Advice and support clearing your debts in 2018 – Citizens Advice Halton – With Christmas out of the way, now is a time for many households to start planning for the year ahead. But with many households struggling to pay off loans and credit cards used over the festive period, there are real concerns that we are about to reach crisis point
Citizens Advice Halton expects the last day in January to be the year’s busiest day for debt advice. Latest figures reveals that on 31 January, 2017, the charity helped 2,800 people, 30 per cent above the daily average. Citizens Advice Halton is expecting more than 250 people to seek advice on debt this month.
Chief Officer Hitesh Patel said: “There is a surge in demand for our debt advice towards the second half of January. “Christmas can take a heavy toll on people already struggling to make their money last and leave them with a debt burden in the New Year.”
“But this needn’t become a crisis – problems can be taken care of if you seek advice early.”
“The new year is a good time to get on top of your debts, cut your costs or budget better.
“We can help you review your situation so you can make decisions that improve your financial security.”
As part of their support for 2018, Citizens Advice Halton’s offers six tips to sort out debts.
- Work out how much you owe. Make a list of who you owe money to and add up how much you need to pay each month.
- Prioritise your debts. Rent or mortgage, energy and council tax are called priority debts as there can be serious consequences if you don’t pay them.
3.Work out how much you can pay. Create a budget by adding up your essential living costs and taking away these from your income.
- Paying urgent debts. Contact all your creditors to find out if you can negotiate on how much you pay, or when you pay them. Always pay first priority creditors who are taking action against you.
- Paying non-urgent debts – If you have any money left after paying priority debts, consider getting a free debt-management plan.
- If you can’t pay your debts seek advice straight away.
For debt advice call Citizens Advice Halton on 0151 257 2449 or e-mail advice@citizensadvicehalton.org.uk.
