Debt Assist

Debt recovery redefined

A comprehensive debt recovery and resolution managed service. We will help you accelerate and improve your debt collections while supporting your vulnerable customers.

A transformative and ethical approach to debt

The rising cost of living, fluctuating interest rates, and broader economic factors have contributed to an increase in overdue debts, creating challenges across multiple industries in recent years. As debts age, the ability to recover monies owed becomes harder.

Debt Assist collects debt at any stage of the recovery cycle, from the first reminder through to post-enforcement.

We assist your customers in repaying their debts without adding to their financial burden.

How is Liberata different?

By approaching debt recovery and the causes of debt differently, you can improve future collection rates.

Boost recovery rates

Reclaim more through tailored strategies and multi-channel customer engagement.

Minimise write-offs

Enhanced data analysis informs future write-off decision-making.

Ethical practices

Support vulnerable customers by practising the FSA’s Consumer Duty standards.

Advanced analytics

Enriched customer data identifies the likelihood of repayment success.

Tailored strategies

Recovery approach and communication methods based on debtor’s propensity to pay.

Shared risk model

Work debt collaboratively with confidence in achieving positive outcomes.

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Debt Assist – changing the approach to debt recovery

Debts are often sent to enforcement or written off when in-house recovery is exhausted. Debt Assist takes a different approach. Using outbound calls, Smart Advisor assistance, and in-person appointments – alongside email and SMS – we improve customer engagement, boost collection rates, and offer fair repayment solutions.

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Supporting your most vulnerable customers

Balancing effective debt recovery with community and customer care is no easy task. The two often seem incompatible. Liberata’s First Steps programme is essential to our ethical debt recovery solution. We want to give vulnerable individuals the support they need while improving collection outcomes.

First Steps focuses on tailored outcomes for those facing financial difficulties. Every vulnerable customer case is carefully assessed to:

  • Determine the appropriate support levels
  • Gain access to the correct financial advice
  • Receive guidance on digital tools and benefits calculators
  • Arrange bespoke repayment plan

First Steps helps to address poverty, under-claimed benefits, and limited digital skills.

Collaborating with organisations like Citizens Advice and using tools such as the Vulnerability Registration Service (VRS), First Steps effectively addresses complex needs. Our ethical and personalised approach helps your customers regain control of their finances and fosters long-term financial independence.

First Steps maintains the trust of your customers while contributing to more substantial recovery rates.

Consumer Duty compliance

We align with the FCA Consumer Duty standards, where applicable, to ensure fair, transparent, and outcome-driven debt recovery. We meet the standards by tailoring repayment plans, communicating clearly, and avoiding harmful practices.

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Multi-sector capabilities

Liberata serves organisations across diverse sectors. We have tailored strategies to tackle unique debt challenges. Debt Assist recovers outstanding debts, meets sector-specific requirements and improves outcomes.

Central Government

Total sector debt of £39bn from DWP overpayments, HMRC arrears, and fines, resolved with compliant, citizen-focused solutions.

Local Government

Debt of £13bn in England from Council Tax, business rates, and housing benefit overpayments, recovered with regulatory expertise.

Financial Services

£11.6bn total debt made of complex arrears, managed with bespoke strategies for high-value debts.

Utilities

Total of £6.6bn debt across the sector in unpaid bills, tackled with customer-centric recovery methods.

Housing Associations

Debt totaling £798m from rent arrears, resolved with compassionate, tenant-focused solutions.

Debt Assist case studies

London Borough of Hounslow recovered £1.4m of outstanding social care debt over three years using Liberata’s static debt solution.

“My experience of using Liberata Debt Recovery has been very positive. The Debt Recovery Officer/s have been efficient, engaging and pro-active. The funds obtained by the Debt Recovery Service have far outweighed the cost.”

Helen Taylor

Head of Service, Adult Social Care, London Borough of Hounslow Council
Read the full case study
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Peterborough City Council recovers £175,000 of Housing Benefit overpayments

“The service from Liberata was extremely effective and we were surprised by how they managed to engage with citizens in an empathetic manner and recover a significantly higher than expected percentage of the overpayments.”

Emma Riding

Service Director – Financial Management and Deputy 151 Officer, Peterborough City Council
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Your trusted recovery partner

Liberata combines 50 years of expertise with technology to deliver meaningful results for our customers. We collaborate closely with you to provide tailored strategies and achieve effective, ethical debt recovery and sustainable debt resolution. Our dedicated teams ensure smooth implementation and ongoing support.

Our investment in innovative technology enhances operational efficiency and delivers detailed reporting and data-driven recommendations that optimise recovery rates. We are firmly committed to data security and compliance. Sensitive information is managed following GDPR and industry standards.

Explore how Debt Assist can work for you.

As a Council we are focused on ensuring that the services delivered are both sustainable and of the highest quality. We are delighted to be working with Liberata to help deliver these services on behalf of our residents and businesses. Liberata stood out with its ability to drive transformational change and improve customer access and digital services.
Richard Baker
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Borough of Broxbourne
Liberata is the ideal delivery partner to help us achieve our aims, whilst ensuring we can drive down processing times and improve the service for our customers. Council tax and business rates collection will improve, ensuring that we have the funds to deliver the vital services that have a positive impact on residents’ lives. We look forward to working closely in partnership with Liberata to help achieve our aims
Rebecca Keene
Broxbourne Borough Council
Eastleigh Borough Council
Eastleigh Borough Council has worked with Liberata for a number of years who undertake the council's empty home reviews, and I must say, their service exceeded all expectations. From start to finish, they demonstrated professionalism, efficiency, and a genuine commitment to addressing this critical issue in our community. Thanks to Liberata, the council has been able to maximise our empty home bonus year on year. This positive impact on our community cannot be overstated.
Kerrie Thomas
Eastleigh Borough Council
Leicester City Council
The RV Finder service from Liberata has really helped us ensure that our data is as accurate as possible and, when the VOA has processed the outstanding cases, I fully expect to see more than £1,000,000 of additional RV. The “risk and reward” model works well and the Council only has to pay for their success and the service is something that we will use on a regular basis.
Steve King
Leicester City Council
Liberata has been empowered to create a seamless integration with technology to digitally transform the Revenues and Benefits service whilst trying to protect local jobs. The joint strategy has helped to deliver innovative solutions that have exceeded expectations, whilst providing savings to the authority. This surge in digital engagement has helped deliver strong year one outturn with electronic billing and the technology will enable us to show improvements in the benefits speed of processing and in Council Tax processing of moves, discounts and exemptions.
Andy Stevens
Swindon Borough Council
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