Life does not stop while a loan is being repaid. Sometimes a director or someone close to them is going through something difficult, and that can make managing money and dealing with a lender much harder. If that is you, please tell us. We can put extra support in place, and asking for it is straightforward. It never affects the decision on your company’s application or the way we treat you, except to make sure we look after you properly.
We take this seriously because it is the right thing to do. Anyone can find themselves needing a bit more help, sometimes suddenly, sometimes for a short while. We want you to feel able to ask.
What counts as needing extra support
There is no fixed list, and you do not need a label to qualify. People commonly ask for extra support because of:
- Health, including a physical illness, a mental-health condition, a disability, or a recent diagnosis.
- Bereavement, such as the death of a business partner, family member or someone close.
- Caring responsibilities that take up time and energy.
- A major life event, such as relationship breakdown, or a sudden change in circumstances.
- Communication needs, for example if you find phone calls hard, need information in large print, or need a little more time to take things in.
This is not exhaustive. If something is making this harder for you, that is reason enough to tell us.
How we adjust
Once we know, we tailor our support to you. Depending on what helps, that can mean giving you more time to respond, communicating in a way that suits you, sending documents in an accessible format, speaking with someone you nominate to help you, or being especially careful and patient in how we handle your account. If money is also tight, we can look at the payment options described in our hardship and forbearance process at the same time.
You can read more about our approach on our vulnerability page.
How to tell us
You can let us know whenever it suits you, and you only need to tell us once. The simplest way is to complete the Additional Support Needs form, which goes straight to the right team. For step-by-step guidance, see I need extra support, how do I tell you?. You can share as much or as little detail as you are comfortable with; even a short note helps us understand what you need.
Your privacy, and your peace of mind
What you tell us is treated sensitively and kept confidential, and it is only used to support you. It does not count against your company in any way. We will record what helps so that you do not have to explain yourself again every time you contact us, and you can ask us to update or remove those notes whenever you like.
You are not on your own
Alongside the support we provide, free and independent help is available. For business money worries, Business Debtline offers free, confidential advice for small businesses and the self-employed at businessdebtline.org or on 0800 197 6026. If a director needs personal support, organisations such as Citizens Advice can help too. Whatever you are dealing with, telling us is the first step, and we will take it from there with care.
Still need help with this?
If this article has not answered your question, you can send us a request using one of our online forms, visit the Support page, or email us at support@credicorp.co.uk.