CAP offers two free services – CAP Debt Help (debt counselling for people in unmanageable debt) and CAP Money (money management courses).

CAP Debt Help is a wrap-around service that reaches into communities from Whangarei to Dunedin, in partnership with 46 local churches.

• CAP’s free help starts by strengthening people’s financial position — visiting peoples’ homes, creating a budget to meet life’s needs — and advocating with money lenders to get unfair interest written off. Since rent, food and power are covered, people are free to focus on what’s most important to them. Doors are opened for people to start strengthening relationships… with money, with themselves, others and God.
• Over 2,440 New Zealanders in hardship have been freed from unmanageable debt — now financially resilient — and released to pursue their whānau goals for the future!

CAP Money courses are also offered free across Aotearoa. These courses have empowered over 18,000 people to spend, save and budget well.

When a person in unmanageable debt makes their first brave call to Christians Against Poverty, a team of specialists is standing by, ready to help. Prayer or karakia is always offered on this first phone call.

A Debt Coach and support worker, from the Debt Help Centre at the local church, then arranges to visit the client in their home, or at another location where they’re most comfortable to begin their journey. CAP Debt Coaches get to know individuals and whānau, taking care of immediate practical needs, such as helping them with paperwork, emergency provisions, and transport to appointments.

The Debt Coach helps the client to gather their debts and bills, and sends them to the CAP Support Office. Here, the team advocates on behalf of 400+ CAP client households every week.

CAP negotiates with creditors to get interest and payments lowered, helping clients to go debt free faster; and builds effective budgets that prioritise food and essentials. Sometimes CAP identifies that loans have been given out irresponsibly to clients, so CAP advocates for fairer outcomes in those situations.

Clients begin paying back their own debt, using their own income, at a rate they can afford. CAP does not pay back a cent of their debt, so its the client who does the hard work! Importantly, clients now have an ability to put food on the table for their whānau. CAP supports clients for the entire time it takes for them to repay their debt – usually taking two to four years. During this time clients pick up a kete/basket of money skills such as budgeting and saving — enabling their whānau to become financially resilient.

CAP takes a ‘with Jesus’ approach that cares for the whole person. In practice, this includes the local Debt Help team inviting people to church and church events, fixing cars, mowing lawns, etc. Clients know they’re no longer alone in their journey.

As CAP provides support, people encounter God’s love in practical ways. Over time, clients also grow in money wisdom, finding new abilities to set goals, take control and step into lives of renewed hope and freedom!

CAP’s client survey (2023) shows that 9 out of 10 of clients say that CAP is “Life-transforming or “A great help.”

CAP Debt Help

It costs $46 a month to provide each person in a household with the practical help / wrap-around support they need — to be released from the money chaos and poverty caused by unmanageable debt.

Because each person receives life-transforming help and hope — which impacts them both for now and for their futures – your donations bring a lasting change. Money skills are passed onto tamariki – the next generation of New Zealanders.

Direct costs of providing this free service include:

• Specialist Advice Team
• Clients’ Rights Advocacy
• Creditor Liaison Team
• Budget Solutions Adviser Team
• Client Support Team.

In 2020, Impact Lab conducted an independent assessment of CAP’s effectiveness. Impact Lab found that for every $1 invested in CAP Debt Help, the programme delivers $4.90 of social benefit back into communities across Aotearoa. The report also found that CAP Debt Help:

• Reduces need for emergency benefits
• Improves physical health and food choices
• Improves mental health
• Increases financial resilience and savings
• Improves relationships.

CAP never pays a dollar of Debt Help clients’ debt. CAP clients repay their debt using their own income. They do the hard work of keeping to their budgets and making repayments on their debt! Since CAP began in New Zealand in 2008, more than $112 million in unmanageable debt and bills have been paid or written off.

To enable clients to go debt free faster, the team at CAP’s Support Office negotiates with clients’ creditors to get unfair interest and fees wiped. The team customises budgets to ensure essential living costs are met. This allows clients to sustainably live within their means, while paying off their debt — providing a huge sense of achievement.

This journey empowers each household to gain financial literacy skills. Importantly, clients have the backing of the CAP team every step of their journey, helping them to navigate life’s ups and downs.

No. Whoever you are, whatever you believe – or don’t believe – CAP welcomes you! CAP is motivated by Jesus’ example — caring for people’s whole selves. CAP’s free help focuses on loving neighbours and helping people in need in practical ways —relationally, as well as spiritually.

The average amount of time for a CAP client to become completely debt free is two to four years.

The CAP team, together with the local church, walk alongside people throughout their entire journey out of debt, supporting them through life’s changes.

A feeling of release begins when people make that first call to Christians Against Poverty, where there is a team of specialists ready to help. Prayer is offered on this first phone call.

People, like Emma, say from the moment they first call CAP that they don’t feel alone anymore. Mel says “It feels like you are being held up. That no one’s going to let you fall.”

When we talk to CAP clients, this is what we’re hearing:

• Rising living costs are causing a lot of harm and further financial hardship for low-income and struggling households.
• It takes a lot of resourcefulness to manage a family budget with very little money.
• People are describing the stress of driving around with a fuel tank on almost empty.
• People in financial hardship spend proportionately more on essential living costs (such as transport, food, and housing) than do the average household.
• Just one thing going wrong —for instance  needing car repairs or a health issue — can lead some people to experience more severe hardship, or be drawn into taking on more debt.
• The emotional toll can be heavy as parents and caregivers constantly juggle ever-shrinking resources to meet the needs of their families.
• Before the cost-of-living crisis, ½ people who call CAP were already skipping meals, ⅗ were disconnecting themselves from family and social events and ⅖ said that they felt they couldn’t buy adequate clothes or shoes for their children.

Thankfully, CAP clients are receiving the extra support from the CAP Team they need in this time of increased living costs. In fact, 95% of current clients responded ‘yes’ or ‘somewhat’ when asked if working with CAP made it any easier to cope with the rising cost of essentials.

Motivated by Jesus’ example of serving people in need, CAP takes a ‘with Jesus’ approach that cares for the whole person.

Prayer and sharing the love of God with people is foundational to CAP’s mahi. The CAP team offers prayer/karakia over the phone from the very first call to CAP. Nine out of ten say they appreciate prayer*. Right up there in importance for clients, alongside help with money problems, is the relational care CAP provides — someone sitting with them, listening and offering support ‡. 

As clients encounter moments of peace in their lives that go beyond understanding, they’re invited to explore Jesus’ promise “Come to me, all of you who are tired, from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). This invitation to a relationship with Jesus is presented as Te Rongopai, the Good News.

CAP Debt Coaches take time to listen to people’s stories — hearing about clients’ strengths, challenges and goals. This enables coaches to provide responsive support along their journeys out of debt.

Each Debt Help Centre is powered by a local church, whose doors are open for people to become part of a community and explore a full life found in Jesus – this of course always remains an invitation, not an expectation.

CAP takes a conversational approach in sharing the gospel. People may not be open to spiritual conversations and CAP always respects this. CAP’s help remains free to all people, whoever you are, whatever you believe – or don’t believe – CAP welcomes you!

As money chaos ends, people find new headspace to start focusing on what is most important to them. Doors open for people to start strengthening their relationships… with money, self, others and God.

As clients and Debt Coaches kōrero, many people decide to take this further. It’s beautiful that over 1,430 precious people, like Gemma, have made a commitment, taking steps closer to Jesus — their stories unfolding in new and life-giving ways.

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*  88% in the client survey 2020
‡  71% in client survey 2021