January is the busiest time for financial advice charity

Christians Against Poverty (CAP), with local debt centres in Kirkintilloch and Glasgow, says the post-Christmas rush to get finances sorted has begun in earnest.

Rather than the mythical peak known as ‘Blue Monday’ on January 19, the charity actually receives the most calls for debt help on the second Monday, in February, which this year lands on February 9.

“Every week, the busiest day for debt help calls is a Monday, when people have had time over the weekend to resolve to seek help,” said centre manager Gill Paton, who is based in Kirkintilloch.

“We see a rise in calls during January and February because most people can’t face tackling their finances before Christmas. When these two elements come together we see our busiest time. As our reach extends to more areas, with more debt coaches, we are set to see more people booked in than ever before.”

Already in the first working week of 2015, CAP UK received 479 calls for its free debt help.

Recent research from CAP has shown that people often struggle for years with personal debt following income changes caused by events such as losing a job or a relationship breakdown, and four in 10 people believe that no one can help them with their debts.”

To make an appointment to see Gill, call CAP on 0800 328 0006 or find out more at www.capuk.org.some research we’ve done. It can feel like you’ve hit a brick wall but we see ‘impossible’ situations where people get their debts cleared. There are people to help and it can get sorted, however complicated or dire it seems. CAP has been around for nearly two decades, so there’s pretty much nothing that we haven’t seen or heard.”

Anyone calling CAP for help rings 0800 328 0006 and are booked in for a home visit from Gill, who spends time learning what has happened and shows a way forward out of debt.

Then all the person’s outstanding bills and letters from creditors are sent to CAP’s head office in Bradford, where dedicated Scotland Team works on them without delay. They will negotiate with each creditor on behalf of the client and draws up a budget to begin to repay what is owed.

“Anyone having sleepless nights, unable to afford the basics or worried about meeting their rent or mortgage should call us, or one of the other good free debt agencies, and see how we can help. People often look at me in disbelief when I explain that the CAP service is 100% free then they wonder why they hadn’t booked in sooner.”