
to me and then explain the
procedure. Sometimes I got lost and
they very carefully explained it
again…they held my hand all the way
They were very understanding,
gave a personal touch and didn't
make you feel awkward or
uncomfortable; they were all
very polite and listened very
well
They spoke to me in a language
that I understood
They were very friendly, non
judgmental and they put me
at ease
16
Reasons for satisfaction (II)
It is nice to be able to speak
to people who are very
neutral
They made me
feel equipped to
deal with the
people who were
taking financial
advantage
They were there every
step of the way, I only
needed to phone them
in order to calm me
down
National Debtline put everything into
perspective for me
You are not treated just as a number - you are treated with
a bit of respect
They were polite, helpful
and not judgmental;
providing great advice, and
being really
understanding…They were
wonderful and supportive
They put me on the right track and
enabled me to organise things
properly…things are now controllable
whereas before they weren’t
It was like speaking to a friend
17
Excellent advice and step by
step procedures
Reasons for dissatisfaction
They explained everything fairly clearly and
gave me ideas on what to do but didn't
answer all of my questions
The leaflets they
promised they
would send never
arrived
I suppose they didn't really tell
me anything that I wasn't aware
of
They were pretty good when I spoke to them
on the phone but they did not follow up too
well
Although they sent out a very
useful information pack, I
could have done with a bit
more follow up from them
I think I was
expecting a little
bit more - personal
advice rather than
the basics
The adviser was quite
patronising - he spoke to me
as if he thought I was a bit
of an idiot because I was in
debt
When I wanted to get in touch with
them I could never get a reply at the
end of the phone, it was an answering
machine
18
NDL is often praised for helping manage debt
 Majority of respondents find service of considerable assistance, which
translates into high recommendation
 Thinking about all the information and advice you received specifically from National Debtline, how
helpful was it to you in dealing with your debt problem at the time?
Extremely helpful
Extremely helpful
Fairly helpful
Not very helpful
75
Not at all helpful
20
3 1
%
Base: all: 300
Total
Scotland
2008
75
78
2006
75
66
2005
79
76
2004
77
69
 If someone you knew found themselves in difficulty with debt, how likely would you be to recommend
National Debtline as a source of advice?
Definitely recommend
Probably
Probably not
13
85
Base: all: 300
19
Definitely recommend
Definitely not recommend
11
%
Total
Scotland
2008
85
80
2006
89
82
2005
89
86
2004
87
81
Why recommend NDL? (I)
People on the phone are very sympathetic,
they don't patronise you in any way
They gave a few options…an
informed choice, they didn't
make decisions for you
You realise you're
not the only fish in
the sea, you find
out there are a lot
of people in the
same situation
The information I've received
and the confidence they've
given me to get my dignity back
The advice is good and
helpful, it is a whole
weight off your shoulders
Both the people I spoke to
were non judgmental and
that's very important
It is a very good starting point
because they help to clarify
things that may be bothering
you unnecessarily. They have a
better understanding of all
these things because they do it
on a day to day basis
National Debtline explained my problems to me in simple
language and made it simpler for me to understand
where I was going. I phoned them as a last resort; it
should have been my first resort
Overall it's an exceptional service…it is an organisation that is helping people in despair
20
Why recommend NDL? (II)
When you find yourself in a situation where
you owe money, it is better to take positive
action…The advice I was given enabled me to
do this rather than sitting down worrying and
hoping the problem would go away…it won't
go away
I felt that once I talked
to the debt line I was
able to go back to my
creditors and talk with
more authority
They take away
the worry…and
give you a light at
the end of the
tunnel
It was easy to deal with the people at NDL,
you feel comfortable talking to them
because you feel they are on your side
The advice is clear, concise, helpful…
knowledgeable and well considered.
The advisers are friendly and
sensitive and if, at any point, they
feel unable to respond to your query
they consult a colleague who can
help them give the correct
information. It makes you feel less
alone, it gives you the sense that
there is someone who will support
you and argue your case
…or why would you not recommend them?
It was a bit like a
financial
Samaritans…they help
you at every turn
In the first instance, I had to make four phone calls to actually get
through to them. When I spoke to them about the situation, they
seemed to feel that I could manage it myself by sending me through an
information pack which I didn't really want
21
NDL contact encourages repayment of debt
 National Debtline continues to successfully assist callers to take direct action
 After contact with National Debtline, 53% of callers took action to repay their debts and have
successfully kept to these arrangements
Did you yourself contact any of the companies you owed
money to after receiving advice from National Debtline?
YES: 70%
Base: all (300)
And as a result of this, did you come to any agreement or make
any new arrangements with the companies you owed money to
using the advice provided by National Debtline?
YES: 76%
Base: all who contacted companies (209)
And have you managed to keep to the arrangement
which you agreed to?
YES: 91%
Base: all who contacted companies and came to agreement: 158
22
Not contacted
companies owed
YES
Total
Scotland
2008
70
68
2006
72
60
2005
68
52
2004
63
56
Not come to
arrangement
YES
Total
Scotland
2008
76
62
2006
71
70
2005
68
62
2004
81
70
At time, any apply…
%
On DMP
17
Already declared
bankrupt
1
Had IVA with companies
owed money to
13
Contacted companies
owed money to
26
Attempt to make any new
arrangements with companies
owed money to using advice
provided by National Debtline:
Y es attempted
53%
No
47%
YES
Total
Scotland
2008
91
86
2006
84
86
2005
86
100
2004
88
95
NDL advice has a profound impact on future money
management
 Contact had a positive attitudinal effect on managing debt, and empowered callers
% Strongly agree
Strongly agree
I am more knowledgeable
about financial matters overall
62
I feel less likely to find myself
in a similar situation again
I feel more confident about
managing my money in
general
I feel more in control of my
life as a result
I think it is more likely I will
repay my debt
Agree
28
68
17
58
26
53
28
56
20
Base: all (weighted): 300
23
Year
Total
Scotland
2008
62
52
2006
59
60
2005
56
56
2004
58
60
2008
68
68
2006
75
64
2005
64
65
2004
65
75
2008
58
62
2006
60
52
2005
54
54
2004
57
50
2008
53
54
2006
60
46
2005
54
53
2004
56
58
2008
56
48
2006
60
56
2005
56
58
2004
58
67
The importance attached to the contact
 How would you describe how the service provided by National Debtline has helped you in
terms of managing money and debt?
