Self-employed: Finance
The question
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Money and Pensions Service’s support for self-employed people experiencing financial difficulty.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The Government is committed to ensuring that people in financial difficulty have access to free, impartial debt advice. Through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), the Government funds a range of national and community-based debt advice services across England, with equivalent provision in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland delivered through the devolved governments.
Among these, MaPS provides funding for Business Debtline, delivered by the Money Advice Trust. This dedicated service supports self-employed people, sole traders and small business owners who are struggling with debt by providing specialist, impartial advice that recognises and understands the unique pressures of running a business.
Since 2024, Business Debtline has supported around 50,000 people, with over 90% seeing their debts reduce or stabilise. On 4 June 2026, the Government announced a further £4 million of additional funding through MaPS to meet growing demand, which is expected to support an additional 16,000 businesses over the next 3 years. This investment will help ensure that small businesses and sole traders – including those in rural areas – can access the support they need to get their finances back on track.
MaPS publishes an annual Debt Advice Impact Report which covers the impact of its services including Business Debtline. The 2024/25 Report can be found at Money and Pensions Service-funded debt advice impact report 2024/25 | Money and Pensions Service
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