Hearts and Minds – Championing Financial Fairness through Leadership, Lived Experience and Human-Centred AI

For this special episode of the Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG) Podcast - a special edition which has been recorded and can be watched here https://youtu.be/qm_Lo1PGn7k as well as listened to - MALG CEO Bob Winnington talks to Lee Healey.

Lee started his career at the Department for Work and Pensions as a decision maker handling benefits and later worked as a benefits adviser and manager with the Disablement Association of Barking & Dagenham in his Essex homeland. He earned a certificate in Money Advice Practice and Debt Advice at Staffordshire University after founding IncomeMAX in 2009.

Lee has built the Community Interest Company from the ground up, transforming it into a leading UK social enterprise that blends human-centred financial advice with AI-powered innovation. His commitment to helping vulnerable individuals and low income households claim every penny of support they’re entitled to has driven IncomeMAX to identify well over £50 million in new income for more than 150,000 households. But he doesn’t take all the credit himself – Lee publicly champions and recognises IncomeMAX’s 40-strong team for their hard work and dedication.

As one of the top 100 influential people on LinkedIn and an expert guest on the Martin Lewis Money Show Live, BBC News, Sky News and Channel 5, Lee is recognised nationally for his influence and impact on improvements to the benefits system. He may have ‘old school’ values but he’s a true innovator, something which has seen him being shortlisted for AI Entrepreneur of the Year at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2025.

Lee is also a passionate support of MALG as a former Board Member and now Ambassador. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when he gave a post-pandemic closing keynote speech at the MALG Conference in 2022 entitled ‘Fighting for their Rights – A call to action for the money advice sector’, which is why we’ve invited him back to do the opening keynote at the MALG Conference 2025, which will be all about the evolving debt policy landscape. This episode is a pre-cursor to what he’ll be talking about at the conference because, let’s face it, we could listen to Lee talk passionately about what he does all day.