As Debt Awareness Week gets underway, the CEO of Northamptonshire charity Community Law Service is calling on residents across the county not to let shame stand between them and the help they need.
Sarah Hayle, CEO of Community Law Service, took the message to the airwaves last week, appearing on BBC Radio Northampton with presenter Annabel Amos to discuss the charity’s Sort It Sooner campaign. Speaking ahead of Debt Awareness Week, Sarah used the platform to highlight a pattern the charity sees every day – people waiting until they are at crisis point before asking for free, specialist help.
Sarah says:“National data shows that 86% of people with debt feel ashamed of it and that shame is one of the biggest barriers to people seeking help…and we see the consequences of this every day. People arrive at crisis point, when early advice could have changed everything.”
Debt Awareness Week, which this year focuses on breaking the stigma around financial difficulty, aligns closely with the ethos of Community Law Service’s Sort It Sooner campaign, launched in September 2025. The campaign urges people across Northamptonshire to seek advice as soon as a problem arises…whether that is debt, housing, benefits, energy and fuel poverty, or immigration…rather than waiting until the situation has become unmanageable.
The need is significant. Last year, Community Law Service helped clients manage debt cases with a combined value of over £29 million across Northamptonshire. Behind each of those cases, says Sarah, is a person who waited – often too long – before asking for help.
“Debt can happen to anyone”, Sarah says. “A lost job, an unexpected bill, a relationship breakdown, a bereavement – life changes fast. The people we help aren’t irresponsible. They’ve faced circumstances that any of us could face. What makes the difference is getting help early, before debt escalates, before stress takes hold, and before what could have been resolved quickly becomes a complex crisis.”
The charity offers free weekly debt advice drop-in sessions where people can speak to an adviser the same day, as well as appointments through the week providing specialist support across a wide range of debt types including council tax arrears, mortgage and rent arrears, personal debt, and creditor negotiation.
More than half of people in the UK have experienced problem debt at some point – yet the stigma around financial difficulty remains one of the most significant obstacles to people seeking support. Sarah is keen to address this directly: “You are not alone. Debt is not a personal failing. It is something that can happen to anyone, and there is no shame in asking for help. Our service is free, confidential and completely non-judgemental. Please don’t wait.”
While the focus this week is debt, the Sort It Sooner message runs across all of Community Law Service’s work. The charity provides free specialist advice on debt but also for eviction/repossession, benefits, energy and fuel poverty, and immigration – and in every area, the story is the same: earlier intervention leads to better outcomes.
Community Law Service is asking organisations, employers, and community partners across Northamptonshire to help spread the word this Debt Awareness Week – sharing information about the free services available and helping to reach people before they reach breaking point.
How to get help
• Call: 01604 621038 or 01933 313020
• Email: enquiries@communitylawservice.org.uk
• Community Law Service Referrals
• Community Law Service Outreach events and services
• Follow the campaign: #SortItSooner
