Making debt advice understood:

How StepChange redesigned communications to keep clients on track.

StepChange Debt Charity is the UK’s leading debt charity, providing free, expert advice and practical solutions to people struggling with debt. They support thousands of clients through debt management plans (DMPs) - agreements that help people repay what they owe in affordable monthly instalments.

Recognising that clear, supportive communication is critical to good outcomes, StepChange partnered with Plain Numbers to improve understanding across a complex customer journey.

“We have an unwavering focus on good long-term client outcomes. Working with Plain Numbers is helping us meet that goal, especially under the Consumer Duty”.

- Peer Lawther, Communications Manager at StepChange.  

The challenge

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In 2023, StepChange noticed an increase in the number of new DMP clients closing their plans early. Initial assumptions pointed to reduced engagement during the transition between setting up a plan and living with it day to day.

To fully understand the reasons behind this, they went directly to the source – asking the clients.

The insights were enlightening:

  • Some people didn’t understand their options or the flexibility available within the plan.

  • Communications were not always read or fully understood, leading to avoidance behaviour and missed payments. Some clients hadn’t even realised their plan had started.

  • Some clients still prioritised their credit score, despite being in crisis, and misunderstood what “success” on a DMP looked like.

The approach

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With these insights StepChange set out to design a new communication journey for DMP clients, embedding the Plain Numbers Method and a behavioural science approach throughout.

Their aims were to:

  • Increase client engagement during the first year of a DMP.

  • Reassure clients about plan flexibility.

  • Communicate key information at the right time, in the right way.

They designed a 12-month journey of tailored communications, including emails, letters and web pages.

These communications:

  • Focused on client intent - prioritising what customers needed to know to take the next best step.

  • Layered information, starting with essential messages and allowing clients to dig deeper if they wanted more detail.

  • Used personal data intelligently, to demonstrate understanding of each client’s situation.

  • Were designed to be intelligible to 90%+ of the UK population, which equates to the reading age of a six-year-old.

Each communication was reviewed, improved and certified using the Plain Numbers Method.

The results

The new journey was launched in a year-long pilot, with a control group for comparison. Early results show promising signs:

> 97% open rate and 43% click-through rate on initial emails in the pilot.

After five months, pilot clients were more likely to:

  • Make higher payments each month

  • Complete their budget reviews online

  • Report payment issues and avoid missed payments

  • Avoid plan closure due to non-payment

StepChange continues to track and analyse the impact of this pilot, making ongoing improvements to ensure greater understanding and stronger client outcomes.

“We test, learn and iterate at scale – and we’re proud to do that. Consumer understanding is too important to leave to chance”.

Peer Lawther, Communications Manager at StepChange.   

Numbers shape what people understand, how they make decisions, and who they trust.

Get them right, and you can unlock a whole new level of clarity, confidence, and connection with your customers. We can show you how.