I have a french relative who is (for want of a better expression) financially incompetant and is in trouble with a bank which has become threatening. Whilst his other issues are being addressed it has fallen to me to provide assistance in resolving issues with his creditors.
Would the “assistance sociale” be the best port of call for help? Has anyone seen anything similar in france to the UK DMP (Debt Management Plan)?
Many thanks for any advice you can provide
Yes the assistant social should be able to help.
There is also this organisation that helps people with financial problems, worth seeing if there is a branch near your relative
https://www.federation-cresus.org/https://www.federation-cresus.org/
Has your relative tried talking to his bank? You generally get more sympathy if you go along and explain the problem and try to work something out with them, than if you don’t contact them and they see your account being badly managed and they don’t know why.
There’s something called a commission de surendettement, you can talk to an assistant(e) social(e) who will tell you more, or possibly your bank might as well. The C de S is I think administered by the Banque de France.
I think (could be wrong) that if you apply to the commission de surendettement you automatically get listed on the national debtors register and stay on there for a while? which isn’t great news.
But if the bank is sending threatening letters he may be on the register already, in which case what’s to lose.
Probably, and you have to stick to a financial plan too, but it seems to sort people out. Maybe it is .ike your driving licence and you are on the national register for a set time.
Thank you for all of the above. Google has also been of help in translating and navigating the aide-sociale site. We previously thought they were just involved in social care.
Armed and ready now, lets see if hes ready to listen!! 
Our neighbour got into a bad financial pickle after her husband died and her daughter ran off with her bank card and cleaned out her account (!). She is not the brightest button in the box and initially refused to let the assistante sociale help. However she eventually did, and the AS did manage to organise her affairs. Her utilities have been reconnected and we/other neighbour take her down to the bank every Friday to collect her weekly 50€ and go to the market to get her food. So getting the AS in does work.