2. Stage 2: deal with emergencies

• What is an emergency
• The general strategy
• Sheriff officers are threatening to visit the client’s home and/or remove goods
• The client is facing the imminent loss of essential goods – eg, if hire purchase goods are about to be repossessed
• The client is facing imminent disconnection of essential utilities
• The client is about to be evicted for rent arrears
• A warrant has been issued for the client’s arrest for an unpaid fine
• The client is due in court the next day
• The client has no money for food
• A deadline for a response to enforcement action is approaching
• The client attends with an expired charge for payment
• An overview of basic tactics to deal with emergency situations
• Signposting or referral

There is usually something that triggers a client in financial difficulties to seek debt advice. It can be when they realise they can no longer manage their debt or when they receive a threatening letter or court paperwork.

These presenting issues are often the first matter the client raises with an adviser. They can be threats to the client’s home, essential services, wellbeing or liberty. When these threats are immediate, they become emergencies and an adviser must treat them as such.

Emergencies need to be identified early in the interview process as they may require immediate action to avoid serious consequences to a client. An emergency threatens the client’s wellbeing in the short term and must be treated as a priority.

This section looks at how to manage emergencies that you are sharing with a third party.