Citizens Advice is providing crisis support to struggling households every 30 seconds as families brace for fresh financial pressures in April. The charity has helped more than 51,000 people with crisis support so far this year.
The scale of need extends far wider. When including broader cost-of-living issues like energy bills and council tax arrears, 175,000 people have sought help from the organization this year.
Average debt for those receiving support has reached a record £9,500, up 12% on last year. More than a third of this debt—42%—is arrears on essential bills like energy and council tax.
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, painted a stark picture of the crisis facing households. “Every day our advisers…