Debt Free Advice Celebrates 20 Years of Supporting More Than 500,000 Londoners
Debt Free Advice has celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of helping Londoners overcome financial challenges and improve their financial wellbeing.
More than 200 partners, funders, colleagues, supporters and guests gathered at Merchant Taylors’ Hall to reflect on the partnership’s achievements and look ahead to the future of free, trusted debt advice.
Since launching in 2005, Debt Free Advice has grown into one of London’s largest debt advice partnerships, led and convened by Toynbee Hall. Over the last twenty years, the partnership has supported more than 500,000 Londoners, helping people manage debt, increase their income and access the support they need during some of the most difficult periods of their lives.
In the past year alone, Debt Free Advice supported more than 13,000 people and secured £24.4 million in financial gains.
The anniversary event also saw the launch of several new initiatives designed to strengthen financial wellbeing support across London and beyond.
London’s Financial Health Check Launches
Guests were introduced to London’s Financial Health Check, a new tool designed to help Londoners better understand their financial wellbeing and identify practical actions they can take to improve their financial resilience.
The findings presented at the event highlighted ongoing challenges facing households across the capital, including financial insecurity, low levels of savings resilience and concerns about rising living costs. The Financial Health Check aims to provide a clearer picture of financial wellbeing across London and help inform future support and policy responses.
Further information about the impact of Debt Free Advice and the people it supports can be found in our latest Impact Report and online at: www.debtfreeadvice.com/impact.
Expansion of Debt Advice into 13 Prisons
Debt Free Advice also announced the expansion of regulated debt advice into 13 prisons across London and the South East.
The expansion will increase access to specialist debt advice for people in prison, helping them address financial problems, reduce barriers to rehabilitation and prepare for successful resettlement on release.
By tackling debt issues early, the programme aims to improve financial stability and support longer-term outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
Read more about the prison expansion announcement here.
Macmillan Money & More Launches Across London
Toynbee Hall, the lead partner of Debt Free Advice, also shared details of the newly launched Macmillan Money & More service, which launched earlier this week.
The new pan-London service provides welfare benefits guidance and financial support for people affected by cancer, helping individuals and families maximise income, access available support and navigate financial challenges during treatment and recovery.
The service brings together specialist expertise to ensure people affected by cancer can access timely financial guidance when they need it most.
Read more about Macmillan Money & More here.
Looking Ahead
Speaking at the event, Matt Dronfield, Managing Director of Debt Free Advice, and Incoming Interim CEO at Toynbee Hall, said:
“Twenty years of Debt Free Advice is a huge moment for everyone involved in this partnership. More than 500,000 Londoners have been supported since the service began, but behind that number are people facing some of the hardest moments in their lives.
“This anniversary was a chance to recognise the advisors, partners, funders and supporters who have built and sustained this work. It was also about looking ahead: launching London’s Financial Health Check, expanding regulated debt advice into prisons, embedding financial support within healthcare through Macmillan Money & More, and continuing to develop Advisor Intelligence so advisors can spend more time focused on clients.”
The anniversary also coincided with the publication of Debt Free Advice’s latest Impact Report, which includes a foreword from the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan.
In his foreword, the Mayor recognised the partnership’s contribution to the capital, stating:
“For twenty years, Debt Free Advice has stood with Londoners in some of the hardest moments of their lives.”
He also praised the partnership’s “spirit of innovation and adaptability” and expressed confidence that it would continue making a positive difference for Londoners in the years ahead.
The event concluded with thanks to the many organisations and individuals who have contributed to the success of Debt Free Advice over the last twenty years, including frontline advisors, partner organisations, volunteers, trustees, funders and supporters.
As Debt Free Advice enters its third decade, the partnership remains focused on ensuring that free, impartial and trusted debt advice continues to be available to those who need it most.