It has helped me realise that you can spend too much
money too quickly on a credit card…It is so easy to get
into debt and a lot harder to get out of it
They have been instrumental in everything
I have had to deal with; they have helped
me tremendously. They have encouraged
me to deal with things straight
away…however little, just to make sure
every payment is made on time
It has encouraged us to set a
specific budget per month and
we're now very strict with keeping
to it
The budget plan that National
Debtline sent to me and I downloaded
actually gave me a realistic
understanding of my entire financial
position
It has helped me understand the
pitfalls of borrowing on top of
loans and how that can put me
into huge debt without noticing
I feel like I am working for me now and not
just working for everyone else to take my
money
It simplified things and made things easier to understand; the information was very clear
24
Making the first call:
Awareness and Experience
Most are aware NDL is a debt advisory service; unsurprisingly
knowledge somewhat unrefined at first call stage
 Mixed levels of awareness surrounding what the service offered:
 Just over half (59%) of callers knew that National Debtline offered advice on handling debts
 39% of callers knew nothing about what the service offered when they first called
 Internet an increasingly important source of awareness
 How did you first hear about National Debtline?
27
2008
2006
2004
2003
= 27%
= 22%
= 15%
= 11%
Other sources include:
• Bank/ building society
• Radio
• Poster/ leaflet
• Creditors
%
13
13
12
10
9
6
Internet search
Citizens Advice
Bureau/ other
free agency
Article in paper/
magazine
Friend/ relative
26
TV
Yellow pages
Other telephone
directory
Base: all (weighted): 300
NDL is now more accessible; moreover, vast majority
of callers were given most of the advice they needed
 A vast increase in proportion of callers able to reach an adviser first time they called
 Once they had spoken to an adviser, majority of callers happy with service they received
 94% of callers felt that length of their first call was about right
 51% given all the advice they needed, with a further 39% given most of the advice they required
 Thinking about when you first rang National Debtline, how many times did you have to ring before you
got through to an adviser?
Once
Twice
Three times
2008
Four times
Five times
More than five times
Don’t know
80
2006
9
53
16
10
7
4 21 4
3
7
3
%
%
Base: all (300)
 How many times have you spoken to National Debtline?
Once
39
Twice
Three times
Four times
24
More than 4 times
16
7
14
%
Base: all (300)
27
NDL is often the first port of call for debt advice
 National Debtline often first point of contact for debt advice (for two-thirds, as in 2006)
Yes
Had you contacted
anyone else for debt
advice before you spoke
to National Debtline ?
No
32
%
68
Base: all (300)
 Who else have you contacted?
Citizens Advice Bureau
20
Debt consultancy service
12
CCCS
Other free debt advice
service
6
Bank
Family/ Friends
Other
As in previous waves,
CAB is most common
alternative source of
debt advice
Yes, using
10 0
80
70
%
2
60
%
1
50
40
Other includes: trading standards,
solicitor, other websites
1
12
30
20
10
Base: all who had contacted someone else prior: 95
28
0
No
90
90
5
Other fee charging company
Payplan
Used a fee-charging debt
consultancy service,
before spoke to NDL?
48
10
First call with NDL rated highly
 High levels of praise for contact enjoyed with National Debtline
 Respondents were asked to think back to how they felt after their first call with National Debtline
and to rate the service on a number of measures:
% Strongly agree
%
The advisor was
easy to talk to
You had a sense of
confidence in the
service
You felt you had
made a positive
step towards
managing your
debt
Year
Total
Scotland
2008
80
76
2006
83
80
2005
82
76
2004
81
69
2008
72
76
2006
69
64
2005
70
62
2004
67
63
2008
68
70
2006
69
64
2005
69
49
2004
65
56
Agree
Strongly agree
15
80
21
72
22
68
Base: all (300)
29
Vast majority proffer strong praise for NDL advisers
 Service successfully provides strong support to callers, both in terms of emotional
assistance and practical support
Interpretation and application of advice is likely to be more challenging for some callers
 Callers in Scotland views largely on a par with callers in England and Wales
Callers in Scotland this time more likely to strongly agree than in 2006 that adviser
understood their situation, and dealt with problem in a sensitive way
No notable shift in views of England and Wales callers against each performance measure
%
Strongly agree
The advisor dealt with your situation in a professional way
84
14
79
16
The advisor dealt with your problem in a sensitive way
79
16
You felt the advisor understood your situation
77
You had a better understanding of how to manage your debt
as a result of contacting National Debtline
14
74
65
Base: all (weighted): 300
30
‘06
‘05
‘04
Total
84
85
84
83
Scotland
76
78
84
71
Total
79
82
78
77
Scotland
78
80
76
63
Total
79
80
81
77
Scotland
84
74
80
67
Total
77
76
76
75
Scotland
74
62
70
67
Total
74
76
74
75
Scotland
68
71
70
65
Total
65
61
67
66
Scotland
64
56
62
50
Agree
The advisor was knowledgeable
The advice provided was clear and easy to understand
‘08
19
24
Base: Callers in Scotland: 50
Service improvements
 What could National Debtline do to improve the service they offer?
