About Camden

Camden is building somewhere everyone can thrive, by making our borough the best place to live, work, study and visit. Because we’re not just home to UK’s fast-growing economy, we’re home to the most important conversations happening today. And we’re making radical social change a reality, so that nobody gets left behind. Here’s where you can help decide a better future for us all.

Problems we're trying to solve

Camden is seeing increasing poverty with residents facing increasing debt, loss of income and increases in the cost of living. The housing crisis is a major driver. Private renters in Camden pay 65% of the median income on rent. Over 7,500 households are waiting for social housing and over 600 are homeless in Temporary Accommodation. 2 in 5 children – over 12,000 total - live in poverty after housing costs. Around 20% of working age people are termed "economically inactive" and too many are reliant on low-income, insecure work.

Welfare benefits do not cover the real costs of living in Camden, and despite this, a shocking tens of millions of pounds goes unclaimed every year, because of the complexity of accessing benefits.

About the team

Money Advice Camden is a service inspired by a desire to solve these problems. We want to ensure that everyone in or at risk of debt can get the financial support they need to be financially secure.

We're growing to a team of around 40 staff with skills across benefits, debt advice, financial support, data, design and innovation.

We'll use data to identify those at risk of debt, intervene early with non-judgmental, relational support to help people get the support they need before they reach crisis point. We have a target of supporting 10,000 households to better understand their finances, claim what they're owed, and manage any debts. Our long- term goal is to make contacting the council about money a stress-free experience - we'll aim to do this in our service, then change policies and services to share this more widely across Camden and the sector.

How we work

Empathetic
We show we’re listening, and we understand people’s concerns, needs and situation

Adaptable
We adapt to residents’ needs offering choice and putting people before process

Clear + Transparent
We provide clear info on what to expect and share updates on progress, helping to manage expectations

Empowering
We support people to help themselves and guide them through what needs to be done

Connected
When navigating between our services, reaching the right support is simple

Always Improving
We experiment with different ways of doing things, proactively learning and changing