Don't wait for coaching, and don't pay anyone for debt help. The three services on this page are free, independent and used by millions of people — and going to them first is exactly what we'd tell you to do. Coaching will still be here afterwards.
None of this means you've failed. Prices rose faster than most people's incomes, and one bad event — illness, redundancy, a relationship ending — is behind most money trouble. The services below deal with this every day, free, without judgement.
Best first call for general money worry, benefits checks and "where do I even start?"
MoneyHelper is the free guidance service backed by government (run by the Money and Pensions Service). It covers every money topic — bills, benefits, debt, pensions, housing costs — and can point you to a free local debt adviser if you need one. Nothing is sold, and you don't have to give your name.
Call 0800 011 3797 (Mon–Fri) · webchat and guides at moneyhelper.org.uk
Best when the problem is debt and you want someone to take charge of a plan with you.
StepChange is the UK's largest debt charity. They give full, regulated debt advice: they'll go through your income and debts, tell you which solutions genuinely fit — from a budget rework to a debt management plan or formal options — and can deal with your creditors. Their online tool gives you a personal action plan in about 20 minutes if you'd rather not phone.
Call 0800 138 1111 (Mon–Fri, Sat morning) · online debt advice at stepchange.org
Best if you want expert advice but prefer to handle things yourself, with templates and a plan.
National Debtline is run by the Money Advice Trust, a charity. Their advisers give free, independent debt advice over the phone and webchat, and their site is full of practical tools — sample letters to creditors, a budgeting tool, and fact sheets on everything from council tax arrears to bailiffs' powers (what they can and genuinely cannot do).
Call 0808 808 4000 (Mon–Fri, Sat morning) · tools and webchat at nationaldebtline.org
Not all debts are equal. Some can cost you your home, your energy supply or your liberty if ignored — advisers call these priority debts, and they come first even when a credit card company is shouting louder:
…bailiffs are due, you've had an eviction notice, or disconnection has been threatened. Don't wait for an appointment:
Don't put off calling because your paperwork is a mess — advisers are used to that. But the call goes faster with roughly these to hand:
Buzz Money Coach provides money coaching, not debt advice. We don't recommend debt solutions, we don't negotiate with creditors, and we're not permitted to — the free services above do that properly, at no cost, with real protections behind them. That's why this page exists, and why it will always point away from us first.
Coaching earns its place afterwards — when the immediate pressure is off and the question becomes "how do I make sure this never happens again?" When that day comes, the free Financial Freedom Score is a good first step. It'll still be free, and we'll still be here.
Yes — completely. MoneyHelper is backed by government and funded by levies on the financial services industry. StepChange is a charity funded mainly by contributions from lenders. National Debtline is run by the Money Advice Trust, also a charity. None of them charge you, none of them sell you anything, and using them never affects your credit file. If a company asks you to pay a fee for debt help, walk away — everything they offer is available free from the services on this page.
No. The advisers at these services talk to thousands of people every week, most of whom waited far longer than they should have because they felt embarrassed. Whatever your situation — gambling, overspending, a relationship ending, illness, or simply prices rising faster than your income — they have heard it before and their only job is to help you deal with it. The call is confidential, and you do not have to give your name to get initial guidance from MoneyHelper or National Debtline.
Because it would be the wrong help, from the wrong people, at the wrong price. Debt advice — recommending a debt management plan, an IVA, bankruptcy, or negotiating with your creditors — is a regulated, specialist activity that Buzz Money Coach does not do and is not permitted to do. The free services on this page do it every day, at no cost, with real legal protections behind them. Coaching earns its place afterwards, when the immediate pressure is off and the question becomes how to make sure it never happens again.
That is the moment coaching is actually built for. Once the urgent problem is being managed, most people want two things: to understand how it happened, and to build enough of a buffer that a bad month never turns into a crisis again. The free Financial Freedom Score is a sensible first step — it shows you the eight areas of your money and which one to strengthen first. There is no charge, no bank connection, and nobody will ring you to sell anything.