'An £8,000 debt pushed me to breaking point'
Dean, a 58-year-old from Bradford, faced overwhelming debt of £8,000 due to a series of personal crises including bereavement and health issues. After multiple suicide attempts, he sought help from Christians Against Poverty, which significantly improved his situation. The charity reports that many individuals are now trapped in debt due to rising living costs, with severe mental health implications.
- ▪Dean's debt crisis was fueled by bereavement, redundancy, ill health, and isolation.
- ▪The average debt burden for people seeking help from Christians Against Poverty now stands at about £12,000.
- ▪Around 46% of those helped by the charity have considered or attempted suicide due to financial stress.
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'An £8,000 debt pushed me to breaking point'Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAisha Iqbalin BradfordAisha Iqbal/BBCDean believes easy access to things like pay-later plans can compound people's debt problems rather than helping themWhen Dean's debts spiralled to unmanageable levels, it was not one single event that had fuelled the crisis, but an accumulation.Bereavement, redundancy, ill health and isolation all played their part and pushed him beyond breaking point.The 58-year-old from Bradford had worked in what he described as a "really good job" for the council before complications during routine surgery left him unable to continue."I ended up losing a lot of money each month going onto benefits," he said."Bills were just growing.
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