MORE than 15 million people in the UK “suffer daily anxiety about their finances”, and the “post-Christmas period often add[s] more pressure”, the chief executive of Christians Against Poverty, Stewart McCulloch, has said before the launch of the charity’s latest campaign.
The campaign, Break the Debt Blues, announced on Wednesday, involves partnerships with churches across the country.
In the hope of “demystifying the process of seeking debt help”, the charity has also released a “five-step guide” to the process that people contacting CAP for the first time can expect.
Mr McCulloch said: “The first few weeks of the New Year can be tough, but for millions of people this financial strain is acute.” He cited a weighted poll of 2000 UK adults conducted by Opinium Research in September, which concluded that “over 15 million people in the UK suffer daily anxiety about their finances, and the post-Christmas period often adds more pressure.”
This figure represented a slight improvement on the findings of a separate Opinium poll carried out in December 2024, which suggested that one third were “suffering daily anxiety about their finances”, the equivalent of 17.1 million people across the population, CAP said.
Mr McCulloch continued: “Our message with our Break the Debt Blues campaign is simple: you do not have to face this alone. Whether you need a full debt solution or just some help to talk through and plan a budget that actually works, free help is available.”
A former CAP client, Sharon, who now organises drop-ins at a debt centre, said in a statement: “This New Year, I have one thing to say to anyone who is in the situation I faced — please, don’t let fear stop you from making that call. You do not have to carry this worry alone. There are friendly debt advisers at CAP who are ready to listen and help you change your life, just like they did mine.”
