David Cameron has promised to introduce a free financial advice service - but faced immediate charges he was stealing the government's idea.
Everybody would be given free access to an independent financial adviser under the Conservative plans.
Costing £50m a year, it would be funded by a new "social responsibility levy" on the financial services sector.
The Tories believe that such a service is "urgently required", given the state of the economy and the increasing difficulties many people are finding themselves in.
While acknowledging that the idea has been around for several years, they said ministers had been "dithering" and had so far failed to implement it.
The Tories would bring it in within 12 months of a general election win, they said.
It would provide guidance via face-to-face sessions, over the telephone and online.
But Number 10 said the government was already advancing plans for a national money guidance service, with costs divided between the taxpayer and the financial services industry.
It was recommended in a Treasury-commissioned report last month and a £12m pilot would get underway within weeks.
A Number 10 source said: "What David Cameron seems to mean by preparing for government is trying to pass the government's plans off as his own.
"But while he is still wasting time talking about the idea of an advice service, we are getting on with delivering it.
"This episode shows exactly what David Cameron is about: all talk, never any action, and not a single new idea of his own."
Cameron said on GMTV that debt was another "really big cause" of poverty.
He said: "I have sat in citizens advice bureaux and listened to families' heartbreaking stories about debt.
"We are announcing today setting up a debt helpline funded by the banks so everyone has got one telephone number you can ring to get advice on debt to help you sort your life out."
