Debt Advice

In partnership with Citizens Advice Manchester

The RBF aims to proactively support all rail staff who may be at risk of debt, through the provision of practical and accessible money advice services.

We have partnered with the Citizens Advice Manchester to provide free and confidential, general and specialist debt advice. The service is offered over the phone or email with an experienced debt advisor.

What can this do for me?

Our dedicated advisors at Citizens Advice Manchester can help you to understand your finances. They will take a look at your options regarding debts and help you to move forward. The advisors will work with you to come up with action plans, negotiate with third parties, and provide a benefit check and budgeting advice with every referral.

The service is prioritised, so you can access the free and personalised advice within days.

How does it work?

A referral is made by the RBF’s Services Team (with the consent of the individual) and then the whole process is carried out over the phone or via email with no need to attend the offices in Manchester.

Following the referral, the designated caseworker makes contact (usually within 1 – 2 days) to ask relevant questions e.g. about income and expenditure (including that of any spouse or partner) and any debts. Once this information is collated the caseworker will be able to assess the options available and will then set out the appropriate specialist advice and all options available.

The service offered is completely confidential and the RBF is only made aware of any issues where it is felt that financial support from the RBF would be useful.

How do I use this service?

To use our debt advice service, please contact us on 03452 412 885 or email us. This service is free to use.

For further support please take a look at the financial help we offer.

Financial Help

Words cannot describe how grateful I am for the help and support this charity has given us, before this I felt so hopeless and worried about the future, it has been a really tough, stressful year but I now have some sense of positivity that things will get easier and that wouldn’t have happened without RBF’s support.

When I approached the RBF, I felt hopeless and that I had no chance of ever paying off all my debts. I sent in my application asking for support with my council tax and energy bills, and the charity provided me with a grant to finally pay off these debts. Since receiving this support, I feel so happy and relieved.

The RBF helped me in my time of crisis. I had just moved 90 miles away to start a new job, I had a relationship breakdown due to domestic violence and that person left me in a lot of debt, I was in arrears with my rent and my life was spiralling downhill. I reached out to RBF reluctantly, I was so relieved to receive support at such a crucial time, I honestly don’t know what I’d have done without them.