Please note that our debt advice drop-in will be closed on Thurs 31st May and Mon – Tues the 4th June and 5th June.   The next drop-in date after this will be Thursday 7th June.  After this time normal opening hours will resume: for details of our normal opening times please click HERE.

- see our recruitment page for more details: http://www.bdac.org.uk/about/recruitment/

We are currently making some changes to our website, we hope you like them! Work should be completed early May – please bear with us

The BDAC-South West F2F Partnership is looking for volunteers!

We need volunteers to support our money advice work, a vital service for low income individuals and families.  Volunteering for the partnership is a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and gain valuable experience for the workplace.  In addition your contribution will make a huge difference to what we are able to achieve for people in financial hardship.

The BDAC-SW F2F Partnership is a partnership of seven advice agencies in the south west who all receive funding from the F2F fund to provide free, independent debt advice.  The BDAC-SW F2F Partnership is:

Bristol Debt Advice Centre (BDAC)
St Paul’s Advice Centre (SPAC)
South Bristol Advice Services (SBAS)
North Bristol Advice Centre (NBAC)
GL Communities (GLC)
Bristol Citizens Advice Bureau (BCAB)
North Somerset Citizens Advice Bureau (North Somerset CAB)

How the programme works

1st Stage: Application form - deadline 12th March 2012 midday (now Friday the 23rd March)
2nd Stage: Informal interview – 19th and 20th March
3rd Stage: 2-3 Day Training Programme – at BDAC week starting 26th March 2012
4th Stage: placement in your chosen agency – April

Please find out more including how to apply

We  are  looking for a new Energy Advice Project Trainee.  As part of the Energy Advice Team, you will be responsible for providing energy advice and associated support to clients, both one-to-one and in groups, in the office and in the community. This role will also provide project administration support.  There will an initial 4 months training period.

Please visit our RECRUITMENT PAGE  to find out more and download the application form.

Find out more about the Energy Advice Project.

Fuel Poverty Awareness Day is this Friday. It’s a national awareness-raising media and public affairs campaign around the themes of health, and help with bills, aimed at the general public and decision makers.

BDAC will be supporting Fuel Poverty Awareness Day by providing materials to help people avoid fuel poverty and help organisations who are working with people who are vulnerable to fuel poverty.

Please find below resources from the National Energy Action (NEA) which give fantastic advice.  Please also remember our own dedicated Energy Advice Project who will help people reduce their bills, stay warm and access charitable help with energy arrears.

Fuel Poverty Action Guide

Four Steps to Affordable Warmth 

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You can now make an appointment to speak with a BDAC debt advisor via Skype.

All you need is a computer, speakers and an internet connection. We can offer a one hour

appointment where you can discuss your debt problems confidentially with an advisor

over the internet. Skype is available as a free download from www.skype.com and BDAC

does not charge for its services.

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If you would like to make a Skype appointment with an advisor, please contact our

offices on 0117 954 3990 (Mon-Fri 09:30 – 5:00) or send an e-mail to simon@bdac.org.uk

You can  access Face to Face tax advice via computer with a specialist Tax Aid Adviser at our offices.  TaxAid are a UK charity providing free tax advice to people who cannot afford a professional adviser.

The deadline for filing your on-line tax return is the 31st January 2012.  You need to fill this in even you don’t owe any tax.  There are high financial penalties if you don’t return these on time.

If you would like an advice session at our offices, please contact TaxAid on 0345 120 3779 (Mon – Fri 10am – 12 noon) who can make you an appointment.  You can also access self help information on their website http://taxaid.org.uk

The New Year is the perfect time to change spending habits and review your finances.  Have a look at our New Year’s Resolution guide and get on the right track with your money in 2012:

Happy New Year from BDAC.pdf