Don't ignore the problem. It won't go away and the longer you leave it the worse it will get.

Don't borrow money to pay off your debts. Get advice first.

Contact the Barton Advice Centre or use this web site to help you work out a personal budget so that you can make reasonable offers to creditors. Creditors prefer you to pay a small amount regularly than to make an offer you can't keep to.

Be honest don't try to hide debts. Hiding debts or leaving them out of your budget makes things worse later.

Make sure you sort out your priority debts first. These are the debts that could mean you losing your home or having your gas or electricity cut off, or going to prison.

Don't ignore creditor's letters or telephone calls. Don't give up trying to reach an agreement even if the creditors are difficult.

Be realistic when you work out your budget. Even though you are in debt you still need enough money to live.

Don't be afraid of the County Court. They are there to sort out money disputes. If you give them all the information requested, you will not be ordered to pay more than you can afford. Fill in the reply form from the court papers and try to attend court hearings.

Payment protection. If you or your partner are off work sick or become unemployed, check with your creditors to see if you are covered by payment protection.

Always keep copies of letters you send and receive, if you talk to creditors, take a name and record the date and time you spoke to them, make notes on what was discussed.

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