CCCS/Stepchange - www.cccs.co.uk
CCCS (Consumer Credit Counselling Service - now known as Stepchange) is a popular UK debt charity, offering online and freephone counselling, delivered by impartial expert advisors, completely free of charge. It has specialist centres for bankruptcy, benefits and self employment issues.
Recent data published by the charity shows how they are able to recommend a balanced, full range of solutions including debt management plans (DMPs) and individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs).
CCCS Reviews
There are lots of different variations of search terms used to find the CCCS. Here's just a few: 'consumer credit council', 'consumer credit counseling', 'consumer credit counseling service'. If you have contacted or are using them to help you manage your debts, please take the time to create a CCCS review using the button below. Sharing your experience helps others decide who should help them and us put people in touch with the best advisors for their needs.
What others have said
I had to wait a long time for my interview and in the end was offered a debt management plan. It took and about 7 weeks from initial contact to when I was up and running.Reviewed by: MR
Would reviewer recommend this organisation? Yes
we contacted CCCS about a month ago after serious problems with debt which was leading to serious problems with our relationship, the online site is easy to use and understand, we were then sent a debt remedy pack, which tells you what creditors can and cant do, what we can do and what we dont have to do, within 3 weeks our DMP was up and running and our lifes have been drastically improved, i can sleep at nite, i dont dread the postman turning up, i can answer my home phone with no worries and our relationship is really so much better (its suprising how much damage financial stress can cause before you even realise its happened). we are now activly paying off our debts, have sufficeint money to live on, and are considerably happier about the whole situation! CCCS are an amazing organisation, they are allways at the end of the phone if we have any questions, worries or simply need to know something about our debt, and not once have i felt embarressed about my debt while speaking to them, which i think is one of the best parts! and to think, they have done all of this for us for £00000!!!!!! ok, they claim the interest on the money we pay them before they pay our creditors, but i think that is totally fair and just! if any1 from CCCS is reading this i would like to thank you for being so helpfull and changing our lifes, good job-well dun!!!Reviewed by: C W
Would reviewer recommend this organisation? Yes
I had large debt (135,000) and was put on a CCCS debt management plan about three years ago. I have paid consistently, £90 a month, additionally paying off £35,000 worth of debt over the last 18 months. Last night I had a call from a callous woman in Leeds saying new policy dictated that I be thrown off the plan immediately as paying back the debt during my lifetime (i'm 60) wasn't viable. I own my own house which would adequately cover the debt (it's been on the market for two years) and also write for a living (unpredicatable, though potentially big money). I told the woman I needed a little more time (am determined to sell house as soon as possible) but she wouldn't speak to me as a human being, merely as a statistic that had to be got rid of according to new policy. I told this woman she was being highly unethical, not to mention inhumane, and she said no more discussion, my plan was closed. I asked her what I should do, knowing that after the years of false comfort i was being thrown to the wolves. She just said sell your house and pay your debts. I replied that I'd been trying to do precisely that but that it obviously wasn't quite the right time. This cold minion showed not an iota of human compassion. I'm a strong person and don't get easily frightened - but what about the truly vulnerable? Being unceremoniously thrown overboard during an illusory cruise isn't funny - and I fear for others. This behaviour on the part of the CCCS that I have just experienced first hand is not only despicable (but completely opposing their beliefs as posted on the web. I.E. 'No matter how serious our client's situation seems, we provide support and calming through empathy, understanding and emergency assistance - never being judgemental or apportioning blame'. And 'we always suggest appropriate solutions to our client's debt problems, recommending the best solution available'. And 'our advice is tailored to the circumstances of the individual or family, providing as much time as needed to help the individual ...' Short of a sharing of financial information I have experienced no communication with these people whatever. They know absolutely nothing about my life or me as a person. If they did they would know that my life's ethos is love - theirs appears to be the very opposite.Reviewed by: jo alexander
Would reviewer recommend this organisation? No
CCCS. My husband and I have struggled for the past 4 years to pay off a loan and credit card, we are both not working due to long term illness and I an registered disabled. I was told by my credit card company to ring CCCS, the best advise I have ever been given, what a weight of our shoulders. It was so simple, I had already done a budget sheet af all in and out goings + details of the 2 debt, it took about 30 mins to relay this over the phone to an extremely helpful chap and straight away he informed me that I could pay to CCCS almost a third of what I had been paying the creditors on the 1st of every month, they would split that whole amount proportionately between the creditors and pay them on the 25th of every month and it will take 6 years 11 months and we would be clear. They emailed the appropriate paper work and hand book to me, I read it, signed and sent back the form and requested proof of income, bank statement, direct debit form etc, sent the drafted letters to the creditors informing them of the switch over and thats it. No catch and no money grabbing behavior, every penny I pay goes to clearing the bills. CCCS are a charity and I believe the interest on the payment between !st and the 25th goes to the charity. Well! if that is all they take I firmly believe they are welcome to that for the swift, professional and reasuring way they have dealt with it. My greatest admiration to CCCS.Reviewed by: Mr & Mrs T
Would reviewer recommend this organisation? Yes
Don't stop all interest charges and CCCS actually work on behalf of the credit companies. Some their advisors not very helpful at all, I have been on dmp for over 3 years on direct debit, but have recently had two drastic changes of financial circumstances. Have kept them informed all the way but been treated as if I am a criminal. They pare you to the bone on your expenses too so if you are on the plan for a long time it is not wonderful. If your debt is not too massive go for it if you can clear it within say 3-5 years. My problem is no longer being able to work. As these people are a charity it would be nice if some of their workers were "charitable" themselves!Reviewed by: janet cleary
Would reviewer recommend this organisation? Yes
We contacted the CCCs about mounting debts that we were struggling to cope with and had no real idea what to do. We mistrusted many of the independent debt companies out there as they were just in it to make money for themselves. The CCCS has been magnificent offering sensible practical advice in small chunks following an initial review of our situation. As we had no income of any substance (pension plus disability benefit) they even advised us not to pay off large chunks of debt when we realised a small sum of money from the sale of a property as we would clearly need this to live off. I am amazed at the story about the CCCs from Leeds though I have since learned that the CCCs was set up by the major banks. The events of the past few years have clearly shown us whose interests the banks have at heart! It seems difficult to find out much about the background of the CCCs however they are a charity who have ethical and plausible aims on their website and I have no reason to criticise them for their advice and dealings with us.Reviewed by: IDS
Would reviewer recommend this organisation? Yes
