The charity describes these individuals as the “new vulnerables” – people who previously regarded themselves as financially secure but are increasingly being pushed into difficulty by rising household costs and sustained pressure on their finances.
Bayla Perrin, chief executive of Paperweight, said the figures should never become something the community simply accepts.
“We must never become accustomed to figures like these,” she said. “Behind every number is a person who may be lying awake at night, frightened to open another letter, unsure how they will pay the next bill or simply too overwhelmed to know where to begin.”
She said the charity was particularly concerned about the growing number of people who had never…