“This Debt Awareness Week, we want to start an open and honest conversation about debt. We want people to know that it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn’t define you, and, most importantly, support is available.”
For Bethan, it was difficult to admit to herself that she was facing debt. “I didn’t want to admit that I’d got myself into this position,” she says.
“But you have to realise that it’s not just yourself. You have got to think of the wider picture of how things are financially in society and how everybody is struggling today.”
After that initial period of homelessness, Bethan found a job and the family were able to move into private rented property. She then went back to university to pursue higher education, with the hope that it would give her better training to secure higher paying jobs in the future.
It was difficult to manage working alongside full-time education and caring for her children, especially when the pandemic hit and was then followed by a cost of living crisis.
Along with millions of people, Bethan was driven into further financial difficulty. At the end of 2024, it became more difficult to pay rent than it ever had been, and the family were declared homeless for a second time.
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“One of the main emotions is guilt. As soon as there is mention of a school trip or something that needs renewing, you get an instant fear of: ‘Where am I going to get the money from?’ It makes you fearful. You’re constantly solving problems and it takes away a lot of brain space,” Bethan says.
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Almost four in five people (79%) said their debt problems caused significant stress, according to the polling by Censuswide commissioned by StepChange.
Two in five people (40%) said that debt made them feel ashamed.
Bethan made sacrifices to support her children, who are now teenagers. She said: “My kids come before myself. I will always go without social gatherings or anything if I know my children need something. I’ve had to sacrifice career opportunities because sometimes I just can’t afford the travel.
“I know how it feels to truly struggle on your own. I’m very lucky to have extended family, but you don’t want to always have to rely on other people to help you out. You want to be independent. It doubles the responsibility and impact, being a single parent.”
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According to StepChange’s research, some of the leading causes of debt are unexpected life changes, including unemployment or redundancy (15%) and illness or injury (10%).
This is not widely understood – fewer than one in 10 people believed that unemployment or redundancy was the biggest driver of debt in the UK. And only 1% of people identified health issues as a leading cause.
Around 7% of people believed that gambling was to blame, despite it affecting only 2% of StepChange clients.
Brownridge adds: “At StepChange, we’ve been providing free, impartial debt advice for 33 years. One thing we know for certain is that the most common causes of problem debt are ordinary life events that disrupt people’s finances.
“A divorce, redundancy, or period of ill health – these are experiences many of us face, and they can have a huge financial impact. It’s often not about overspending or mismanaging money; it’s about life happening.
“That’s why breaking down the stigma surrounding debt is essential. When we reduce the shame and silence around it, we remove a major barrier that stops people from seeking the help they deserve.”
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Bethan found a lifeline when she was finally able to admit to herself that she needed help. She first went to Citizens Advice, who signposted her to organisations which were able to help in various ways. StepChange has helped make her debts seem more manageable.
“It took resilience. It was not giving up. I was told: ‘There’s nothing we can do.’ But I persisted. I class myself as very lucky, if I’m honest, because I’ve got that fire in my belly to not give up. I’ve always got in the back of my head that I know there must be something, there must be somewhere,” Bethan says.
“Don’t fear the process because once you start that process, you have an understanding of your situation. The main thing for me was knowing who I owe debt to and what it meant and how that’s going to affect me going forward. Once you make those first steps, it will become a lot easier.
“All of our circumstances are different, so don’t blame yourself. You will feel better about yourself for taking these steps and trying to get it sorted. Understand that you’re not alone in your circumstances. There’s so many of us out here today that would not choose to be in debt, but unfortunately, we are. Keep trying and keep doing whatever you can to help yourself to solve the situation.”
Now that she has received support, Bethan feels hopeful about the future.
“A lot has changed and I’m ready for myself to achieve a better financial situation. I’m trying not to be anxious about it and be excited about it. I’m working towards now going back into work and finally utilising the qualifications and the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into my education. Things are opening up and the future is looking a lot brighter.”
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Debt Awareness Week runs 16-22 March 2026.
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