Dealing with debt
The first step when either stopping work, or reducing your working hours to care for someone is to understand that you are not alone in facing financial difficulties when you become a carer.
Navigating your way through financial issues can seem very daunting. If you would like to chat through your options informally, please join a Carer’s Club Zoom meet-up event.
Many Carers Face Financial Difficulties
Working in film or TV, you might have to adjust your working hours to provide care for someone. Maintaining your film or TV career whilst being a carer can result in you being overstretched emotionally and physically as flexible working opportunities are not commonplace in our industry. Many of us have to give up work completely and fall of the financial cliff edge when this happens unexpectedly.
Finding time to navigate your way through the myriad of support and advice options and understand the implications can be challenging. Your next step should be assessing the financial situation for both you and the person you care for as quickly as possible.
Before contacting any of the debt support resources below, gather details of income and expenditure for you and the person you care for.
There’s a list of documents you may need here.
You Have to Show Willing
Creditors will be more supportive if you can demonstrate that you have made every effort to reduce your expenditure.
If you are facing a long term cashflow crisis due to your carer role, look at items you can cut or reduce, for example, gym membership or streamer subscriptions. Debt charities can advise on where to make cutbacks and will help you prepare an Income and Expenditure document. Anything left over is divided equally between your unsecured creditors. Secured creditors, such as your mortgage lender, council tax and secured loans are always priority debts.
Debt advice charities are usually unable to assist if your expenditure exceeds your income or will advise you to consider an IVA or bankruptcy. This is not the easy option it may appear and has long term consequences. If your expenditure exceeds your income join one of our Zoom meet-ups or contact us.
Debt and Mental Health - Breathing Space Scheme
Being in debt can severely affect your mental health. The government introduced the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) scheme which gives people in debt the right to legal protection from their creditors.
There are two types of breathing space:
A standard breathing space is available to anyone with problem debt. It gives them legal protections from creditor action for up to 60 days. The protections include pausing most enforcement action and contact from creditors and freezing most interest and charges on their debts.
A mental health crisis breathing space is only available to someone who is receiving mental health crisis treatment and it has some stronger protections. It lasts as long as the person's mental health crisis treatment (no matter how long the crisis treatment lasts) plus an additional 30 days.
Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form
If the person you are caring for has a significant mental health issue, you might be able to get their debts written off. You can use medical evidence and prescriptions to present your case, or you can ask a range of health and social care professionals, including their GP, to complete a Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form (DMHEF) to send to creditors. There is no charge for completing a DMHEF.
Entering Care
Social care budgets are stretched. If the person you care for owns their own property and has to go into care, join one of our Zoom meet-ups, or seek professional advice about NHS Continuing Healthcare funding eligibility as soon as possible.
Debt and Deceased Estates
Should the person you care for die and their estate does not have enough money to cover all of their debts, you are not liable for these debts.
Film + TV Charity
The Film and TV Charity supports freelancers who work behind the scenes in film, TV and cinema. There is access to financial advice and support and the Film and TV Charity also make emergency cash grants.
Business Debtline
Business Debtline gives free and independent debt advice over the phone and online to freelancers and business owners about business and personal finances including tax and business loans.
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice provides a range of support for anyone experiencing financial hardship - from excellent debt advice to foodbank vouchers.
National Debtline
Sister charity to Business Debtline, National Debtline provides free advice and resources to help you deal with your debts. You can access the service over the phone, through the website and via webchat. Understand your options and take control of your debts today.
PayPlan
PayPlan is committed to making debt advice simple. All their advice is 100% free, impartial, and confidential. They’ll give you all the information you need in a way that makes sense.
StepChange
StepChange offers free, flexible debt advice that is based on a comprehensive assessment of your situation. StepChange then provides practical help and support for however long it’s needed.
Film and TV Carers Club accepts no responsibility for content on external websites.