I think that some of the advisers are a bit abrupt
Get more operatives…it’s getting
harder and harder to get in contact
with them
It’s a pity that they are not better
known so that they could help
others
Sometimes it takes a long
time to get hold of them
More face to face contact
Better advertisement of what they
can actually do for you
It is important to let people know
that it is free, impartial and not
for profit
A follow up call to see
how someone is getting
on
31
If they could provide a
bit more information for
people at the early
stages E.g In school
Only a minority are currently on a Debt Management
Programme. NDL less likely to be involved this time
 24% of respondents were on a debt management programme at the time of
responding to the survey (no significant difference to 2006)
 NDL acting as intermediary in set-up by CCCS has halved
 Set up by CCCS/ Payplan after NDL referral down a third
 Who was it that set up the debt management arrangement for you?
%
30
Another debt management
company
31
Set up by CCCS/ Payplan
after being referred to
them by National Debtline
Set up by CCCS without
National Debtline acting
as intermediary
Total
Base: on DMP
21
Yes, fee charging
43%
No
57%
28
44
18
7
13
Can't remember/ Not sure
Payplan without National
Debtline acting as
intermediary
Fee- charging debt
management company
10
2008
2006
11
9
Base: all on debt management programme (2006: 75; 2008: 71)
32
Delivering Advice:
Literature and Website
The quality of the literature is high
 Vast majority (92%) recall receiving literature after having spoken to NDL
 Most rate the literature very highly against all assessment criteria
 Big shift in levels of satisfaction with the literature amongst callers in Scotland –
significantly more likely to state very good against each measure
 Thinking about information which was sent to you, how would you rate it in terms of the following?
%
Very good
The amount of
information provided
How clearly presented
the information was
‘08
‘06
‘05
‘04
Total
75
74
73
75
Scotland
78
67
70
72
Total
72
73
70
68
Scotland
74
65
65
57
Total
70
69
67
72
Scotland
72
57
67
59
Total
69
70
69
68
Scotland
78
63
63
61
Total
68
66
64
65
Scotland
72
61
65
54
Good
75
19
72
22
How useful the
information given was
in helping you to
manage debt
70
How relevant the
information provided
was to your situation
69
18
How easy it was to
understand
68
20
20
Base: all who recall literature sent:275
34
Base: Scotland: 46
Half of callers visited the website - mostly before
speaking to NDL, further visits followed from most
 Growth – albeit less marked this time – in visiting National Debtline website
 47% of callers now, compared to 43% and 24% in 2006 and 2004 respectively
 Majority (71%) of those who have visited, visit again (22% five or more times)
 Multiple motivations/ usage of website – finding out about service offered by NDL, search for
debt information/ advice, and find NDL telephone number most frequently cited
%
74
Finding out more about the service National Debtline offers
73
Searching for information and advice about debt
72
Finding the telephone number for National Debtline
49
Using the personal budget sheet
Accessing the factsheets
48
46
Viewing/ downloading sample letters
37
Downloading information packs
19
Requesting documents to be posted to you
Emailing National Debtline for advice
6
Base: all who have visited NDL website: 140
(NB: Prompted response)
35
Did you visit the website…
Before calling NDL: 69%
After calling NDL:
20%
Before and after:
10%
The website is rated even better than before,
particularly amongst callers in Scotland
 Website even more likely to be viewed as clear and effective – most state “very good”
 Major positive attitudinal shift amongst callers in Scotland about website
 How would you rate the website in terms of the following?
The amount of information
provided
24
65
How useful the information
was in helping you to
manage your debt
59
How clearly presented the
information was
59
How easy it was to
understand
‘08
‘06
Total
65
61
Scotland
70
45
Total
59
55
Scotland
57
38
Total
59
53
Scotland
57
41
Total
62
53
Scotland
70
34
Good
Very good
28
34
29
62
%
Base: all who have visited website: 140
36
Base: all callers in Scotland who have visited
website: 29 in 2006 and 23 in 2008
(base too small in previous waves)
Part II:
Website Evaluation
Search engines remain the dominant means by which
the National Debtline website address is found
 Half find the website by searching though an internet search engine, with a further 1
in 7 via the Citizens Advice Bureau. No significant change between 2006 and 2008
 How did you find the National Debtline website address?
47%
50%
2006
2008
Other sources mentioned:
Yellow pages
Credit reference agencies
Moneysavingexpert.com
Through work/ job
11%
13%
11%
13%
6% 6%
Internet search Citizens Advice
Bureau
engine
Another
website
Friend/ relative
4% 4%
TV/ media
Base: all who completed on-line survey (475
in 2006, 450 in 2008)
38
2% 2%
Article in
paper/
magazine
2% 3%
1% 2%
Financial
advisor/ bank
People I owe
money to
3% 3%
Something else
A significant proportion experienced problems
finding the National Debtline website
Q. Some people have stated that they had problems finding the official National Debtline website and tried
other websites with similar names or website addresses first, did you experience this problem?
Yes, experienced such problems
No, didn't experience such problems
23%
77%
Base: All respondents who found the website
via Internet search engine (220)
Q. Experiences and details of other websites tried first?
Other sites charge/ aren't free
39%
Other websites come up first/
at the top of the list
Others with similar name
Confused
Other
31%
18%
10%
18%
39
Base: All respondents who found the website via
Internet search engine and had difficulty finding it (51)
Website visits are mostly for finance/ debt advice
Most visit website to look for help and advice on the financial/ debt problems
they are experiencing; one in five visit specifically to access the letter
templates
Financial/ debt problems
48%
For the letter templates
Research/ information
12%
To help a friend/ family
member/ client
For a budget plan/ sheet
I've just had a
threatening
phone call and
need some advice
urgently
20%
8%
I need further help in writing letters
and the info on the website is really
really good and helpful
4%
Looking for/ downloading
2%
factsheets
Info about CCJs 1%
Other
I’m reaching the end of my tether with debt and
have finally decided to take the bull by the horns
and do something about it!
