Outline
National survey
Every 30 seconds, staff working in UK debt
collection will have to make a business decision: how best to
recover a debt from a customer who says they have a mental health
problem. Dealing with these situations can be challenging for
frontline staff and the organisations they work in.
This research outlines ten changes that can
help frontline staff overcome these challenges, allow organisations
to collect debt more effectively from this customer group, and also
help improve both the financial and mental wellbeing of the
customer at a difficult time.
Based on research with 1270 frontline staff,
in 19 creditor and debt collection organisations, and in
association with the major trade membership organisations, the
report provides a previously unavailable insight into the
challenges and business opportunities facing creditors.
Qualitative research
This report presents the findings from research on the use of
the Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form (DMHEF). The DMHEF
is a standardised form with seven basic questions which creditors
or money advisers can use when:
• an individual discloses a mental health
problem to a creditor or money adviser;
• the individual reports that the mental
health problem has negatively impacted on their ability to repay or
manage their debts;
• creditor or money adviser staff have asked
for clarification on how this impact affects their ability to repay
or manage their debt;
• but unresolved issues, complex
circumstances, or doubts remain;
• where additional information – or what is
usually referred to as medical evidence - from a health or social
care professional who knows the customer is needed to decide the
action creditors should take;
• and where the customer gives their
informed consent for such an approach to be made.
The DMHEF has been developed by the Royal College of
Psychiatrists and the Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG is a forum
that brings together creditors and money advisers), in
collaboration with creditors, money advice agencies, and health
organisations.
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