Good practices in debt advice

A substantial number of European households are having difficulties meeting their payment commitments, whether these relate to secured or unsecured borrowing, to payment of rent, or to utility or other household bills. Debt advisors play a crucial role in giving professional advice and finding the best solutions to help households get out of debt. Currently, there is only a tiny fraction of the qualified independent debt advisors needed to support all the over-indebted households.

Six online seminars were organised in January and September 2021 to exchange good practices in debt advice. These seminars showcased, to more than 500 debt advisors, policymakers and other stakeholders concerned with household overindebtedness, concrete, proven and replicable examples that will further the development of debt advisors and debt-advice services.

This meeting report presents the 18 good practices that were exchanged during the online seminar series, information about the participants, feedback received from the participants, and the next steps of the Commission to further the development of debt advice services in the EU.

The online seminar series forms part of the project on ‘Provision of actions to extend the availability and improve the quality of debt advice services for European households’ commissioned by the European Commission and ESMEA.