Jackie's Story

Jackie’s problem was credit cards. She found it easy to buy what she wanted on credit, because what was another £100 on top of her existing debt if she wanted an new phone? “It didn’t matter whether you needed it,” she said. “But when you do that for long enough, as I did, it does build up and it does become a problem.” With four credit cards and a loan, she was struggling to meet even the minimum payments each month, let alone pay her bills. It seemed like there was no way out.

Then Jackie came across SDS online while looking for more information on how to get out of debt.

Jackie arranged a time to meet her advisor, Sharon, in person, and they discussed her options. She didn’t want to put her house at risk but she wanted to plan a way out of debt and the stress that came with it.

“It was always a worry,” says Jackie. “It would push you down.” Sharon recommended Jackie enter a Debt Arrangement Scheme to clear her debts. SDS would contact her credit card companies on her behalf and take care of everything, giving Jackie peace of mind that everything was under control and that there was an end in sight.

Jackie now has a route out of debt and a date circled in her diary after which she will be debt free. But her biggest challenge is changing her spending habits now that she doesn’t have a credit card to fall back on. “I have to change,” she says.

And what advice would she give anyone else in the same situation? “Get help,” she says, “because it makes such a big difference to your life. You don’t have that same stress, you don’t have the worry.

There are people out there who can help you...You’ll be starting afresh, almost. A clean slate.”