Christians Against Poverty to merge with Community Money Advice

Two Christian debt advice charities have joined together to form what they are saying shall be the UK’s biggest specialist community-based debt advice organisation, as demand grows for face-to-face help amid worsening financial hardship.

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) and Community Money Advice (CMA) announced that they’re merging while keeping each existing identities.

The recent combined structure will deliver free regulated debt advice through 380 centres based in churches and community organisations throughout the UK.

The move comes just after Debt Awareness Week and against a backdrop of rising poverty, persistent financial pressure, and growing concern over the dimensions of private debt.

According to government figures cited by the charities, around eight million adults within the UK live with crisis levels of debt, with many wanting in-person support inside their local communities.

The two organisations said the merger is meant to strengthen their response at a time when many households are being pushed beyond their limits by the fee of essentials.

They pointed to a pointy rise in the value of food, heating, housing and clothing, alongside stagnant incomes for the bottom 20% of earners.

They also said they’re seeing increasing levels of chronic physical and mental in poor health health amongst those searching for help, as debt and poverty take a deeper toll.

CAP chair David Nussbaum said the partnership would help ensure continued access to specialist support for people facing severe financial strain.

“Coming alongside CMA allows us to make sure continued access to the expert help people need,” he said. “We can now reach 1000’s more people trapped in deep financial crises, extreme anxiety, and isolation that leaves them feeling crushed. This partnership is an enormous boost for hope and practical assistance.”

They said they might proceed working closely with local churches, while also supporting CMA’s existing relationships with community organisations.

Services will give attention to three fundamental areas: financial education, regulated debt advice, and support for charities already offering debt advice.

That means local partners shall be equipped not only to assist people manage money higher and maximise income, but in addition to attach them with more detailed debt support when needed.

Julian Mander, chair of CMA, said the merger would strengthen what each charities are already doing on the bottom.

“The shared expertise and resources will ensure our local partners are higher equipped than ever to satisfy the complex needs of their communities,” he said.

The merged organisations shall be headed by CAP chief executive Stewart McCulloch, who will turn out to be CAP Group Chief Executive.

He said the partnership would create a stronger nationwide network in a position to respond each to the financial and emotional burden of debt.

“Together we’ve a strong and united front against debt,” he said.

“We now have over a thousand highly trained debt advisors, mentors and coaches based in communities across the UK, dedicated to bringing hope where there was fear, support where there was isolation and the heat of community into cold homes.”

He added that a comparable number were also involved in providing money coaching, life skills training and job clubs.

Martin Lewis, a consumer finance expert, welcomed the event, saying CAP had already built a robust status for helping people in debt.

“It tends to spend far longer with its clients than many other similar agencies, enabling it to assist with the emotional fallout in addition to the financial practicalities,” he said.

“I hope the dimensions and community reach of this combined charity shall be a lifeline for a lot of more people battling debt.”

The charities said the necessity for that form of lifeline is becoming increasingly urgent, with more children and dealing adults being drawn into hardship and lots of households forced into not possible decisions over basic living costs.

Across the span of the last three a long time, CAP said greater than 250,000 people have received assistance through its services.

Mr McCulloch said: “Our unified vision is obvious: that anyone in financial crisis and emotional distress will have the option to get the support they need of their community, ensuring nobody has to face the devastating impact of debt alone.”