Debt advice funding breakdown: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for a breakdown of funding allocated via debt advice levy funding by organisation and amount awarded, and an outline of what the allocated funding was used for (eg to provide advice service, to provide helpline etc.) in 2018/19.

Response

Responsibility for the debt advice levy funding was devolved to the Scottish Government from 1 January 2019.  The table below gives details of the debt advice levy funding allocated by the Scottish Government during financial year 2018-19. The information is also being made available on the Scottish Government Tackling Problem Debt Group website at: https://www.gov.scot/groups/tackling-problem-debt-group/

Organisation	Activity	Amount
Advice Direct Scotland	Pilot project for a cloud-based platform enabling better integrated client journeys	£134,872
Advice Direct Scotland	Debt advice training project	£10,000
Citizens Advice Scotland	Debt advice capacity provision project	£200,000
Improvement Service	Project on improving money advice outcomes in Scotland	£35,527
Money Advice Scotland	Training courses for debt advisers	£33,473
Money Advice Scotland	Workforce strategy project	£21,120
Money Advice Scotland	Debt advice user testing project	£16,110
Scottish Legal Aid Board	Projects under Making Advice Work and Early Resolution Advice Programmes	£718,000
StepChange (Foundation for Credit Counselling)	Project to increase debt advice provision, with a focus on vulnerable clients	£300,128
Total		£1,469,230

The Money Advice Service also allocated debt advice levy funding for Scotland during financial year 2018-19.  It was not subject to FOI legislation.  On 1 January 2019 it was replaced by the Single Financial Guidance Body, now called the Money and Pensions Service, which is subject to FOI legislation.  It can be contacted at foi@maps.org.uk

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The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.