Appeals for debt help ‘could double’

Appeals for debt help among people in South Yorkshire could be set to double over the course of this year, it has been claimed.

UK Consumer Debt Line is convinced that more and more people in the area are suffering with unmanageable personal loan and credit card debt and thousands are seeking help with their problems.

The lending criteria being implemented by financial services firms since the start of the credit crunch means that millions of Britons are being squeezed financially and for some the issues get out of control, according to the organisation’s founder Tony Wilkinson.

He told the South Yorkshire Star: “Last year there were 870 insolvencies in Sheffield, 586 in Doncaster, 512 in Rotherham and 480 in Barnsley.

“The credit crunch is a big worry and there could be twice as many insolvencies this year.”

Last week, figures released by the government showed that more than 15,000 people in England and Wales declared themselves BANKRUPT during the first three months of this year.