Credit, collections & insolvency news
According to a free money advisory service, nearly 4,000 people searched for debt help over Christmas.
Data from the Money Wellness website showed that 3,994 people visited the website on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day seeking advice on dealing with unmanageable debt.
Almost 2,000 (1,835) people in London searched for support, followed by 461 in the Midlands. 310 people in the North West read up on debt help, with Manchester and Liverpool seeing the greatest number of searches. This was followed by 202 in Yorkshire, 183 in East England, 175 in the South West, and 101 in the North East. Wales recorded 88 searches with 66 coming from Scotland and Northern Ireland each.
The figures come ahead of another year of rising living costs. Food prices are expected to continue increasing throughout 2025, along with energy, water, council tax, TV licence, and broadband bills.
Sebrina McCullough, Director of External Relations at Money Wellness, said: “We always see an increase in the number of people seeking free debt help in January after Christmas debt repayment demands land.
“But this year we’ve seen an increase in the number of people seeking support over the festive period, with around 700 people starting our online debt advice journey over the three days. This is the result of continued pressure on household finances.
“With energy bills set to rise again in January and other essential bills to go up in April, we believe the New Year could be particularly challenging for millions of households. The cost of living crisis is far from over.”
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