Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 'The debts weren't going away, it was overwhelming'

Sarah Daniels got into debt due to essential bills, a trend a charity says is on the rise.

* Sarah Daniels, a 56-year-old from Reading, accumulated £5,000 in debt after losing her job due to ill health in 2024.
* She struggled to pay essential bills such as utilities, council tax and rent, receiving daily phone calls and letters from creditors.
* Citizens Advice East Berkshire saw a 54% increase in clients with debt issues in 2024-25, with over 2,000 clients seeking help.
* Daniels eventually turned to Christians Against Poverty (CAP), who provided free debt help and referred her to food banks and fuel vouchers.
* CAP's debt coach Suzanna Mitchell helped set up a repayment plan for Daniels, but warned that the charity was reaching capacity due to high demand.
* The average debt of new clients in the south east of England is over £12,500, and CAP is seeing more people going into debt due to basic bills rather than credit cards or buy now pay later payments.
* Citizens Advice East Berkshire's chief executive Nicola Miller noted a 54% increase in demand for their services, with 80% of clients having negative budgets.
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