Moving forward together: peer support for people with problem debt

1. Context
2. The study
3. Key findings
4. Points to consider

Context

Research by Money Advice Service has found that there remains a real stigma around seeking advice for debt, with many people feeling that doing so means that they have ‘failed’. However, research also found that talking about debt problems is also cathartic. This suggests there is potential value in peer-support for over-indebted people, based on models used in other fields such as weight loss. Peer support is usually intended to encourage behaviour change and is provided by peer mentors (those who have led or given support within peer support programmes). Such innovation, however, needs an evidence base, so Money Advice Service commissioned research to explore the peer-support landscape and establish how it helps people to resolve their difficulties and change their behaviour.

The study

Money Advice Service commissioned Revealing Reality to conduct research to understand the extent to which peer support could help over-indebted people resolve their financial difficulties and increase their engagement with debt advice.

Primarily qualitative in nature, the study used a combination of two-hour interviews with four peer mentors and eight programme users, and six two-hour focus groups with 48 over-indebted people at different stages of advice seeking (in three city locations in England). The focus groups discussed the feasibility of nine specific propositions for a peer-support programme, which were:

• Support groups
• Peer coaching
• Buddy schemes
• Advice at local groups/events
• Volunteer helplines
• Online forums
• Online classes
• Financial tracking app
• Financial therapy

The study also included a review of the literature of the peer-support landscape, 15 peer-support programme evaluations, and eight 30-minute expert interviews with people who have designed or delivered schemes. The report includes individual and organisational case studies from finance and other fields.

Key findings

• Peer support has appeal amongst over-indebted people: The over-indebted people that were interviewed generally reacted positively to the concept of peer support. They felt that a peer, rather than a professional, would be genuinely empathetic and would not pass judgement.
•  Peer support improves confidence: Peer support offers great potential to complement debt advice by improving confidence, increasing engagement with services, and helping people make decisions in challenging situations and apply them to their lives.
• Emotional support has greater impact than practical support: People value structured programmes that focus on practical help and tangible benefits and later recognise the emotional support as the greatest influence in helping them to change their behaviours.
• People are wary of high commitment, but value structured programmes: People recognise that more structured programmes, with trained moderators, are more likely to lead to tangible outcomes. However, they were also wary that this would require a high degree or commitment or effort.
• Attracting service users into programmes is challenging, so it needs strong marketing and programme design: Attracting service users into peer-support programmes is challenging in all fields but over-indebted people are particularly likely to experience denial and reluctance to seek help. Marketing should emphasise the value and relative ease of peer support. Early tangible benefits will gain engagement to pave the way for more challenging issues.
• Programme designers need to give significant thought to techniques: Significant thought and effort is needed in developing the techniques used to overcome ingrained habits and effect behaviour change. This might include a combination of setting clear targets to work towards, offering social and material rewards for efforts, and providing social support or pressure.

Points to consider

Relevance:

• The findings are likely to be of relevance to the development of debt and money advice programmes worldwide.
• The findings are relevant in a time of increasing financial pressures, where the demand (or need) for debt advice outstrips the numbers seeking or receiving advice.

Generalisability/ transferability:

• The study was undertaken in England only, and within city contexts. Transferability to other contexts has not been demonstrated, and would require further exploration.

Full report

Moving forward together: peer support for people with problem debt - full report