5m households risking debt problems by not saving enough
A new report commissioned by the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) has revealed that more than five million households in the UK are not saving enough to avoid future debt problems should the unexpected happen.
The research, which was carried out by the Financial Inclusion Centre, identified 1.1 million UK households which had less than £1,000 in savings and more worryingly, a total of 4.3 million families which had no savings at all.
The main worry for these households is if the unexpected should occur, such as one household member losing their job. Without savings for situations like this, or for any other sudden expenditure, families could find themselves facing serious debt problems.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) recently found that 27 per cent of UK households with no savings risk debt management problems in the future by relying on credit for everyday spending. This was compared to just 9 per cent of households which had savings of between £1,000 and £10,000.
Frances Coulson, the president of trade body R3, which also found recently that 47 per cent of UK individuals are worried about debt problems, warned against this reliance on credit. She said:
Households that are already struggling may find traditional lenders unwilling to provide further credit and are therefore drawn to short-term credit solutions. Individuals turning to short-term loans and credit cards should be wary of the high interest rates that often accompany these products. Overall debt can quickly snowball out of control.
Similar Posts:
- Risk of debt problems as 1 in 10 households can’t afford monthly costs
- Financial unhappiness increases
- Locating A Good Debt Consolidation Company
- Women and Debt – what is the reason for the increase in bankruptcy among women?
- Charity warns that unemployment is trigger for more debt problems
