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Step-by-Step - Working together to manage your debts

Step-by-Step is a service to help you reduce your debts to the council and repay the money you owe so you can become debt-free with us.

What we do

If you have debts for one or more of the following:

  • Council Tax enforcement agents
  • Business rates enforcement agents
  • Housing Benefit overpayment
  • Rent arrears
  • General invoice

we’ll join them together (consolidate) so that you can clear them with one regular manageable payment. We call this a ‘recovery payment’.

If you make an agreement with Step-by-Step, we’ll make a commitment to you and expect a commitment in return.

Our pledge to you:

Your pledge to us:
  • we’ll stop all recovery action
  • we’ll support and direct you to help where needed
  • we’ll ‘consolidate’ the amounts you owe
  • you'll pay your recovery payment
  • you'll keep paying ongoing bills (such as rent and Council Tax)
  • you'll keep in contact with us if your circumstances change

Making an arrangement

Make a payment arrangement

We’ll confirm in writing if we accept your arrangement proposal. If we need more information, we’ll contact you and put recovery on hold to give you more time.

Income and outgoings

We may ask you to complete a financial statement to assess your income and outgoings and make a suitable arrangement.

Complete a financial statement

COVID-19

If you have a question or want to tell us about the impact COVID-19 has had on your Council payments, please use our form:

Tell us about the impact COVID-19 has had on your Council payments

How to contact Step-by-Step

Email:        Stepbystep@Southwark.gov.uk

Phone:      020 3929 8455

Five-point plan

  • Contact - Speak to our friendly team
  • Share - Let us know more about your circumstances
  • Plan - Agree your regular manageable payment
  • Commit - Sign the Step-by-Step pledge
  • Go! - Kick off your new routine!

Page last updated: 19 May 2022

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