8%
Base: all who completed on-line survey (450)
40
The proportion of callers who had previously contacted National
Debtline increased - both by phone and visiting the website
47%
64%
No
Intend to
Yes
50%
71%
16%
50%
21%
37%
29%
14%
2006
Base: all who completed on-line survey (475
in 2006, 450 in 2008)
2008
Have you spoken to
National Debtline
advisers by phone?
41
2006
2008
Have you visited the
National Debtline website
before?
Though numbers of callers contacting other advice sources is largely
consistent, those who do so are contacting a wider range of sources than
before
Q. Have you contacted anyone else for advice on managing money and debt?
2006
Yes
31%
2008
Yes
No
34%
69%
66%
Who else have you contacted ?
Who else have you contacted ?
Citizens Advice Bureau
36%
Citizens Advice Bureau
Debt consultancy service
36%
Debt consultancy service
19%
Friends/ family
11%
Payplan
Accountant
16%
25%
Bank
12%
Payplan
13%
Accountant 3%
3%
Solicitor1%
Solicitor
5%
Lawyer1%
Lawyer1%
Local council1%
Other
42%
CCCS
14%
Bank
48%
Friends/ family
16%
CCCS
No
Local council
11%
Other
4%
7%
Base: all who contacted someone else for advice (146 in 2006, 154 in 2008)
42
The website is being used for a broader range of
purposes than before
Have used
Searching for
information and
advice about debt
Finding out more
about the service
National Debtline
offers
Viewing/
downloading sample
letters
Downloading self
help information
pack
Accessing the
factsheets
38%
2006
2008
2006
28%
30%
29%
28%
43%
43%
24%
34%
39%
45%
2008
2006
28%
50%
2008
2006
50%
59%
2008
2006
Intend to use
27%
2008
28%
35%
45%
26%
Base: all who completed on-line survey (475
in 2006, 450 in 2008)
43
The proportion
who have used
the website for a
variety of
purposes has
markedly
increased since
2006. And there
are still more who
intend to use
each service
Number of uses to which website is put to is growing
 Further evidence of website serving plethora of needs
Have used
Using the personal
budget sheet
2006
Finding the
telephone number
for National Debtline
Requesting
documents to be
posted to you
33%
36%
6%
2008
2008
29%
21%
2008
2006
Emailing National
Debtline for advice
38%
39%
2006
2006
Intend to use
23%
2008
Base: all who completed on-line survey
(475 in 2006, 450 in 2008)
32%
25%
18%
7%
26%
29%
10%
33%
Yes
Did you find what you
were looking for?
84%
No
16%
Base: all who completed on-line survey (450)
44
The website is consistently rated even more highly
than in 2006 (across all measures)
Already positive in 2006, perceptions of every area of the website have
improved in the last two years
 How do you rate the website in terms of:
Easy to understand
information
Amount of
information
General content
Presentation of
information
Ease of use
Good
2008
38%
2006
42%
2008
40%
2006
40%
2008
40%
2006
42%
2008
38%
2006
Design
42%
29%
40%
29%
39%
28%
36%
44%
2008
38%
2006
Ease of finding
information
Excellent
43%
2008
37%
2006
2008
41%
2006
41%
44%
Base: all who completed on-line survey (475 in 2006, 450 in 2008)
45
26%
36%
26%
36%
24%
26%
21%
Additional user comments
Feedback regarding site is mainly positive, with some small criticisms
An excellent source of reliable
information
Your interactive personal budget
sheet is a marvel
I think your service should be in
receipt of some sort of
recognition for the support and
help you are clearly providing.
Thank you thank you thank you
thank you!!!
Fantastic service
that has helped me
more than once!
Much needed and useful
resource for both the
general public looking for
information and advice and
for advisers to use as a
resource tool
Extremely
helpful &
knowledgeable.
Thank you
I’d like the budget sheet
to be downloadable in
Excel so it can be altered/
managed. I had to print
out a few before I got it
about right
It should have a
discussion forum so we
can all help each other
more
46
I think that your fact sheets
are the best that are
available
Make it easier to find from
an internet search engine
I have emailed National Debtline
several weeks ago now, and have not
received any response - this is very
disappointing given the quality of
service in terms of advice available on
the web pages
There has been a clear increase since 2006 in the number of
callers who state that they intend to contact their creditors
following advice
 Sizeable growth in number planning to contact creditors. Similar proportion now
versus 2006 intend to complete a budget form or contact National Debtline next
 What is the next step you are going to take in terms of managing your money and debt?
