Debt management plan

On this page you will find information about:

• Our Benefits Debt and Money Advice (BDMA) service.
• Guidance on where to begin if you are struggling with debt.
• Where to access support for those who are struggling with gambling and debt.

Where to begin if you are struggling with debt

The list below contains some recommended steps that you can take if you are struggling with debt.

Step one - make a list of everything you owe

You should sort out exactly what you owe and who you owe it to. The people you owe money to are known as your creditors. If you owe money, you are known as a debtor.

Step two - put your debts in order of importance

The most important debts are known as 'priority debts' and they aren't always the biggest ones. Priority debts are ones where serious action can be taken against you if you don't pay what you owe. For example, you could lose your home, be disconnected from a service or even go to prison.

Priority debts usually include things like:

• mortgage repayments (if you have your own home)
• secured loans
• rent (if you live off-site)
• Council Tax (if you have your own home)
• utility bills
• taxes, and
• court fines.

You need to sort out payments on your priority debts first. Non-priority debts include things like:

• credit card and store card payments
• bank loans
• overdrafts
• doorstep loans
• catalogue repayments, and
• money you've borrowed from family or friends.

You can't ignore these, but you don't need to deal with them as a first priority.

Step three - work out a personal budget

Work out a weekly or monthly budget to see what your income and expenses are, it can also show you where you can save money. A budget will help you decide what you can reasonably afford to repay your creditors, so it's important to be realistic.

Step four - get advice on the different ways to deal with your debts

There are lots of options for dealing with debts. For example, arrangements you can make with your creditors or more formal ones that debt specialists can organise for you. There are sometimes extra costs involved and conditions you have to agree to. Make sure you deal with your priority debts first.

Step five - talk to your creditors

Once you know what you can afford to repay, talk to your creditors about your situation and what you're going to do about it. A debt adviser can do this for you, and some will do this for free.

Be realistic about what you can afford to repay and don't assume you'll be able to pay back more in the future. It's important to follow up a phone call with a letter confirming what has been agreed.

Gambling support

If you or someone you know is experiencing debt as the result of gambling, there is support available to help with the addiction and financial problems.

Find out more about the Royal British Legions' Benefits, Debt and Money Advice service here on our website.

Battling the Odds- for the Armed Forces Community

The Battling the Odds programme, run by the Beacon Counselling Trust (BCT), provides free and confidential specialist treatment and support for any currently serving personnel or veterans who may be experiencing gambling-related harms. Additionally, those who are affected by somebody else’s gambling can access free 1 to 1 practical recovery support and aftercare. The charity works with people in the Armed Forces Community, including spouses and veterans, to deliver the programme.

Many of the people who facilitate and deliver the Battling the Odds programme have lived experiences of gambling addictions, including veterans and partners in the Armed Forces community.

The BCT has a no waiting list policy to ensure that there is no delay in accessing support once someone has reached out.

Read more about the support offered to the Armed Forces community by the Beacon Counselling Trust and how to access it on their website.

National Gambling Helpline by GamCare

GamCare provides a range of support services for people struggling with gambling addiction, including self-help guides, local support, guidance on self-exclusion and managing your money, and the National Gambling Helpline.

Learn more about the GamCare self-inclusion tools and how they could help you to deal with gambling addiction.

Get in touch

Visit the GamCare website to access their forums, chatrooms, or one-to-one live chat support, or

Telephone: 0808 8020 13324 hours, 7 days a week

WhatsApp Chat: 020 3031 8881 for 24-hour one-to-one support via WhatsApp from mobiles only.

Gamble Aware

Gamble Aware is a charity that works to educate people on the harm that gambling can cause and further provides prevention and treatment support to those struggling with gambling addictions. The Gamble Aware website provides guidance, tools and advice to help people become more aware of the impact that gambling is having on their lives and then take steps to combat it.