Abacus Daily Debt News

CAB: Spend wisely this Christmas

Britons have been advised to be prudent with their spending over the holiday period after new figures revealed a 25 per cent increase in those needing debt management help over the last 12 months.

The Citizens Advice Bureau in Newtownabbey - which provides assistance to over 670 people with debts totalling nearly £7.5 million - has taken on 93 new clients in a six-month period, which its district manager said has meant it has had to change its opening hours to cope with the workload, Newtownabbey Today reports.

"We are just trying to appeal to people to try not to get into debt, to manage what they have, because it’s going to be a nightmare after Christmas," Pat Hutchinson was quoted as saying, adding that people should track their expenditure and not go over budget.

Earlier this month, Peter Harrison of moneysupermarket.com warned Britons to ensure they clear their Christmas debts after statistics from the price comparison site indicated that 31 per cent have no plans to pay the balance on their credit cards within the next six months.

By Sarah Adie