Debt advice seekers ‘should not be ashamed’

Debt help is available but people may be too self-conscious to look for it, new research has suggested.

Charity Turn2us found that nearly one-fifth of individuals are extremely concerned about their financial situation but 46 per cent would not look for debt management advice due to embarrassment.

Chief executive of the organisation Jolanta Lasota urged the public to seek debt solutions and take advantage of the support that is open to them.

She said: “People are worried about other people’s perception of them. They simply do not want other people to know they are in that situation and not managing.”

Thousands of charitable agencies are able to help with financial difficulties and there is £14 billion of unclaimed tax credits and benefits annually, Ms Lasota added.

According to the figures, 40 per cent of those surveyed who believed they would be financially worse off in six months stated it would be due to insufficient savings and additional debt.

By Francis Finch