2006
48%
36%
36% 35%
2008
35%
25%
18%
12%
14%
9%
8%
4%
Contact your
creditors
Complete a
budget form
Visit another
Telephone
National Debtline money and debt
advice website
Base: all who completed on-line survey (475 in
2006, 450 in 2008)
Consult bank/
lawyer/ other
professional
service
11%
13%
2%
Telephone
another money
and debt advice
service
Email National
Debtline*1
Something else
*1 Addition to 2008
questionnaire
(NB: Prompted responses)
47
Part III:
Longitudinal Impact
Evaluation
Longitudinal Impact
Evaluation:
Key Measures
Impact of NDL service is deep and long-lasting
Extremely helpful
Positive impact of contact with National
Debtline has lasting effect, and does not
appear to weaken over time
2 years on
4 years on
 Over three quarters rated advice/ information
first received as extremely helpful in dealing
with their debt at that time
Very satisfied
2 years on
5 years on
77%
80%
77%
21%
98%
15%
95%
19%
96%
Fairly satisfied
72%
4 years on
5 years on
Fairly helpful
85%
68%
94%
22%
92%
7%
And satisfaction with all elements of
service remains broad over time
 Intensity of satisfaction marginally higher
amongst first contacted 4 years back
97%
29%
Definitely recommend
And virtually all would recommend
National Debtline to someone they knew
in difficulty with debt
2 years on
4 years on
 Again deep felt and lasting
5 years on
Probably recommend
89%
85%
97%
9%
98%
97%
12%
3% 100%
Base: All 2 years on (90), All 4 years on (41 ), All 5 years on (31)
50
Debt is being successfully managed over time
Previous callers appear to be successfully reducing their debts over time
Proportion of respondents who currently have outstanding debt
81%
73%
68%
Of those who have outstanding
debt, the majority (76%) are
dealing solely with the same debt
as before.
Those with new debt were much
more likely to be those who first
called five years ago
2 years on
4 years on
5 years on
Base: All 2 years on (90), All 4 years on (41 ), All 5 years on (31)
51
After initial contact with NDL, most agree – and then
maintain – arrangements with creditors
 Initial contact appears to help prompt action towards reducing debt
 Over time respondents are able to maintain these arrangements
 A small pocket of ‘5yrs on’ clients required recent new arrangements
Action taken after initial NDL contact:
Contacted companies to whom
money was owed?
Came to an agreement/ made new
arrangement using NDL advice?
Attempt to make any
new arrangements
using NDL advice?
Two years on: 70%
Two years on: 81%
35%
Four years on: 78%
Four years on: 81%
Five years on: 61%
Five years on: 89%
Base: all not come to
arrangement (20)
Base: all came to agreement 2 yrs
(63), 4 yrs (32) and 5 yrs (19)
Base: All 2 years on (90), All 4 years on
(41 ), All 5 years on (31)
Kept to the agreed arrangement?
Two years on: 90%
Four years on: 92%
Five years on: 94%
How long have you had this
arrangement?
How long have you had this
arrangement?
How long have you had this
arrangement?
Less than 6 months: 6%
Less than 6 months: 5%
Less than 6 months: 25%
6-12 months: 24%
6-12 months: 5%
6-12 months: 19%
Longer than 1 year: 48%
Longer than 1 year: 35%
Longer than 1 year: 6%
Longer than 2 years: 22%
Longer than 2 years: 55%
Longer than 2 years: 50%
Base: all who came to an arrangement with creditors and kept to it: Two years on (46), four years on (20) and 5 years on (16)
52
Of those callers who didn’t contact companies to whom they owed
money after NDL advice, most had already contacted them or had
existing arrangements in place
Situation when received advice…

24% had not contacted companies owed money to after receiving advice
At time, any apply…
%
Base:
(48)
I had already contacted companies owed money to
27
On DMP
25
Had IVA with companies owed money to
15
Already declared bankrupt
6
None of above applied
19
Other help
8
53
NDL advice helped the vast majority to manage money
and debt on an ongoing basis – and change their life
How helpful has the information and advice from National Debtline been in helping you deal with money and
debt on an ONGOING BASIS?
Extremely helpful
Fairly helpful
2 years on
66%
4 years on
65%
5 years on
Not very helpful
Not all helpful
26%
6% 2%
33%
73%
17%
2%
10%
Base: All 2 years on (90), All 4 years on (41 ), All 5 years on (31)
 How has National Debtline affected you in the widest sense ?
Four years on: 7.4
Five years on: 6.9
No impact on you whatsoever
5
1
54
% scoring 7+ (major impact):
• 2 yrs on – 71%
• 4 yrs on – 78%
• 5 yrs on – 61%
Two years on: 7.5
Fundamentally changed your life
10
Practical long-term benefits
NDL advice is valuable in dealing with the immediate
problem - and its impact remains valuable over time
2 years ago
Total
agree
Strongly agree
4 years ago
5 years ago
76%
Contacting NDL was a
positive step towards
managing your debt
80%
68%
70%
Took action on managing
debt as a direct result of
contact with NDL
71%
68%
You have a better
understanding of how to
manage your debt as a result
of contacting NDL
55%
90%
92%
87%
88%
86%
78%
63%
84%
63%
80%
78%
Base: All 2 years on (90), All 4 years on (41 ), All 5 years on (31)
56
Similarly, contacting NDL is often felt to engender
self-sufficiency in financial matters
 Callers from 5+ years ago are less likely to strongly “feel more in control of (their)
life” or “more confident about managing (their) money”; especially if acquired new
debt since the call
2 years ago
4 years ago
I feel less likely to find
myself in a similar
situation
5 years ago
Total
agree
% Strongly agree
70%
76%
56%
61%
I feel more in control of
my life as a result
63%
61%
80%
90%
78%
77%
42%
I am more knowledgeable
about financial matters
overall
61%
88%
61%
85%
58%
I feel more confident
about managing my
money in general
60%
61%
48%
57
90%
81%
89%
81%
80%
Base: All 2 years on (90), All 4 years on (41 ), All 5 years on (31)
How has the service helped?
