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Stats_Yearbook_2015
- 1. A look atthe lives of half a million people in debt in the UK Statistics Yearbook Personal Debt 2015
- 2. StepChange Debt Charityresearch2 Main findings 2015 1 Not including arrears on essential household bills. Unless otherwise specified, data is based on the 307,043 new clients debt advised in 2015. What debts do people have? The average unsecured debt of our clients in 2015 was £13,9001 . The average number of debts per person was 5.6. Credit cards were the most common unsecured debt. The proportion of clients we see with arrears on essential household bills continues to grow. More than four in 10 now owe money on items such as council tax, rent and utilities. This is compared to around a quarter in 2011. Who’s seeking advice? More than half (57%) of those seeking debt advice in 2015 were employed. But of these, fewer people have full-time jobs, and more people have part-time jobs. More renters need help than ever before. In 2015 over 75% of StepChange Debt Charity clients live in rented accommodation, compared to a little over 50% five years ago. More young people are contacting us; 57% of clients are under 40, and 14% are under 25. A growing proportion of clients are single parents, now at close to 20%. This compares to just 7% of UK households. The average income for clients has continued to fall, now annually at under £16,000 (net). The amount clients are left with at the end of the month has also fallen over the last year, now at an average of £55 per month. The biggest cause of falling into debt is an income or employment change. One in five of the charity’s clients in 2015 fell into problem debt due to losing their job. A further 15% fell into problem debt due to a reduced or irregular income. The average income of our clients in 2015 was the lowest it has been in the previous five years. Demand for debt advice 549,053 people contacted StepChange Debt Charity for help in 2015. London continues to be the area where people are most likely to be in need of advice. There were over three million visits to the charity’s website, a 97% increase on 2012. The data in this Statistics Yearbook is drawn from a StepChange Debt Charity warehouse containing the details of 20.5 million calls and over three million clients. 2015 figures are based on the 307,043 new clients in this year.
- 3. Overall demand Regional demand 20092010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 Contacts Websitevisits(millions) 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 Statistics Yearbook: Personal Debt 2015 3 Demand The highest level of demand comes from London and the north of England, each with over 100 clients per 10,000 local population. Clients per 10,000 population in 2015 25-50 50-75 75-100 100-125 Rank 3 2015 100 Rank 10 2015 58 Rank 8 2015 77 Rank 11 2015 44 Rank 1 2015 114 Rank 9 2015 73 Rank 2 2015 112 2015 Rank 4 100 2015 Rank 12 42 2015 Rank 6 91 2015 Rank 7 86 2015 Rank 5 95 Contacts Website visits
- 4. Averagetotal unsecureddebt Unsecured debts StepChange DebtCharity research4 Unsecured debts Unsecured debt over time 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 £20,000 £15,000 £10,000 £1,063 £1,308 £1,937 £1,424 £8,637 £1,725 £8,403 CATALOGUE 34.7% PAYDAY LOAN 15.7% STORE CARD 12.5% PAYDAY LOAN 15.7% AVERAGE DEBT AMOUNT CREDIT CARD 65.7% PERSONAL LOAN 42.6% OVERDRAFT 55.1% HOME CREDIT 9.1% UNSECURED DEBT TYPE % of clients with each type of debt
- 5. Arrears on essentialhousehold bills over time 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015Based on clients with this type of expenditure only Statistics Yearbook: Personal Debt 2015 5 Household bills MORTGAGE TV LICENCERENTGASCOUNCIL TAX ELECTRICITY WATER 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Proportionofclientswitharrears
- 6. StepChange Debt Charityresearch6 Arrears on essential household bills Essential Household Bills avERAGE arrears amount COUNCIL TAX £961 WATER £704 GAS £539 TV LICENCE £78 ELECTRICITY £638 RENT £922 MORTGAGE £2,966 Proportionofclients witharrears Average arrears on essential household bills 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
- 7. 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% Proportionofclients Statistics Yearbook: PersonalDebt 2015 7 Employment status What do those in debt look like? Employed full time Employed part time Full time carer Looking after the family Retired Self employed Student Unemployed Housing Homeowners Renters 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% Annual(net)income Monthlysurplus Proportionofclients Income and surplus Annual (net) income Monthly surplus 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 £17,100 £17,000 £16,900 £16,800 £16,700 £16,600 £16,500 £16,400 £16,300 £16,200 £70 £60 £50 £40 £30 £20 £10 £0
- 8. Family composition 2011 20122013 2014 2015 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% Under 25 25-39 40-59 60 and over Age Editor: Henry Hall For data tables, including additional raw data, visit the StepChange Debt Charity website here For help and advice with problem debts call (Freephone) 0800 138 1111 Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 4pm, or use our online debt advice tool, Debt Remedy. Email: policy@stepchange.org | Web: www.stepchange.org | Twitter: @stepchange 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 38.8% Single without children (34% UK Av.) 25.9% Couples with children (23% UK Av.) 19.6% Single with children (7% UK Av.) 15.6% Couples without children (36% UK Av.) Proportionofclients © 2016 Foundation for Credit Counselling, Wade House, Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8NG trading as StepChange Debt Charity and StepChange Debt Charity Scotland. A registered charity no.1016630 and SC046263. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority UK Average Proportionofclients Source: ONS Families and Households, 2015