Business Debtline
Business Debtline is a UK charity providing free, FCA-regulated debt advice to self-employed individuals and small business owners via phone, webchat, and online budgeting tools across England, Wales, and Scotland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Business Debtline does
Business Debtline is a free, FCA-regulated debt advice charity established in 1992 and operated by the Money Advice Trust (registered charity no. 1099506, company limited by guarantee no. 4741583), headquartered in Birmingham. It provides specialist debt advice to self-employed individuals and small business owners across England, Wales, and Scotland, helping over 100,000 people annually with business debts, personal debt arising from self-employment, HMRC/VAT arrears, bailiff and court action, and debt solutions such as IVAs, DROs, and bankruptcy. The service is delivered through three direct advice channels — a freephone helpline (0800 197 6026), live webchat, and the My Budget online budgeting tool — supplemented by 70+ A-Z debt advice guides and 30+ customizable sample letters.
The underlying technology stack is a website-based service platform. Webchat is hosted on the Genesys cloud platform with conversations retained for one year. The My Budget tool is a self-serve 24/7 product that captures user financial data and exposes it to advisers to accelerate subsequent advice. The site integrates Google Analytics, Hotjar session recording, Facebook/Meta tracking pixels, and YouTube embeds, and supports over 100 languages via telephone interpreting plus British Sign Language access through the Sign Video partnership. There is no mobile app and no public/partner API.
The business model is grant-funded and entirely free to end users. Revenue derives from charitable funding, primarily a grant from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), a UK government body that also refers users into the service. There is no consumer pricing, no sales force, and no channel resellers. Go-to-market is partner-referral-led and organic — Citizens Advice, Turn2us, Shelter and similar advice agencies refer users, and the site captures organic search demand via its content library. The organization holds FCA authorization (618928), Matrix Standard accreditation, Living Wage Foundation recognition, and ICO registration (Z270290X).
Business Debtline firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Business Debtline
- Legal name
- Money Advice Trust
- Website
- https://businessdebtline.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Business Debtline is a UK charity providing free, FCA-regulated debt advice to self-employed individuals and small business owners via phone, webchat, and online budgeting tools across England, Wales, and Scotland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Business Debtline industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Debt Advice
- NAICS
- Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Hardship & Forbearance Assistance (FSAEAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Business Debtline is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Business Debtline business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Funding / Grant Revenue: As a registered charity, Business Debtline is funded through grants and government funding. Primary funding comes from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), a government body. All services are provided free to users - there is no revenue model from customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free service - no tiers or pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Business Debtline product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Business Debtline is a free debt advice service for self-employed people and small businesses in the UK, delivered through phone advice, webchat, and online self-help tools including a budgeting tool, A-Z debt guides, and sample letters. It is operated by the Money Advice Trust, a registered charity, and is funded primarily by government via the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), with additional voluntary donations from people helped.
Product overview
Business Debtline is a free debt advice charity offering a multi-channel service portfolio for self-employed people and small businesses. The core offering consists of three direct advice channels: a telephone helpline (Phone Advice Service), live webchat, and the My Budget online tool. These are supported by extensive self-service resources including over 70 A-Z debt advice guides and 30+ sample letter templates. Accessibility services include BSL video interpretation via Sign Video. The service is run by the Money Advice Trust and is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100,000 people helped per year
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Business Debtline
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Business Debtline technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Business Debtline partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Money Advice TrustcoreBusiness Debtline is a service run by the Money Advice Trust, a registered charity (no. 1099506). The Trust founded in 1991 runs Business Debtline and National Debtline. Money Advice Trust is authorized and regulated by the FCA (618928) and provides organizational oversight, funding management, and operational support.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Business Debtline competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Debtline: Sister service operated by the same parent (Money Advice Trust), offering free debt advice to UK individuals via phone and webchat. Most direct structural peer - same charity, same operating model, same FCA authorisation, overlapping content and technology infrastructure.
- PayPlan: Free UK debt advice and debt management plan provider offering phone and online debt advice. Comparable business model (FCA-regulated, free-to-consumer debt advice) though commercially operated rather than charity-funded.
- Christians Against Poverty (CAP): UK debt advice charity offering free debt counselling, debt management plans, and money coaching. Directly comparable as a charity-funded, FCA-regulated debt advice service targeting financially distressed consumers, including those in self-employment.
- StepChange Debt Charity: UK's largest debt advice charity providing free debt advice and debt management plans via phone and web. Directly comparable as a charity-funded, FCA-regulated debt advice service for individuals, with overlapping target population and delivery model.
- Money Wellness: UK debt advice and money guidance service offering free debt advice, debt management plans, and benefits checks. Comparable as a free-at-point-of-use debt advice provider serving financially distressed UK consumers with similar multi-channel delivery.
Broad incumbents
- Citizens Advice: UK's largest general advice network providing free debt, benefits, employment, and housing advice. Comparable as a charity/government-funded advice provider; Business Debtline actually refers clients into and receives referrals from the Citizens Advice network.
- MoneyHelper: UK government-backed consumer-facing financial guidance service run by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS). Directly comparable funder ecosystem partner - MaPS is Business Debtline's primary funder, and MoneyHelper provides overlapping guidance content to the same audience.
Regional players
- Turn2us: UK charity helping people in financial hardship access benefits and grants. Comparable as a charity-funded advice provider and an active Business Debtline referral partner, with overlapping audience of financially distressed UK individuals.
Emerging players
- Shelter: UK housing and homelessness charity that provides debt and money advice as part of its housing-related services. Comparable as a charity advice provider and a Business Debtline partner in the referral network, with overlapping service delivery in housing-related debt.
Others
- AdviceUK: Membership body for independent advice charities in the UK. Comparable as an enabling/ecosystem player within the same charity advice sector, providing infrastructure, training, and policy representation relevant to Business Debtline's operating context.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Business Debtline social profiles
Digital presenceBusiness Debtline compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Business Debtline financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Business Debtline leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Business Debtline funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Business Debtline M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Business Debtline
What does Business Debtline do?
Business Debtline is a free debt advice service for self-employed people and small businesses in the UK, delivered through phone advice, webchat, and online self-help tools including a budgeting tool, A-Z debt guides, and sample letters. It is operated by the Money Advice Trust, a registered charity, and is funded primarily by government via the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), with additional voluntary donations from people helped.
Is Business Debtline a public or private company?
Business Debtline is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Business Debtline founded?
Business Debtline was founded in 1992. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Business Debtline based?
Business Debtline is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Business Debtline make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable Funding / Grant Revenue.
Who are Business Debtline's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Debtline, PayPlan, Christians Against Poverty (CAP), StepChange Debt Charity and Money Wellness. Broad incumbents are Citizens Advice and MoneyHelper. Turn2us is listed as a regional player. Shelter is listed as an emerging player. AdviceUK is listed as an others.
Does Business Debtline have an API?
No public API is recorded for Business Debtline.
What industry is Business Debtline in?
Business Debtline's product category is Consumer Debt Advice. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAFAJ, Financial Hardship & Forbearance Assistance. Its NAICS code is 5223.