“Debt advisors can take you out of the darkness and push you towards the light.” 

Ellen* came to the Law Centre after she lost her job as a security officer. Although she began looking for another job right away, Ellen found herself unemployed, unable to find more work, and spiralling into debt. 

“Before last summer I’d had a well-paying job, so I was always up-to date with paying off my credit cards,” says Ellen, 63. “When I was made redundant, I applied for Universal Credit, but it couldn’t compare to my wages, so my debts started to build up. After paying off my rent and things like Council Tax, there was nothing left. 

“I’d never been unable to pay off my debts before, and suddenly I was getting phone calls from people I owed money to. It was so stressful. It got to the point where I recognised my creditors’ numbers and stopped answering the phone. 

“I was applying for job after job, but nothing was working. I felt sick all the time, I couldn’t sleep, and my social life shrank, because I couldn’t afford to go out. I stopped socialising, stopped answering the phone… It was a horrible situation to be in.” 

Just under a year after losing her job, Ellen joined the Restart Scheme, which helps long-term unemployed people to start working again. Telling her Restart Coach about her debt issues, the coach helped Ellen to book a debt appointment with SWLLC’s Money Advisor, Eunice Ashley-Kesson.  

At Ellen’s debt advice appointment, Eunice advised her of her options. With £16,000 of credit card debts in her name, Ellen was eligible for a Debt Relief Order (DRO).  

Designed for people on a low income with debts under £50,000, a DRO freezes most debt repayments for 12 months. It also prevents people you owe money to from acting against you. 

If your financial situation doesn’t improve during the 12 months, the DRO will write the debts and any interest off, allowing people like Ellen to make a fresh start.  

“Throughout her appointment, I could see Ellen was emotionally exhausted and feeling hopeless about her financial situation,” says Eunice.  

“Given her severe debt and lack of disposable income, a Debt Relief Order (DRO) was the most suitable step to help relieve her of this significant burden and give Ellen the fresh start she needed.” 

“Because I’d never been in debt before, I didn’t realise how many options were available to me.”

As well as explaining her practical options, Eunice was able to offer Ellen the reassurance she needed. 

“Being in debt was new territory for me, and it was an embarrassing thing to admit,” says Ellen. “At the back of your mind that worry is always there. I wondered how the hell I was going to get out of my situation. 

“Because I’d never been in debt before, I didn’t realise how many options were available to me. I must have asked a million questions, but Eunice had answers to them all. 

“It was like speaking to a friend – she was patient and calm, and took the embarrassment away. She reassured me that I wasn’t the first person to struggle, I wouldn’t be the last, and that she was here to help. It really gave me confidence.” 

After deciding a DRO was the right choice for her, Ellen was supported by Eunice as she collected the documentation she needed and filled out an application form.  

She was also advised that she could apply for a Council Tax discount and encouraged to apply for the Priority Services Register, which helps utility companies to provide extra support to people with additional needs. 

Within six weeks, Ellen’s application for a DRO was approved. Now, she has the space to continue her job search without the stress and worry of mounting debt repayments. 

“When the news came that the DRO was approved, it was like the sun had come out,” Ellen says. “I’m still looking for work – I’ve always been a worker – but a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  

“I didn’t think anyone out there could help me. But now I’d tell anyone: if you’re in doubt about finances, seek help from debt advisors. They’ll take you out of the darkness and push you towards the light.” 

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*Ellen’s name has been changed to protect her identity, and her image was generated by AI.