Ms O’Brien said it was single parents who are worst affected at Christmas.
“When Christmas comes it’s an added pressure for people, it’s the expectation and trying to meet those expectations,” she said.
Father-of-two Dave Murphy, an insurance broker, said he began to have finance issues after his divorce in 2018 and soon had debts of about £20,000.
“You put on a face to deal with clients and work colleagues, none of which would know what’s going on because you keep it to yourself,” he said.
“The perception is that everyone in the city has got money, but that’s not necessarily the case. In the job, you have to come across as in control, so if you’ve got debt then technically, you’re not in control.”
Mr Murphy said he would worry about the…