Advice for you this Debt Awareness Week!

This week marks the 10^th anniversary of Debt Awareness Week (March 18 – March 24).

Debt Awareness Week is an opportunity for everybody to raise awareness of some common reasons people might not seek debt advice despite struggling financially and how they can overcome those barriers.

As a carer, life can often be difficult and you, like many others may find yourself in debt at some point. You may be struggling financially after opting to cut your hours at work to ensure you have enough time to care for a loved one, or may experience a loss in household income if the person you care for can no longer work. Whatever the reason may be that you find yourself in debt, there is nothing to be embarrassed about and it's important to remember that there is support out there.

Debt Awareness Week is an annual campaign – led and launched by debt advice providers StepChange – designed to encourage individuals and organisations to speak up about debt and act on it.

This year, StepChange are looking at the main barriers to getting debt advice. Often people take too long to get the help they need to deal with debt, due to various different reasons, including the following:

• They don’t understand what debt advice is and how it works
• They are dealing with anxiety, stress or a mental health condition
• They are worried about my credit file
• They don't have enough time to get debt advice
• They feel ashamed and do not want their loved ones to find out

Debt has long been viewed as a taboo subject and many don’t seek help through fear of embarrassment or the unknown. Not getting support can often lead to financial problems worsening, which means debt can have an even more detrimental and longer-lasting effect on an individuals’ life. Thankfully, people are becoming more open to talking about debt and it is hoped that people will be even more willing to discuss debt after this week.

This year, the theme is barriers to getting debt advice. To find out more about Debt Awareness Week and what support is available to you please click here.