Consultation on MaPS proposals for the delivery of its debt advice strategy: Summary of responses and next steps
Published on:
15 October 2024
Read a summary of the responses to the Money & Pension Service’s (MaPS) consultation on MaPS proposals for the delivery of its debt advice strategy. This document also provides a summary of the key themes and sets out information on how MaPS will take forward any next steps based on the proposals and consultation responses.
Background to the consultation
In 2021/22 MaPS undertook a major commissioning exercise for debt advice. Following this exercise MaPS committed to carrying out a public consultation in order to help shape our future strategic approach to debt advice, and help us understand the best ways to commission national and locally based services over the longer-term.
We set out an intention to undertake a three-stage approach:
- a phase of evidence gathering, analysis and planning
- a consultation – where we formally invited people to respond on our proposals
- process of engagement with the market leading into subsequent commercial activity
The consultation
The Consultation on MaPS proposals for the delivery of its debt advice strategy set out MaPS service approach to debt advice up to 2028. It explored how we interpret our remit in relation to debt advice and the role that we could take in working with the wider debt sector on some of the key issues and challenges identified.
The consultation looked at MaPS as a commissioner of services, but also explored other areas. To be an effective commissioner (and make decisions about how to invest the funds we receive) now and in the future we need to understand the challenges facing debt advice providers and the clients they are supporting.
The consultation ran from January 2024 to early April 2024. To support the consultation process we held six stakeholders webinars including three targeted events for Housing Associations, Local Authorities and Financial Services. These events reached 320 attendees from 145 stakeholder organisations.
Responses
MaPS received 64 responses from a broad range of stakeholders including advice providers, financial services firms, membership and trade bodies, the housing sector, and credit management firms.
A total of 55 responses were made on behalf of organisations while a further nine responses were received from individual respondents. A full list of respondents can be found on the penultimate page of the document.
MaPS is grateful to all those who engaged with the consultation process and for the time and effort taken to respond.
Key themes, findings and next steps
A wide range of views and opinions were expressed by respondents. These are organised by chapter in the document alongside the next steps MaPS intends to take for each of the proposals and questions set out.