It has turned my life around. The whole
situation terrified me and I didn't believe
that there was a way out…I can now handle
my finances
It alerted me to or rather clarified
what my options were. I was not
aware of the concept of prioritising,
paying off one kind of debt over
another
They've helped me considerably by talking me
through it, both managing it and coping with
it
NDL helped me to look at
what money was coming in
and what was going out
and now I seem to be
managing it better…I have
cut all my credit cards up
It taught me a very valuable lesson in life; my
attitude to money is now very different and I
would never ever be in debt again
It made me unbury
my head from the
sand and made me
face my
commitments
It has enabled me to move on with my life
It certainly took the
pressure off me - it
feels like a bit of a
victory
Extremely helpful because everything was put
into black and white and I could choose which
option to go for
58
It has made me
realise how silly I've
been in the past
handling money and
finances - I won't
be getting into debt
again
Wider impact of contact
NDL advice has a positive impact on most aspects of
well-being
2 years ago
4 years ago
5 years ago
% Positive impact
89
9
2
90%
90
10
-
90%
90
6
3
87
12
1
93
7
-
94
6
-
76
23
1
88
12
-
81
19
-
69
29
2
83
15
2
81
19
-
64
34
1
76
24
-
74
26
-
44
54
-
56
41
2
48
52
-
89%
Emotional or
mental state
87%
Overall well
being
93%
94%
76%
Overall personal
confidence
88%
81%
69%
Quality of family
relationships
83%
81%
64%
Physical health
76%
74%
Work and
employment
44%
56%
48%


No
Negative
difference
Positive
36% had visited Doctor because of stress caused by being in debt
23% had time off work as a result of stress 60
No notable variation by longevity
Literature
Literature is highly valued; over time, recall,
engagement and value are exceptionally high
 High proportion of respondents keeping original literature confirms its value
among National Debtline callers, even over time
 Over 92% of callers recalled receiving literature after their first contact with National Debtline
 What did you do with the information you received?
Read it and
acted on it
Not read it but
kept for future
reference
Read it and
threw it away
Throw it away
without
reading
84% of callers from 4 and 5
years ago reported that they
read and acted on the
information, reinforcing its
long-term value
83%
9%
7%
1%
Base: All recall received postal information (149)
 38% have looked at this information since they first received and stored it (36% amongst 5
years on) – further evidence of its longevity
62
Summary and
Conclusions
Conclusions: service is consistently strong; callers
are satisfied; debt is being reduced over time
 High levels of satisfaction continue, over the long and short terms

78% ‘very satisfied’ with overall service in 2008

85% of 2008 callers ‘would definitely recommend’ service
 The majority of callers take some form of positive direct action after speaking to National Debtline

53% of callers in 2008 took action to repay debts and have successfully kept to arrangements
 Respondents report feeling empowered to deal with financial matters following contact with NDL
 90% of 2008 callers felt more knowledgeable about financial matters
 85% of 2008 callers felt less likely to find themselves in a similar situation again
 Major positive shifts include:
 Higher website rating - more effective, clearer and easier to use with services used more fully
 Callers in Scotland are now more satisfied – largely on a par with England & Wales re. adviser,
literature and website experiences
 Improved ability to reach an adviser first time
 Areas for consideration
 New debt levels seen amongst those who first called five years ago – this group appears less
confident and less in control
64
Performance Evaluation:
Appendix Information
Only a minority contacted other advice sources –
CAB and CCCS mostly
 Only a minority sought additional advice once they had contacted National Debtline
 Of those who did, Citizens Advice was again the most likely alternative
Yes
Had you spoken to anyone else
for advice on managing money
or debt since your calls to
National Debtline?
No
%
26
74
Base: all: 300
 Who else have you contacted?
31
Citizens Advice Bureau
24
CCCS
13
Payplan
8
Debt consultancy service
%
6
Other free debt advice service
5
Fee-charging debt service
Local council
4
Bank
4
Finance company
3
Family / Friends
3
Solicitor
3
Base: all respondents who had contacted someone else: 82
66
Email option not ‘top of mind’
 Were you aware that you could contact NDL for advice by email?
Yes
No
Not sure / don't know
48
48
4
%
 Did or would you consider emailing NDL for advice rather than contacting them by phone?
Yes - did consider
10
Yes - would consider
No - did / would not consider
33
57
%
 Why wouldn’t you consider emailing National Debtline?
Prefer to speak to somebody:
58%
Telephone more personal: 35%
Find it difficult to express self/
problems in writing: 8%
Quicker/ more immediate
response by phone: 8%
Base: all who visited NDL website and not contacted NDL by email (weighted): 113
67
Only a small proportion had visited website and
emailed NDL
 When did National Debtline reply to your email?
Of 8 who visited NDL website and emailed NDL
5 stated within 24 hrs
2 stated within 2 or 3 days
1 can’t remember
How did they reply:
3 stated via email
3 stated via telephone
Base: all who visited website and contacted NDL by email (8)
!!Small base!!
 How would you rate the email service in terms of…
Very
satisfied
Fairly
satisfied
Neither/
nor
Fairly
dissatisfied
Very
dissatisfied
[All received reply by email]
The quality of information/
advice offered
1
1
1
-
-
The way they responded to
your email
5
2
-
-
-
The speed of response to your
email
6
1
-
-
-
(Number of respondents)
68
Additional comments
I think it’s great that there is someone who is non
judgmental and supportive to talk to in a crisis
It is an important service
and I hope it continues the
good work
It is a fantastic service and it has changed my life
I think it is invaluable
especially for people who
are on low income who
cannot afford to pay for
advice
I did not know about them until I saw
them on the internet. They need to
make themselves more visible
I wish I had have known about
this service before
Being from Scotland, I am
sometimes unsure if advice
is totally correct as the
English and Scottish
systems are different
69
Type of debt: credit card and loans most prevalent
 Which types of debt did you have when you first contacted National Debtline?
