MEP launching debt advice booklet (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

MEP launching debt advice booklet

7:40am Saturday 5th January 2013 in News

WEST Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire is to launch a new debt advice booklet in the Midlands.

The booklet, titled Money matters and so does debt, has been written with the aim of directing those who need help with money issues or problem debts to the right services for them.

Topics included in the new guide include information about credit unions, how to deal with bailiffs if they arrive at your property and how to identify priority debts.

The booklet also briefly touches on the subject of payday loans, a topic which has come under scrutiny in recent months. It is estimated that four million people - or the equivalent of almost one in every six households in the country - have taken out a payday-style loan for Christmas.

In a survey conducted by YouGov in December, it was estimated that 31 per cent of Brits would go into debt to fund Christmas.

Ms Sinclaire said: “Growing up on a council estate, money was tight in my family and I know the struggles of having to juggle what you can and cannot pay each month. Money worries can cause great amounts of stress.

“I hope this booklet can help direct my constituents in the right direction of services that can really help them.

“Debt is a form of control and prevents people from improving their own lives. The key is to get people talking about debt and taking control of their own financial situation.”