Requests for Debt Help Up Sharply across Scotland

Demand for advice and support in relation to personal debt problems has risen sharply in the post-Christmas period in Scotland.

According to the debt help charity StepChange, its website saw a sharp increase in traffic even on Christmas Day and particularly during the first few days of the new year.

Indeed, as many as 23,000 visits were counted on the charity’s website on the first working day of 2023, with several thousand visits recorded on December 25th.

The Sunday National has spoken with StepChange spokespeople and established that hundreds of Scots have been requesting direct help with their debt problems every day in recent weeks.

Sharon Bell, head of StepChange Scotland, told the newspaper that her advisers spoke directly to more clients on the first working day of the new year than on any single day over the course of 2022.

“We are seeing really quite high numbers and we are expecting numbers to grow over the next few weeks, so it is worrying,” she’s quoted as saying.

“It is also insightful that people are so worried that they are having to get debt advice on Christmas Day when they should be celebrating with their families. It’s a sad state of affairs.” 

StepChange has said that the cost of living crisis is consistently pushing more and more families in Scotland and across the UK into financial difficulty.

Prior to Christmas, the charity warned that around 8 per cent of UK consumers planned to use credit to cover the costs of their activities over the festive period.

Although government support has helped a significant number of households to cope with rising costs in recent months, many are nonetheless finding it tough to keep their heads above water financially.

“Energy debt remains high and cost pressures from elsewhere are still driving people into problem debt,” noted Richard Lane, StepChange’s director of external affairs.

“With financial pressures across the board creating problems for an increasing number of households, there is a real danger that people will increasingly be turning to credit to meet essential spending into the new year and beyond,” he added.

If you live in Scotland and you are worried about your personal debt situation then Scotland Debt Solutions can help. Contact us directly to arrange a FREE and confidential consultation any time.