Where can I find guidelines on debt and mental health?

IN AN article on January 27 (‘I fear for mental health of daughter who is £14,000 in debt’) you referred to new guidelines for the credit industry on how to deal with clients with mental health problems.

Could you advise me how I could find out more about these as we have a family member with similar problems.

JS (via e-mail)

Yvonne Gallacher, of Money Advice Scotland, writes:

THANK you for raising this very important issue, particularly as you have had first-hand experience.

With regard to the new guidelines for the credit industry, first of all I want to emphasise they are not binding on creditors. The Money Advice Liaison Group has a broad membership (including banks, creditors, debt collectors and advice organisations) and is encouraging the use of the guidelines, which many of us fervently hope will become common practice.

The guidelines set out a framework of good practice when dealing with individuals in debt who have mental health problems. The recommendations include the following:

• Creditors should have processes in place to ensure that people in debt with mental health problems are treated fairly and appropriately.

• Relevant staff should be trained.

• When mental health problems are identified, creditors should allow reasonable periods of time for information to be collated and presented to them by advisers and others.

• Where creditors outsource debts for collection they should ensure that action is consistent with the guidelines and codes of practice.

• Where debts are sold, that those who buy the debts abide by the guidelines and codes of practice.

The full guidelines can be downloaded from the Money Advice Trust website at www.moneyadvicetrust.org.

Children can have their money at 16

IN MONEY Help Desk on January 20, Susan Hannums says OEIC investments for children legally become theirs at age 18. Should this not be 16 in Scotland?

RR (via e-mail)

Sue Hannums, of AWD Chase de Vere, writes:

YOU'RE absolutely right. In Scotland, the age of majority is 16 and therefore OEICs and unit trusts etc in a bare trust will legally become theirs at this age.

However, the same rule doesn't apply to the Child Trust Fund. This money will only become available to the youngster at age 18.