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<p>Supporting people in problem debt is a Government priority. This is why the Government
provided recorded levels of funding during the pandemic to the Money and Pensions
Service (MaPS) for free-to-client debt advice provision in England.</p><p> </p><p>The
Government has also given MaPS a statutory duty to have close regard for vulnerable
people and is working closely with MaPS regarding its next steps for local debt advice
provision.</p><p> </p><p>MaPS has not recommended a 50% reduction in community-based
debt advice funding as part of its commissioning exercise. The evaluation of bids
on the regional lot of their commissioning exercise was recently completed. The evaluation
revealed concerns that the services being offered would not adequately meet the needs
of people in vulnerable circumstances at the scale MaPS had hoped to achieve, or provide
value for money. Therefore, MaPS will not be awarding contracts under the regional
lot at this time.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is working closely with MaPS to provide
further information to the bidders and the sector shortly with regards to its commissioning
exercise and next steps.</p>
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