The Islington Water Debt Advice Project ended in December 2025, when the funding from the Thames Water Trust Fund came to an end. It was first launched in April 2018, with funding from this Trust Fund. This project offered a specialist debt advice and casework service, delivered by an experienced caseworker to Islington residents. The focus was on those with water debts, but the service also assisted with other debts, notably utility debts. The project also helped people in debt to maximise their income and better manage their debts. It also helped them to develop sustainable repayment plans and correctly prioritise debts. The project encouraged individuals to better understand budgeting and how to manage their money effectively. It also promoted the Thames Water Priority Service Register and the various schemes that the water company has set up to assist clients who are struggling to pay their water bills, and with their financial situation more generally.

Residents with debts can still contact IPR for an appointment, by ringing the telephone advice line on 020 7561 3685 between 2 and 4pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Organisations can also contact IPR if they have members or clients with debts, particularly those that work with vulnerable members of the local community.

Funded by City Bridge Foundation, formerly known as City Bridge Trust, IPR Assist provided extra capacity to work with the most vulnerable residents in the borough. Launched in April 2019, this project used IPR’s experience and local networks to provide intensive support to around 500 people a year. We worked with key local partners, notably Help On Your Doorstep (HOYD) to identify those residents most affected by poverty and most in need of support. Weekly referrals were booked in for appointments at our offices at the Manor Gardens Centre, particularly those requiring specialist welfare benefits advice, casework and representation. The majority of those being referred had disabilities, and problems accessing their full entitlement of benefits.

There are increasing numbers of people living in poverty in Islington. Inequality is on the rise and the borough is becoming more acutely divided between the haves and the have-nots. We know that part of this is related to the benefits system. When people have their benefits suspended, or delayed, with so many living on the breadline, the smallest change in circumstances can leave people with no money at all.

IPR Assist has helped to make a big difference for well over 2,000 people in poverty in Islington over the five years it was funded.

Islington People’s Rights (IPR) has a new financial education programme, targeted at the most vulnerable individuals and groups in our community. The Financial Skills for Life programme helps individuals to increase their long-term money-management skills and financial awareness, and links to the debt advice work delivered by IPR. This programme benefits those at risk of becoming financially excluded due to poverty, mental illness, homelessness and other factors. Financial Skills for Life is funded by the Natwest Skills and Opportunities Fund.

We provide one-to-one support sessions that focus on debt awareness, budgeting and planning ahead financially, at our offices at The Manor Gardens Centre in Holloway, with one our experienced specialist caseworkers. Clients can book an appointment or contact us for financial capability support, or debt advice, by ringing the IPR Advice Line on 020 7561 3685 on Monday, Tuesday or Friday between 2 and 4pm.

Our Access+ project works with Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) organisations based in Islington.

IPR already has excellent links with BAMER organisations and we are now building on those links by offering BAMER community members specialist advice directly to them.

We are one of the few organisations to deliver specialist advice sessions at BAMER venues.

The organisations we currently work with are:

• Islington Somali Community
• Eritrean Community in the UK
• Latin American Women’s Rights Service
• Islington Chinese Association
• The Arab Advice Bureau.

Since November 2014, we have been providing debt and welfare benefits advice and representation to members of these communities through outreach sessions at their  organisations.

Access+ also involves us training staff at the BAMER organisations to enable them to deal with benefits and debt issues better themselves in the first instance and to be able to signpost accurately.

Thanks to this project, clients can see us in a venue they already know, with people around who they trust and who they can communicate with in their native language.

Access + has enabled IPR to give specialist advice to Islington residents who may not otherwise have accessed our service due to language or cultural barriers.

If you are a member of one of the community groups listed, you can make an appointment to see us at the venue you visit.

This project is funded by a two year grant from Trust for London.