Angie Rusbridge has been helping local people with their finances since the North Norfolk centre opened two years ago in partnership with Aylsham Community Church. “We see every client in their own home and get to know their situation well. Of all the people we have seen, there is a common thread: those people who ignore their problems the longest face the most extreme difficulties.”
New research from the charity shows that more clients named “problems with budgeting” as their main reason for getting into debt, followed by “unemployment” and “relationship breakdown”. Others said that illness, bereavement and accident played their part in a downward financial spiral.
Angie Rusbridge (right) said: “We hope that if you're nervous about asking for help, you'll know that lots of other people are also ringing us at the moment, and that you're not alone. However bad the problem looks, we can sort it out together.”
CAP helps everyone regardless of age, gender, faith or background. However, in 2011 the most typical client scenario was that of a 42-year-old single mum with two children. Statistics show that while 22 per cent of the UK population are considered to be living below the poverty line, for CAP clients across the UK this figure is approaching 50%.
More than half of single parents needing help and a third of couples with children were under the poverty line. Whilst living costs have risen, the average client's income in 2011 was just £11,207 – a fall from £11,484 since 2010.
Christians Against Poverty is a home-grown debt counselling charity which is determined to reduce poverty in the UK caused by debt. It partners its financial expertise with the care of the local church to offer free debt help and a solution to people through 190 centres. As well as helping people in debt, it has also trained more than 1,000 churches to deliver free money management courses in their communities.The fast-growing charity intends to have a debt-counselling CAP centre in 500 towns and cities across the UK by 2015.
For more about the free debt counselling on offer from CAP, see www.capdebthelp.org or call 0800 328 0006.
National PR Manager Marianne Clough on 01274 761924 or marianneclough@capuk.org
Poverty statistics from http://poverty.org.uk/summary/key%20facts.shtml
