Politicians ‘can do more to tackle debt’

Teresa Perchard, director of policy at Citizens Advice, welcomed the announcement by the shadow chancellor, George Osborne, to meet debt advice firms to discuss what the party can do to help those who owe money.

She told BBC Radio Five Live’s Wake Up To Money programme that all political parties should work together with the government to ensure that those who need it can get debt help.

Commenting on the Tory plans to tackle debt, Ms Perchard said: “This is a really important initiative because this is a very big issue likely to affect our economy.

“We need all political parties to engage with this and have a strategy for what they would do if they were the government. But they can also have a big influence and the Conservatives could have a big influence over business practices.”

While she welcomed plans to include financial and debt management plans in schools, Ms Perchard added that she does not want adults to be “forgotten”.

While quality debt help firms do exist, she called for more financial education for people.