Telford man clears £15,000 debt and now helps others

A Telford resident is encouraging others to seek support after successfully clearing more than £15,000 in debt.

Lee Davis, 45, is sharing his personal journey to mark Talk Money Week, hoping to show that help is readily available and there should be no shame in asking for it.

Mr Davis, a customer of Housing Plus Group, began accruing debt after he became unable to work due to poor health. His income soon failed to cover his household bills, leading to him falling behind on rent.

“It built up over several years,” Lee explained. “I hit by the bedroom tax and didn’t have enough to live on.”

He admitted to avoiding the situation. “I stopped opening letters and stopped trying to pay it back. I was just burying my head in the sand. It was about as bad as it could be, I had given up on everything.”

Although he had been referred to support agencies previously, he initially struggled to accept help. However, as the debt letters mounted and he faced the possibility of losing his home, Lee realised something had to change.

Dan Bebbington, the debt and energy manager at Housing Plus Group, worked closely with Lee to outline his debts. “Lee had had so many people from different organisations try to help and it had not worked out, so it was important for us to show him that we meant what we said and that he could trust us,” Mr Bebbington said.

Meanwhile, benefit advisor Mechele Clay helped him apply for financial support he was missing out on, which nearly doubled his monthly income. Lee commented that while the process was stressful, it “would have been so much more stressful doing it on my own.”

A crucial decision was accepting he needed to downsize to make his outgoings manageable. In April 2024, the local housing team helped him move to a one-bed property.

Soon after the move, Lee received confirmation of his Debt Relief Order, wiping out £15,000 of debt. He credits the support with boosting his mental health as well as his finances.

Lee, who has been debt-free for 18 months, urged others facing difficulties: “Don’t bury your head in the sand like I did. There is help out there, I wish I had asked for it sooner.”

Mr Bebbington added: “Talk Money Week is about breaking the silence, and I hope Lee’s courage in sharing his journey will help others do just that.”