A specialist team from legal firm Aberdein Considine is helping those in financial difficulty through an invaluable debt support partnership.
The firm’s Lender Services Practice Group has linked up with PayPlan, which offers free, simple debt advice to those in need.
As part of its work, Aberdein Considine’s UK Customer Engagement Team supports lenders’ customers through challenging events such as a potential mortgage repossession and unsecured debt recovery litigation.
The relaunch of the partnership with PayPlan means customers can be referred for specialist, independent financial support which is completed free of charge. This includes support with budgeting and ensuring customers are in receipt of all qualifying benefits and any specialist advice or support required.
The two organisations have been linked since 2018, but this focused relaunch comes at a time when the help is needed most due to the cost-of-living crisis and a renewed onus on ensuring customers are fairly treated.
As part of PayPlan’s response to the current challenges, the free debt advice provider has launched BudgetSmart, an interactive online tool, which has hundreds of simple actions to help consumers save money in every area of their finances.
The introduction of Financial Conduct Authority’s Consumer Duty Principal has placed renewed onus on regulated firms to ensure they are treating customers fairly and that litigation and enforcement activity is only pursued where it is absolutely necessary, following all potential forbearance options having been exhausted.
Aberdein Considine’s UK Customer Engagement Team is based in the firm’s office in Newcastle upon Tyne. The team provide specialist rehabilitation support to customers across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Aberdein Considine receives invaluable training from PayPlan to help assist customers in financial need - Standing (left to right): Aleena Ahktar, Adam Carmichael, Paddy Hargraves, Gary McAdam (all of Aberdein Considine) and seated (left to right): Tahir Bashir (of Aberdein Considine) and Zoe Townsend (PayPlan)
They have received bespoke training from PayPlan to help them in supporting customers in financial difficulty. If, during their conversations, the customer feels that they would benefit from more in-depth, independent debt support, the team can refer the customer to PayPlan’s Referral Hub.
PayPlan will also deliver additional training workshops to Aberdein Considine colleagues moving forward in the partnership.
Gary McAdam, Client Relations Manager for Aberdein Considine’s Lender Services Practice Group, said: “This is a hugely important partnership. With the cost-of-living crisis and increasing interest rates, the demand from customers for bespoke financial support continues to rise. Our role is to ensure customers are signposted to receive the best and most relevant support for their specific circumstances and the PayPlan Referral Hub is an invaluable tool for this.
“As part of this, PayPlan will continue to provide our specialist UK Customer Engagement Team and our Litigation teams with training workshops over the course of the year. This gives colleagues a different perspective and develops their ability to provide quality support to customers in financial difficulty.”
Zoe Townsend, Partnership Support Manager at PayPlan, said: “PayPlan are proud to continue developing our partnership with Aberdein Considine, committing to helping their customers with free debt advice and solutions to make life more affordable.
“We work together to share best practices and conduct regular training to keep advisers up to date as they help customers receive free debt advice and support.”
As well as being Scotland’s largest solicitor estate and lettings agent, Aberdein Considine works with a broad range of commercial, public sector and private clients. The firm also operates a Scotland-wide team of mortgage brokers as well as a network of Independent Financial Advisers through its AC Wealth business. The firm has offices across Scotland and in Leeds as well as Newcastle.