There are two ways you can submit enquiries:

Web enquiries can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via our online webform.

We will respond to enquiries made through our online form within 3 working days for non-urgent enquiries (excluding weekends and Bank Holidays) or within 24 hours in urgent cases.

Our telephone service is available: 03300 580 404. This is open 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

If you have multiple enquiries relating to different clients, please submit them separately.

An urgent enquiry could include: an imminent visit from an Enforcement Officer/bailiff; a listed court hearing; needing to respond to court forms by a specific date; eviction; the removal of goods; the disconnection of services such as gas/electric.

We may respond to some enquiries within 3 working days, if we do not agree with your definition of urgent. For example, an impending client appointment would not be considered to be an urgent issue.

We will respond to enquiries made through our online form within 3 working days for non-urgent enquiries (excluding weekends and Bank Holidays) or within 24 hours in urgent cases.

Please clearly indicate if your client is facing an emergency with their debt enquiry.

See What does your service consider as an urgent case? above.

You can contact us for general enquires by emailing specialistdebt@shelter.org.uk.

No, we are only able to help with queries from England and Wales.

We have guidance that explains how to submit an enquiry clearly and concisely.

Our specialist service provides free expert guidance on any client debt cases.

However, we are unable to assist with the following issues:

• Cases where the client is the claimant in the action

• We don’t provide a checking of agreement service. The advisor is expected to identify issues first before contacting us  

• CSA assessments. We only advise on the enforcement side of CSA issues

• Appeals – what we can do on these issues is limited

• Business debts

• Costs assessments/challenges

• Benefits (but we can usually help with benefit-related debt issues)

• Housing rights/eligibility (for all housing related queries you may be eligible to use the NHAS service)

• Consumer issues

• Immigration