With recent news revealing the dire state of the employment market for young people, there’s an obvious question about how far this is leading to debt problems for young adults who can’t get jobs and aren’t studying or training. This group includes a wide variety of people, ranging from those who’ve graduated from university to those who simply haven’t been able to find employment after leaving school.
At StepChange, 11% of our new clients in 2025 were aged 18-24, which is in line with the wider UK adult population, so younger adults aren’t necessarily overrepresented among people seeking debt advice. However, when looking at the next age group up, 25-34 year olds, they are significantly overrepresented, standing at one…