Over 7 million household bills have been unpaid in the last six months because of the recent interest rate rises according to research carried out by moneyexpert.com.
The bills most likely to have been missed are council tax, with around 1.85 million being paid late or not at all, telephone, utility and rent bills.
Sean Gardner, chief executive of moneyexpert.com, says: “Missing bills can lead to serious consequences from losing the service to being taken to court. We’d urge anyone who is struggling financially to take advice on how to cut their monthly expenditure. There are ways to reorganise your finances but missing bills and hoping for the best is not a strategy.”
Chiltern’s Joanne Gill agrees: “When people find they’re struggling to keep up with their monthly outgoings they need to seek independent advice, this has been reflected in the increased number of people calling about our service.
“Those in financial difficulty need to prioritise their debts accordingly, ensuring they pay the most important ones first such as mortgages, council tax and utility services. This way they avoid the danger of being made homeless or having vital services stopped,” she continues.
Chiltern Debt Management is an independent debt solutions company who have been assisting people in debt for over 10 years.
The research for moneyexpert.com was carried out by YouGov which interviewed 2,331 adults between 31 May and 4 June this year.
