Consumer Credit Counselling Service
The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) is a debt charity registered in the United Kingdom. The organisation offers debt counselling and money management and can be contacted through its freephone telephone helpline[1] or online through CCCS Debt Remedy, its online debt counselling tool.[2]
Its chairman is Lord Stevenson of Balmacara.[3] The chief executive of the charity is Gordon Bell.
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[edit] History
The charity was founded in 1993 when Vic Ware OBE and Malcolm Hurlston introduced CCCS to the UK via a pilot scheme based in Leeds.[4][5]
The introduction of debt counselling over the telephone proved to be a success and CCCS expanded throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Continuing to grow, the CCCS helpline received 335,323 calls in 2009, a 25 percent increase over the number of calls in 2008. Over 150,000 people sought help online via CCCS's Debt Remedy service, almost two-thirds more than in 2008 and over double the number using this service in 2007.[6]
Recent developments include the launch of a free equity release advice service.[7]
[edit] Locations
The charity's head office is in Leeds, England. There are also centres in Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Birmingham, Chester, Halifax, Eastbourne, Nottingham and Limavady, Northern Ireland.
[edit] Funding
The charity provides impartial telephone and online help, and on-going support, for UK citizens with unmanageable debt. CCCS is funded by voluntary contributions from the credit industry,[8] such as Lloyds TSB, Barclays and HSBC.[9] In the most recently published report they made no investment gain from their charity work.[10] The charity has been successful over recent years to become the leading debt advice charity, managing unsecured debt worth £3.58bn.[11]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/borrowing/article7112903.ece
- ^ http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/business_money/rise+in+seeking+debt+advice+online/3642837
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/simon-read-why-it-never-pays-to-hide-your-debts-from-your-family-1952836.html
- ^ http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmtreasy/125/125we40.htm
- ^ http://www.mmc.gov.uk/inquiries/completed/2006/storecard/pdf/initial_subs_consumers_fcc.pdf
- ^ http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Debt-charity-can39t-help-third.6150867.jp
- ^ http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/mortgages-and-homes/article.html?in_article_id=497829&in_page_id=8&position=moretopstories
- ^ http://www.cccs.co.uk/Corporate/Supporters.aspx
- ^ http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/30-second-guides/article.html?in_article_id=416753&in_page_id=53611
- ^ http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/SHOWCHARITY/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1016630&SubsidiaryNumber=0
- ^ http://www.cccs.co.uk/Portals/0/Documents/media/reports/statisticsyearbooks/stats-yearbook-2010.pdf (page 23)
