We’re delighted to be working with the North East’s largest building society to help transform the way it helps customers in financial difficulty by providing a digital debt help service.

Newcastle Building Society’s new online facility, which has been developed by us, will be available to customers of the Society who are facing financial difficulty, or those who may need extra support in understanding their financial position before making arrangements to change mortgage payments. It is the first building society in the UK to introduce such a service.

Michael Conville, head of mortgage operations at Newcastle Building Society, said: “Offering this digital service, which can quickly provide an accurate overview of income and expenditure utilising Open Banking, reduces the onus on the customer to provide this information. With the facts at our fingertips we can spend more time discussing how we can support customers.”

The Society’s new digital tool will provide an accurate and quick alternative to lengthy conversations about a customer’s financial status.

Less time will also be spent by advisers collating information, which will increase the time they can spend outlining options and providing support; and where appropriate customers may be offered personalised debt advice.

Susan Rann, CEO of Paylink solutions, said: “This is the first digital debt advice journey we’ve developed for a building society, which has been designed to make the income and expenditure and debt referral processes as quick, accurate, convenient and secure as possible for customers.

“Integrating Paylink Solutions’ software allows customers to access debt advice instantly and means Newcastle Building Society can provide support to even more people who are facing financial challenges.”