Number of Scots appealing for debt help up 50 per cent
Reading time: 1 minute
The number of people seeking help for debt problems in Scotland has risen by almost 50 per cent over the past four years, with charity StepChange warning that debt is becoming “entrenched in day-today living” for many in the country.
A new report published by the charity includes figures showing that it was contacted for help by 19,132 Scots struggling with money problems last year, a 47 per cent increase from the total of 13,034 in 2013.
Across the UK almost 620,000 people sought help.
The average unsecured debt of people in Scotland in 2017 was £12,488 – a drop of 1.5 per cent from the previous year, but higher than both the 2014 and 2015 figure, with the latest annual Scotland in the Red report stating it reflected “wider access to credit in recent years”.
Stepchange also warned that Scots who got in touch had nearly 10 per cent more debt than people across the UK, relative to their monthly income.
“Depressed incomes and rising prices are significant factors behind the increasing need for debt advice,” the report said.
Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss articles like this one:
SUBSCRIBE
