Refresh Debt Advice

Debt advice from a Northern Ireland-regulated firm

Refresh Debt Advice is a trading style of Refresh Debt Services Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under number 674160. The firm presents itself as a debt advice provider with more than fifteen years of experience, focused on helping clients regain control of their finances through advice, support and a repayment solution set at a rate the client can afford. Its registered office is in Warrenpoint, County Down.

The service is built around confidential advice from specialist debt advisers. The company states that it is happy to provide debt advice only, and that it charges a fee only when a client opts for a debt solution with the firm. It also notes that entering a debt solution can affect a credit rating for at least 72 months, and that all fees are discussed before any debt management plan begins.

How the advice process works

The firm describes a three-stage approach. Advisers first listen and gather the facts to identify a suitable solution; they then give what the company calls straightforward expert debt advice; finally, the client decides, with the stated aim of making an informed choice based on all the facts. The team is presented as experienced, trustworthy and approachable, and the company says it tailors advice to each client's circumstances rather than applying a single template.

Refresh Debt Advice reports that it has helped clients repay over £21 million of debts. It also states that it negotiates with some of the largest creditors in the UK to reduce monthly payments to an affordable level, and that clients make one affordable monthly payment while the firm deals with creditors on their behalf.

Debt solutions offered

The site sets out a range of solutions, noting that each carries advantages and disadvantages:

• Debt Management Plan (DMP): described as an informal, flexible agreement between the client and creditors to repay all debts, with regular payments made to a licensed debt management company.
• Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA): a legally binding formal repayment arrangement between the client and creditors for managing money and paying off multiple debts.
• Bankruptcy: presented as one of several wider financial solutions for people unable to repay outstanding debt in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• Debt Relief Order and the Breathing Space Scheme, both listed among the available solutions.
• Debt Consolidation Loan, Debt Arrangement Scheme and Trust Deed, also included in the solutions menu.

The company refers customers to Refresh Insolvency Limited for Individual Voluntary Arrangements. Refresh Insolvency Limited is registered in Northern Ireland under number NI676853, with its registered office at Milltown House, Milltown Industrial Estate, Warrenpoint, Co. Down, BT34 3FN. Jenny McGreevy, employed by Refresh, is licensed to act as an insolvency practitioner in the UK by the Insolvency Practitioners Association, IP Number 28910.

Types of debt covered

The firm lists the debts it can help with, separating priority debts from others. The categories named are credit card debt, payday loans, council tax arrears, income tax debt, utility bill arrears and secured loan debt. It also addresses debt collection, naming a long list of collection agencies and solicitors that clients may be dealing with, among them Advantis Credit, Akinika Debt Recovery, BW Legal, Cabot Financial, Capquest Debt Recovery, Credit Resource Solutions, Drydensfairfax Solicitors, Fredrickson International, Frontline Collections, Lowell Financial, Moorcroft Debt Recovery, PRA Group, Robinson Way and Wescot Credit Services. Separate guidance covers bailiffs, County Court Judgments (CCJs), mental health support services and the relationship between debt and credit scores.

Client support and additional resources

Beyond formal solutions, the site includes a benefits checker and material on avoiding debt. It also publishes news and updates on money matters, such as Easter money-saving tips, the 2025 council tax rise and the April 2025 energy price cap increase, which the site says pushed the average UK household energy bill to £1,849 per year.

The company describes its approach as caring and non-judgemental, acknowledging that people from all walks of life can fall into debt for many reasons. It also points readers to Money Helper, an independent service offering free and impartial guidance on managing money. A client case study on the site recounts the experience of Freddie Nicholson, who was £10,000 in debt and describes gambling and drinking as responses to depression, and explains how the firm was able to help him.

Regulatory and consumer protection details

Refresh Debt Advice holds Information Commissioner's Office registration number Z9114806. The company states that payments into a Debt Management Plan are protected, and that compensation could be available from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if there are shortfalls in funds held on a customer's behalf.