From today, we’re changing our name to Debt Free Advice, extending access to our service nationwide and permanently extending our opening hours to 8 am to 8 pm, 7 days a week, to provide a truly accessible service for the thousands of families struggling with the cost of living crisis.
For 16 years, we’ve been supporting Londoners with their money worries, providing face-to-face advice to over 300,000 people across the capital.
As part of Toynbee Hall we've worked hand in hand with grass-roots advice charities, whose local knowledge allowed us to provide the best-tailored advice for every individual.
In that time, we’ve always responded to the change that happened in the world around us.
We started off in 2006 as Capitalise, a pan-London free debt advice service launched by Toynbee Hall to contribute towards a vision of creating a fairer and happier society.
To better clarify our purpose, in 2019 Capitalise rebranded to Debt Free London, a partnership of charities committed to delivering free, impartial, and expert advice to help Londoners with problem debts.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, we innovated to deliver advice through the widest range of channels of any debt advice provider in the UK. Giving our customers the ability to find help through video call, WhatsApp, web chat, telephone and of course, in person through our network of face-to-face advice centres.
Just when the effect of the pandemic begins to settle down, our country being plunged into a cost-of-living crisis, we’ve decided that it is, again, time to respond to change.
We understand that many people in our society, such as working families, can’t access our weekday service.
So, we are permanently extending our opening hours, providing free advice from 8 am to 8 pm, 7 days a week, to provide a truly accessible service.
But the changes don’t stop there.
Our customers in London give us excellent reviews, but increasingly we are being contacted by people living further afield across the country.
That is why, from today, we’re changing our name to Debt Free Advice and extending access to our service nationwide. With integrity, empowerment, and innovation at the heart of everything we do, we’ll continue to support communities who need us, ensuring everyone has the support they need to be free from debt and the constant worry it brings.
Across the country, thousands of people are feeling the strain from the sharp rise in the cost of living. It’s now more important than ever for people to feel in control of their finances and we want to make sure everyone has all the support and information they need which is why we’re relaunching as Debt Free Advice and expanding our service nationwide.
If you’re struggling during these difficult times, our message is clear; our free help and advice is available - so you don’t have to struggle alone - contact our team anytime from 8am-8pm, 7 days a week via telephone, video call, WhatsApp, web chat, or in person through our network of face-to-face advice centres. Tackling money worries early can be life-changing and it often leads to increased confidence, better mental health and more financial resilience for the future.
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