Amount of debt amongst working people in Lincolnshire rises
The mid Lincs branch of Citizens Advice dealt with 16 hundred cases in the first 2 months of the year
Citizens Advice say the amount of people in full time employment AND in debt across Lincolnshire is rising, leaving some no choice but to cut back on food and heating.
It comes as the Mid Lincolnshire Branch dealt with 1,600 debt issues in the first 2 months of this year.
They describe the situation as 'a living standards catastrophe" and say it's becoming the new normal'
A quarter of people who reached out to the Mid Lincolnshire branch in the period had a debt issue.
Housing and energy costs are swallowing up people's income
The most common type of debt during this time were credit cards, personal loans and council tax arrears.
We spoke to Clare Staunton - a Specialist Debt Caseworker at the Mid Lincolnshire branch.
She told us: "We are seeing more people in full time work and people with mortgages finding themselves living on empty and going without vital food or heating."
"Latest research from Citizens Advice has found the cost of essentials remains stubbornly high with people cutting back on meals, energy and seeing friends."
"Housing and energy costs are swallowing up people's income, in particular pensioners privately renting are more than three times more likely to be in a negative budget."