Over the last year, our work reached more than a million individuals through phone calls, live chats, and digital outreach. Around 184,000 people relied on us for ongoing debt solutions, many of which require multi-year support, and over 41,800 started formal solutions through our services. We provided over 3,300 Token Payment Plans to those in severe financial difficulty. These plans, although unfunded and costly for us to deliver, offer essential breathing room for people in crisis. Nearly 4,200 clients managed their IVA through our Voluntary Arrangements team, and in Scotland, thousands began a Debt Payment Plan or accessed MAP sequestration with our help.

StepChange also delivered more Breathing Space applications than any other provider, 48,019 to be exact, all without any designated funding for this legally required service. And perhaps most significantly, more than 15,000 people became completely debt-free through our support!

But financial recovery doesn’t begin and end with debt plans. In 2024, we helped over 204,000 people via guided triage and referrals. Our Homeowner and Cost of Living Hubs served more than 679,000 users, while our website provided trusted tools and advice through 6.2 million visits. Over 64,000 clients used our benefits checker, uncovering an extra £9.1 million in monthly income. Our digital guides, more than 300 in total, were viewed 2.7 million times, with topics ranging from budgeting to bailiff advice.

StepChange supports people through deeply personal and often life-changing journeys. For many, we aren’t just a service provider, we’re a steady partner helping them move from crisis to stability and beyond.

Funding such extensive work, however, remains a challenge. The Fair Share model, which underpins debt advice funding, is under strain. In the past five years, Fair Share income has fallen by 19%, and the average amount of funding per client is down 28% since 2017. We’ve lost £9 million in grant funding, and the FSC rate hasn’t increased since 2016, even as inflation and operational costs have climbed. Newly arranged plans are generating just 8.4% in FSC, far from our 13% target, with more debt owed to creditors who don’t contribute to funding.

While donations from partners reached £18.7 million in 2024, an encouraging 55% increase year-on-year, this money is often non-recurring and uncommitted. That makes long-term planning difficult at a time when demand for our services is growing, and case complexity is on the rise. We’re having to deliver more, with less.

In response, we’ve made strategic investments in efficiency and innovation. Today, 92% of clients interact with us digitally. We’ve launched a new contact centre using Genesys technology, cutting wait times and improving service. Staff productivity rose between 2% and 2.5% in 2024, with early 2025 data showing a further 7% uplift. Over 390 partner organisations now use our digital referral tools, resulting in more than 73,000 client referrals.

We are also aiming to work much more closely with CCTA members going forward. A great example is our newly formed partnership with Evlo. The collaboration has resulted in clear resource efficiencies, stronger communication between creditor and charity, and faster, better outcomes for clients. It’s an encouraging model for how future partnerships could benefit all parties, especially those in financial difficulty.

Another recent pilot focused on benefits outreach delivered £204,579 in extra income for participating clients, and if scaled across the UK, it could unlock an estimated £500 million. Beyond the front-line support, StepChange is also shaping the broader system. In 2024, we published eighteen major policy reports and responded to thirty consultations. We helped drive reforms including the regulation of Buy-now Pay-later products, the removal of Debt Relief Order fees, reductions to Universal Credit deductions, and better practices around energy debt collection.

We actively engaged with regulators and government departments including the FCA, Ofgem, Ofwat, HM Treasury, and the Insolvency Service, and participated in eleven sector-wide roundtables to ensure the voices of our clients are heard.

We also ran our most impactful Debt Awareness Week campaign to date. It reached six million people, delivered sixty million ad impressions, and engaged over 550 partner organisations; all aimed at breaking stigma and promoting early help-seeking.

In summary, StepChange is much more than a debt advice provider. We offer immediate crisis support, structured solutions, and sustained care. We provide tools, education, and outreach that empower people. We influence national policy to build a fairer system. And we innovate to meet rising demand efficiently and effectively.

We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and are committed to continue evolving. Together with our partners, and in close collaboration with CCTA members, we’ll keep delivering meaningful change for those who need it most.