63
36
%
10
Credit card
Personal loan
Mortgage
arrears/ secured
loans
9
Overdraft
9
Catalogue
debts/ bills
7
Utility bills
Base: England and Wales: 250, Scotland: 50
70
6
6
5
Other unsecured
loans
Store card
Council tax
Amount of debt: average was £23,024
 What was approximately the total amount of debt you held at the point when you
contacted National Debtline?
Mean debt*
17
12
12
Total
£23,024
Eng & Wales
£23,444
Scotland
£20,907
On DMP
£32,051
Not on DMP
£20,257
* Ex undisclosed/ unsure
9
%
8
8
7
6
5
5
4
2
Under
£2,499
£2,500£4,999
£5,000£9,999
£10,000£19,999
£20,00£25,000
£25,000£30,000
£30,000£40,000
£40,000£50,000
£50,000£60,000
Base: England and Wales: 250, Scotland: 50
71
2
£60,000£80,000
£80,000£100,000
2
£100,000+ Not disclose
Not sure
Demographics – performance evaluation
Male
Gender
Female
41
Age
18-24
2
Ethnicity
21
%
59
25-34
35-44
45-54
36
55-64
65-74
24
75+
15
2
%
White (British, Irish or other)
Mixed (e.g. White & Black Caribbean orWhite & Asian)
Asian or Asian British
Black or Black British
94
12 2
Base: all (300)
72
%
Demographics – performance evaluation
Employment Status
Working full time
Working part time
Unemployed
47
Responsible for household
19
11
9
Retired
6
Other
Predominantly unable
to work due to ill
health/ disability
%
7
Marital Status
Married / cohabiting
Divorced / separated
55
Single
Widowed
15
26
3
%
Dependant children living at home
One
21
Two
Three
22
More than three
8
4
Base: all (weighted):
73 300
No children at home
45
%
Gross household income: average was £22,495
Mean income*
12
11
Total
£22,495
Eng & Wales
£22,539
Scotland
£22,227
On DMP
£23,176
Not on DMP
£22,263
8
* Ex undisclosed/ unsure
%
5
5
4
4
4
3
<£9,499
£9,500£11,449
£11,500£13,449
5
£13,500£15,499
£15,500£17,499
3
£17,500£24,999
£25,000£29,999
Base: all (300)
74
£30,000£34,999
£35,000£39,999
£40,000£49,999
>£50,000
Nb 36% did not disclose
Website Evaluation:
Appendix Information
Reasons for using the website
 Often, users come to the website seeking specific information:
I need help with a sample letter
I’d like to find some information on
IVAs
I have currently got several
thousand pounds worth of debt and
don't know where to start clearing
it....
To re-enforce
information
contained in
National Debtline's
booklet
To add a shortcut to my
desktop
 A number of other users were browsing the site on behalf of other people or for
general research purposes:
I work in a CAB and know that your
fact sheets are excellent. I wanted to
give one to a client
Work related research - trying to find
info on bankruptcy
Research for a college project
Primarily for help for a friend, who
has already consulted CCCS
My daughter is
being chased by
debt collectors
for a debt she
does not owe
I work for a social landlord and need to see what
help can be offered to tenants in debt
76
Feedback on the website
 Those who have used the website generally find what they are looking for and
are impressed with the information available. Others would prefer to speak to
someone as they feel this is a quicker and easier process
Clear understandable layout,
detailed site map, not using
long words - putting the
content into layman terms
There's nothing they could do
to improve it, it’s a fantastic
service
I don't see the point e-mailing
when you're dealing with
something as complex as debt
because the only thing you
could email is 'help somebody
get in contact with me'
To a certain extent, you don't
know the right questions to
ask; it's a learning process, out
of expediency it's better to
have somebody to talk to
I prefer talking to somebody
who can sort it out quickly
77
Awareness of National Debtline: Internet search
and Citizens Advice most frequently cited sources
 How did you first hear about National Debtline?
2006
2008
34%
32%
Other sources mentioned:
Previous knowledge
Yellow pages
Credit reference agencies
Moneysavingexpert.com
Through work/ job
20%
16%
15%
11%
12%
9%
10%
9%
3%
Internet
search
Citizens
Advice
Another
website
TV/ media
Friend/
relative
5%
4%
2%
Article in
paper/
magazine
Base: all who completed on-line survey (475
in 2006, 450 in 2008)
78
2%
Financial
adviser/
bank
1% 1%
Yellow
pages
1%
Credit
reference
agency
1%
2%
People I
owe money
to
1%
2%
Leaflet
Something
else
Demographics – website survey
Male
2008
Female
35%
65%
Gender
2006
38%
18-24
2008
5%
25-34
24%
62%
35-44
45-54
38%
55-64
21%
65-74
10%2%
Age
2006
8%
30%
39%
19%
4%
Base: all who completed on-line survey (475
in 2006, 450 in 2008)
79
Demographics – website survey
90
Ethnicity
80
White (British, Irish or other)
Asian or Asian British
East
Black or West
Black British
North
Mixed (e.g.
White and Black Caribbean or White and Asian)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2008
2006
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
90%
92%
3%
2%
2%
4%2%
1%
Base: all who completed on-line survey (475
in 2006, 450 in 2008)
80
Demographics – website survey
Marital status
Married/ cohabiting
Single
Divorced/ separated
Widowed
2008
56%
24%
14%
2%
2006
56%
25%
13%
1%
Employment status
Working full time
Retired
2008
2006
Working part time
Self-employed
48%
Responsible for household
Other
14%
60%
6%
14%
11%
4%
9%
9%
Unemployed
5%
6% 1% 6%
Base: all who completed on-line survey (475
in 2006, 450 in 2008). Refused not shown
81
Longitudinal Evaluation:
Appendix Information
A quarter had experienced further money and debt
difficulties 4 plus years on

Since last call to NDL, encountered any further difficulties with managing
money and debt…
Contacted anyone else for advice:
Yes, further difficulties
5 years on
4 years on
2 years on
4 respondents
23%
4 respondents
24%
6 respondents
13%
Base: All 2 years on (90), All 4 years on (41 ), All 5 years on (31)
Who else contacted?
