Today’s blog has been written by one of our Client Liaison Officers, Jane Armstrong.

I work in the client support department dealing with Debt Management Plans (DMP). My role is to make sure our clients’ income and expenditure details are up to date and sustainable and to look for any opportunities to save money for them. I also offer information on alternative debt solutions that may be available and beneficial for individual clients.

My main aim is to help our clients, firstly by giving them a realistic budget to suit their personal circumstances and then to make them aware of any potential savings they could make on their expenditure and help them plan for emergencies.  It also ensures that when our client’s circumstances change Payplan can continue to support them. Just before 9am I start my day by checking my calendar to see what appointments and activities I have booked. I check my emails and instant messages and complete as many as possible before 9am. 

Then I begin preparing a preliminary check of my first appointment.  If I have an annual review booked this is to make sure we have the most up to date information on the clients file as the creditors request an update once a year to keep the payment agreements in place.  I call the client and update their personal details and budget.  At the end of the call I confirm with the client the updated payment amount. Until lunchtime I continue completing annual reviews. After lunch I check my emails and instant messages again.

If I have one of my clients who is almost at the end of their plan I receive up to date information from colleagues in another department about the remaining balance and number of payments left. I confirm when the next review will be done and that we will be in contact again when that has been completed.  Friday is the day that I contact any of my clients who are struggling to maintain their payments.

This is an important part of my role because if creditors receive reduced, or no payments, they may see it as a breach of the agreement in place. If this happens they are highly likely to cancel the agreement and begin charging fees and interest on the accounts that may have been frozen or reduced during the agreement. I then continue to deal with emails and instant messages and call clients for their annual reviews. I feel proud every time a client thanks me or my colleagues for our help. 

Being part of our client’s solution is a reward every day.  My proudest moment was the first time I was able to offer one of my clients the option of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), which meant they would pay off their debt sooner.