Money Advice Scotland has today announced the launch of its new Adviser-Only Helpline campaign, calling on creditors and service providers to introduce dedicated contact routes for accredited money and debt advisers.
The campaign aims to address ongoing communication challenges faced by advisers when acting on behalf of clients, while improving outcomes for individuals experiencing financial difficulty.
Tackling delays that impact vulnerable clients
The initiative comes as advisers across Scotland continue to report significant barriers when contacting creditors, including long waiting times, repeated call disconnections and delays in resolving cases.
With more than 700 accredited advisers operating nationwide, the organisation warns that these inefficiencies are placing additional pressure on frontline services and, in many cases, worsening outcomes for people in debt.
Delays in communication can increase stress and financial harm for clients, particularly those in vulnerable circumstances, while also limiting advisers’ ability to support others in need.
A practical, low-cost solution
The Adviser-Only Helpline campaign encourages organisations to implement dedicated communication channels for professional advisers, enabling faster and more efficient case handling.
Evidence gathered by Money Advice Scotland shows that where such helplines are already in place, call waiting times are reduced and cases are resolved more quickly and consistently.
This not only improves outcomes for clients but also frees up adviser capacity, allowing more people to access support at a time of increasing demand.
A spokesperson for One Stop commented: “The role of charities is very important to help households with their revolving debt. There is no manual on how to cope with debt and as soon as you start searching for credit, the social media algorithm starts pushing other products to you which are likely going to worsen your current financial position.”
“For years, charities like Citizen’s Advice and StepChange have existed and they have helped millions – and making people more aware of helplines and free professional advice is only going to help.”
Industry collaboration already delivering results
The campaign highlights examples of successful partnerships between advice services and major organisations, demonstrating the benefits of direct communication routes.
Collaborations with providers such as Tesco Insurance and Scottish Power have shown that adviser-only channels can streamline processes, improve accuracy and deliver better outcomes for both clients and service providers.
These models are now being positioned as best practice across the sector.
A call for action from policymakers and providers
Money Advice Scotland is urging policymakers, creditors and service providers to adopt the campaign’s recommendations and commit to improving access for advisers.
Chief Executive Janine Rennie said:
“The cost-of-living crisis has increased both the volume and complexity of debt cases, putting frontline advisers under sustained pressure. Increasingly, people seeking debt advice are in vulnerable circumstances and delays in communication with creditors is becoming untenable.
Our research clearly shows effective, timely communication between advisers and creditors is essential to ensuring fair treatment and sustainable outcomes.
We’re calling on policy makers, service providers and creditors to commit to the actions we’ve set out, which represent a proportionate, low-cost intervention with significant benefits for both people in debt and their creditors.”
Improving outcomes across the system
The organisation believes the introduction of adviser-only helplines would deliver benefits across the financial support system, improving experiences for clients, increasing efficiency for advisers and supporting better engagement from creditors.
By reducing unnecessary delays and simplifying communication, the campaign aims to ensure that people in debt receive timely, effective support when they need it most.
Money Advice Scotland is encouraging organisations across the sector to engage with the campaign and explore how dedicated adviser communication channels can be implemented as part of a wider commitment to financial wellbeing.
