Vulnerability and Ability to Pay
Our expert field and office teams are trained to be able to identify all and any signs of vulnerability, including those with concerns to financial hardship.
As part of OFGEM and Energy UK Safety Net, our team is specifically trained to specialise in identifying financially vulnerable customers. Our field team will try to obtain as much information as possible to make an accurate decision and guide the customer on the most suitable and viable options available for the customer’s own specific and individual circumstances.
Thanks to our highly skilled field force, that includes a spine of permanently employed, full-time, field based Resolutions Officers, Mercia Utility Services helps to put organisations back in touch with their customers on a nationwide scale.
We conduct our welfare assessments through discreet home visits, showing empathy and sensitivity, to either put the customer back in touch with their supplier or offer a comprehensive end to end payment solution. This includes a full income and expenditure review and a review of all the avenues available to the customer in relation to their own personal circumstance.
It is key that our field based Resolutions team listen and observe the customers situation to fully assess their circumstances and gain a clear understanding of which options are best suited to the individual customer’s needs. This may require them to ask questions regarding affordability which relate to:-
- Employment status and income
- Existing commitments and outgoings
- Account balance & On-going consumption
- Dependants
- Disputes that could impact public relations
Where appropriate, customers are given full details of help and services available to them. Our Resolutions Officers will make all appropriate options available to the customer. These include:-
Free Debt Advice
If you are experiencing financial difficulties there are a number of free debt advice charities and organisations that can help you.
| Step Change | 0800 138 1111 | www.stepchange.org |
| National Debtline | 0808 808 4000 | www.nationaldebtline.co.uk |
| Citizens Advice Bureau | 08444 111 444 | www.citizensadvice.org.uk |