Queues for advice on debt at bureaux

Soaring numbers of Black Country residents are turning to debt counsellors for help as spending spirals out of control at Christmas.

Queues have formed outside each of Sandwell's main citizens advice bureaux every morning recently, with bosses saying that families in trouble face a four week wait for debt advice.

John Davies, Sandwell Citizens Advice Bureaux chief executive officer, said officers struggle to cope as demand increased year on year but shot up in the last 12 months.

He said: "Three years ago we had three counsellors with a waiting list of three to four weeks. Now we have eight counsellors in the bureaux, four serving other organisations, yet our waiting list is still the same.

"Altogether we dealt with debt totalling £45 million in the last year and there is no sign at all of the problem slowing.

"We have queues of up to 20 people forming outside our main bureaux each morning before we open.

"However, there are no appointments available at the moment until well into the new year as demand is so great."

Latest figures show that the number of people seeking advice hit 43,000 in 2008/08, up from 36,500 the previous year, 2007/08 and 35,000 in 2006/07.

Bosses say they expect big problems caused by people defaulting on payments in January and February, having spent the cash on Christmas presents.

Craig Alford, financial inclusion co-ordinator at Wolverhampton Citizens' Advice Bureau, said the number of people seeking debt advice in the city has doubled since last year.

In Cannock, Rugeley and the Chase district the CAB has taken on another full-time debt advice worker with the help of £28,000 funding from Staffordshire County Council, with calls up by 60 per cent.

Mr Davies added: "At Christmas there is always a temptation for people to spend beyond their means, and what we are likely to see in January and February is that people have spent money that should be going on debt payments on Christmas presents."