Rise in debt problems 'destroying lives' in South Yorkshire
A charity says it's left people considering suicide and skipping meals
We're told people struggling with debt in South Yorkshire have been skipping meals and even contemplating suicide.
Support servives tells us there's been a big rise in demand for help during the pandemic - as new stats show the average debt in a Yorkshire household is over ÂŁ16,000.
The research from Christians Against Poverty shows it would take the average houshold here 28 years to pay it off.
Janyne Franklin's a debt coach for the charity in Sheffield - she says it's been a really hard year for many:
"Over a quarter of our clients have considered suicide. There's a lot of despair out there. There's also hunger - people are missing meals to deal with their debt. Many of the clients that we come into contact with just feel trapped - over half of the clients have indicated that they feel trapped and don't know where to turn to.
"People's lives are being massively affected by the pandemic. Finances are stretched - we all know that. And as a result more people are falling into debt. A lot of our debt centres work alongside foodbanks so we see the need there for food and practical support on a daily basis.
"It puts relationships under pressure. Unfortunately they can break down if they don't get the support that they need. We've seen the effect it has on the children as well - the stress of the parents, the children can't escape that. So we just see that cycle of desperation in the home."
Over a quarter of the charity's clients said they'd considered or attempted to take their own life.
And over a third said they'd sacrificed meals because they couldn't afford to eat.
Former CAP client, Paula Goddard, explains how debt impacted her family:
“My husband and I worked for the same company and we were both made redundant. After the redundancy the debts started building; rent arrears, Council Tax arrears, doorstep loans, catalogue loans.
“We were missing meals four or five nights a week so that the kids could have dinner. I didn’t want to go out, I couldn’t speak to anyone on the phone. It was a horrendous time.”