Base: all 2 yrs (12), 4 yrs (10), 5 yrs (7)
2 years on callers
4 years on callers
5 years on callers
(number of callers)
(number of callers)
(number of callers)
Citizens Advice
2
0
1
CCCS
1
0
0
Family/ friends
1
0
0
Other free debt advice
1
2
0
Other
3
2
3
Base: All who contacted somebody else for advice - 2 years on (6), All 4 years on (4), All 5 years on (4)
83
Contacting creditors was most likely action taken following advice
from NDL. DMP/ pay plan more prevalent amongst “2 yrs”

What actions have you taken as a result of the advice provided by National Debtline?
30
Contact creditors
Draw up a budget
10
Debt management plan/pay plan
5
Consult CCCS
Reduced debt
2 yrs on
4 yrs on
5 yrs on
6
3
3
6
5
2
Took out an IVA
13
6
5
Got financial situation under control
7
7
7
2
Consult Payplan
Got advice/information
16
3
Consult CAB
7
3
1
7
3
3
5
14
6
6
Declared myself bankrupt
12
34
35
6
84
If in similar debt situation, half state would contact
creditors and a quarter would call NDL (unprompted)
52
44
Contact creditors
Imagine you had a
similar debt
problem to the one
you originally
contacted National
Debtline about.
What specific steps
would you take to
help yourself out of
the situation?
55
21
41
Call National Debtline
23
%
13
Draw up a budget
2 years on
7
10
4 years on
16
Wouldn't get into that
situation again
10
16
85
5 years on
Base:
All 2 years on (90)
All 4 years on (41)
All 5 years on (31)
Service improvements
Actually getting
through to them in
the first place is the
main downfall
I think it should be advertised even more…I had to
go looking for it
If anything, NDL could improve
by just shouting a bit louder
(about what it does)
Just have more phone
lines
The documents they send could be a bit more
concise
When they send out the information it
should be more specific to my needs
rather than just a blanket booklet
Give some example of responses from
creditors who have received letters
which have been sent out as
instructed by National Debt Line
Face to face contact
to be available
A call back in the future to see how people are getting on
86
More user
interactions with the
service, an online
forum for example
Range of bodies set up DMP arrangements
 If on a debt management programme, who was it that set up this arrangement for you?
Set up by CSSS/
payplan after being
referred to them by
National Debtline
36
Another debt
management company
23
CSSS without National
Debtline acting as
intermediary
23
Payplan without
National Debtline
acting as intermediary
Not sure/ Can't
remember
Total
11
8
Base: All on debt management programme – all years (53)
87
Demographics – Longitudinal evaluation
Age
2 years on
callers
4 years on
callers
5 years on
callers
1
12
30
15
36
13
44
8
29
10
2
%
10
35
18-24
25-34
42
35-44
45-54
10
55-64
3
Base:
All 2 years on (90)
All 4 years on (41)
All 5 years on (31)
65+
General population age breakdown
General population
13
13
15-24
15
25-34
35-44
13
45-54
Source: ONS (% under 15 not shown)
88
12
55--64
16
65+
%
Demographics – Longitudinal evaluation
Employment Status
42
2 years
on
4 years
on
46
5 years
on
45
Working full time
16
4
11
9
29
19
Working part time
Responsible for household
10
6
Retired
14
6
Unemployed
2
5
6
7
4 years
on
5 years
on
%
16
Unable to work
Self employed
Refused not shown
Marital Status
2 years
on
2
63
22
61
12
15
71
Married/ cohabiting
22
16
Single
89
Divorced/ separated
2
2
6
Widowed
%
6
Base:
All 2 years on (90)
All 4 years on (41)
All 5 years on (31)
Gross household income – Longitudinal evaluation
Base:
All 2 years on (90)
All 4 years on (41)
All 5 years on (31)
Mean income*
Total
£21,319
2 years on
£20,699
4 years on
£22,922
5 years on
2 years on
23
£21,120
22
4 years on
5 years on
24
23
21
20
* Ex undisclosed/ unsure
17
12
12
10
%
10
12 12
13
12
10
13
10
7
7
4
2
<£9,500
£9,500-£13,499
£13,500£17,499
£17,500£24,499
£25,000£34,999
90
£35,000£49,999
3
£50,000+
Undisclosed
Total current debt – Longitudinal evaluation
Mean debt*
Total
£23,109
2 years on
£26,355
4 years on
£19,580
5 years on
£17,267
2 years on
4 years on
Base: all with
outstanding debt
2 years on (73)
4 years on (30)
5 years on (21)
5 years on
43
Refused not shown
* Ex undisclosed/ unsure
34
33
27
29
23
19
11
19
%
19
13
10
Under £2,500
£2,500-£9,999
£10,000-£24,999
91
£25,000+
Type of debt (unprompted) – Longitudinal evaluation
 Which types of debt do you currently have?
Base: all with
outstanding debt
2 years on (73)
4 years on (30)
5 years on (21)
71
67
63
2 years on
40
4 years on
5 years on
42
29
17
14
10
14 13
12
11
5
Credit card
Personal loan
Other unsecured
loans
Mortgage
arreas/secured
loans
14 13
14
8
7
5
Store card
Overdraft
92
3
Catalogue debts
5
3
Hire purchase
3
1
Rent arrears
3
1
Utility bills