Improvement in financial circumstances with debt advice provision: a randomised trial of efficacy, cost effectiveness and cost benefit

ISRCTN	ISRCTN68363641
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN68363641
Secondary identifying numbers	N/A

Submission date: 26/06/2006
Registration date: 28/07/2006
Last edited: 24/03/2011

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Signs and Symptoms

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Prof Pascoe Pleasence
Scientific

Legal Services Research Centre
85 Grays Inn Road
London
WC1X 8TX
United Kingdom

Phone	+44 (0) 207 759 1190
Email	pascoe.pleasence@legalservices.gov.uk

Study information

Study design	Interventional, randomised, single blind controlled study
Primary study design	Interventional
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)	Other
Study type	Quality of life
Scientific title
Study objectives	The objective of this study is to determine whether the offer of advice to those experiencing debt problems has a positive impact on their financial and general circumstances, whether it is cost-effective (from the individuals perspective) and whether the benefits of advice warrant the expenditure of public/charitable monies on its provision.
Ethics approval(s)	Granted from a group of independent academic researchers (February 2005) Formal ethics approval not neccessary for a trial of this type.
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Anxiety
Intervention	Invitation of debt advice provided over the telephone by National Debtline
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure	The primary outcome with respect to the efficacy of debt advice will be the proportion of people with no debt problem 12 months after the offer of advice
Secondary outcome measures	1. Proportion of people with debt problems after five months 2. Level of personal debt 3. Amount of monthly debt servicing payments 4. Ease of living on income (index) 5. Outlook (when debt problems will end) 6. Knowledge of personal financial situation 7. Continuity of ownership/possession of the family home 8. Continuity of services (utilities: water, electricity, etc.) 9. Loss of property through debt enforcement processes 10. County court judgments 11. Employment status 12. Relationship stability (relationship status) 13. Relationship stability (suggestion of separation) 14. Anxiety (index six item version of state trait anxiety index constructed by Marteau and Bekker in 1992) 15. Health (using EuroQoL (Eq-5D) instrument
Overall study start date	05/05/2005
Completion date	05/08/2006

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Adult
Sex	Both
Target number of participants	308
Key inclusion criteria	Respondents to the screening survey who indicate they are currently experiencing a debt problem about which they have not obtained formal advice
Key exclusion criteria	All those without debt problems, or those with debt problems who have obtained formal advice
Date of first enrolment	05/05/2005
Date of final enrolment	05/08/2006

Locations

Countries of recruitment

England
United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Legal Services Research Centre

London
WC1X 8TX
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

Department for Constitutional Affairs (UK)
Government

Kevin Westall
HM Court Service
Selborne House
54 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6QW
United Kingdom

"ROR"	https://ror.org/01xdnwc75

Funders

Funder type

Government

Department for Constitutional Affairs

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination plan	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article	results	01/11/2007		Yes	No