Talk Money Week: The Power of a Debt Conversation

Talking about money isn’t always easy — especially when it comes to debt. But starting that conversation can change lives.

Join Money Wellness this Talk Money Week as we lift the lid on what it really means to start the conversation about debt. Every day, we help around 1,000 people take their first steps towards a debt-free future. In this session, we’ll share how we make those difficult conversations easier, what we’ve learned from the people we support, and how working together can help more people find the confidence to talk about debt — and get the help they deserve.

Bio

Rebecca is External Relations Manager at Money Wellness and has worked in the debt advice sector for over 15 years. She now leads on partnership and collaboration work, building strong connections across organisations to help more people access free debt advice. With a background in customer service and creditor liaison, Rebecca brings a wealth of frontline experience and a deep understanding of the challenges people face when navigating financial difficulty.

Money Guidance Competency Framework

Foundation Skills A) Personal Qualities

Technical Skills 2) Debt

What Money Guidance Practitioners Will Gain from the session

Talking about money isn’t always easy — especially when it comes to debt. But starting that conversation can change lives.

In this session, you’ll hear directly from Money Wellness, who support around 1,000 people every day in taking their first steps toward a debt-free future. You’ll gain:

• Practical insights into how to make difficult conversations about debt easier
• Real-world learning from the experiences of people who’ve accessed support
• Confidence-building strategies to help clients open up about financial worries
• Collaborative approaches to connect people with free, trusted debt advice

Talk Money Week 2025

This is our yearly campaign encouraging people to have more open conversation about their finances – from pocket money to pensions – and to continue these conversations all year-round.

We invite organisations across the country, including employers, financial services and educators, to get involved with activities and events. It all helps people to feel more confident talking money – which is often the first step to a better financial future.

2025's theme is 'Start the conversation'

We want people talking about money openly and with confidence, whether it’s:

· a quick chat about budgeting with a partner

· a question for a pension professional or

· introducing the concept of savings to a child.

‘Start the conversation’ offers a first step towards action. Download the participation pack here: Talk Money Week | Money and Pensions Service

Accessibility

The event takes place online and will be delivered in English. If you have any accessibility requirements such as visual or hearing impairment, or a neurodiverse condition that might affect your experience of the forum, please let us know in advance when you register your place and we will do our best to make sure you can access the session in a way that meets your needs.

The Money Guiders Programme

Money Guiders is provided by the Money and Pensions Service. It is a programme which seeks to help money guidance practitioners improve their knowledge, skills and confidence. Everything that the Money Guiders programme offers centres around the Money Guidance Competency Framework - it's there to help you better understand the full breadth and depth of money related issues that fall outside of the regulated financial advice service sector - the things you talk to your customers about.

Before attending the session, you could:

• Try out our money guidance confidence checker, to find out how you feel about the conversations you have with customers about money
• Spend some time considering the challenges you face in your work, specifically when you provide help and guidance to your clients or service users around money issues.
• Consider how you spot potential problems, how you can start conversations about money in a sensitive way and at an appropriate time?
• Think about how you can maintain good boundaries in your role as a money guidance practitioner within your main area of work?