Debt Awareness Week 2025: David’s Story
Debt Awareness Week is StepChange’s flagship annual consumer campaign, this year exploring the judgement and stigma that can sometimes come with debt, with the aim of challenging attitudes and helping people access the support they need.
At Citizens Advice Hull & East Riding, we know that that debt problems, however big or small, create huge impacts on people’s lives – and we can work with you to solve them.
Here, we explore how we were able to help David, who was facing eviction while being £6,000 in debt on housing and energy bills and income tax.
David* visited Citizens Advice because the landlord of his privately rented property had issued a notice telling him they were seeking possession. As the landlord used a Section 21 Notice, there was no way that eviction could be prevented; the landlord could also ask the court to order David to repay the £3,000 of rent arrears plus court costs.
David spoke to our Generalist Advisers who listened to his situation. David’s marriage had broken down and his wife moved out taking two children with her, leaving David struggling to afford to live with his two sons and a monthly rent of more than £1,200 to pay.
The rent was very high but at least it included bills except gas and electric. Even though David works full time in a warehouse, he receives child benefit and a top-up from Universal Credit, but he found that the rent became unaffordable on a single income due to cost-of-living increases. Rent arrears soon built up and David sometimes had no money for food.
David became sick with worry – he knew that the waiting list for council housing was long and was scared that his little family would be made homeless. David tried looking for cheaper private accommodation but there was no way for him to save up money for a deposit.
David meets our Debt Advisers
Our Generalists gave David reassurances that he didn’t have to move out on the date signifying the end of the notice period, if he hadn’t yet found somewhere else to live. We explained that when the notice period expires, the landlord then applies to the court to obtain a date for possession and if David hasn’t moved out by the date of possession, the landlord would then need to apply to the court for a warrant. Once the warrant is issued, it gives David 14 days’ notice that bailiffs will come to evict him. David was relieved to hear that, start to finish, this possession process can take a number of months.
We told David that he could ask the council for help with a deposit if he finds affordable private accommodation. We also provided a list of local housing associations who offer cheaper rents and a list of accredited private landlords. Our Generalists told David about ways to access Foodbank Vouchers and other sources of charitable assistance if he runs out of food again. We also asked David if he would like to speak with our Debt Advisers.
Our Debt Advisers welcomed David, made a plan with him and put his mind at rest. His immediate priority should be to find affordable accommodation. We let David know we have advisers based at court to help defendants at Friday possession hearings. David felt reassured that he wouldn’t be alone because our advisers could speak to the judge on his behalf to ask that David be allowed to stay for as long as possible in his home before possession was awarded.
Advice and support helps David to a fresh start
As part of the debt conversation, we look at income and expenditure to see if there are ways to make life more affordable. We reminded David that he can ask the council for help with a deposit for private rentals. We chatted about how having a ‘bills included’ rental agreement will usually work out more expensive than paying rent and bills separately; David should have received a 25% reduction on his council tax when his wife moved out as he became a single occupant, but his ‘bills included’ rent won’t go down to reflect this.
We told David that if he moves to private accommodation and his rent is higher than the maximum housing element that Universal Credit could pay, David could apply to the council for help with the rent shortfall. We also pointed out ways to access cheaper water and broadband via social tariffs for people on low incomes.
David has two other debts bringing his current debt to approx. £6,000 and he has no way to repay; one to his energy supplier and one to HMRC for income tax relating to previous self-employment. David is also receiving support from our Energy Advisers to help clarify the energy debt. We outlined the debt solutions that would be available and suitable for David and David chose his preferred option. We provided template letters to send to HMRC to explain why there was to be a slight delay until David could address the debt.
When David has moved into his new affordable accommodation he will return to us for a Debt Relief Order to have his debts written off by the Insolvency Service which will give him a fresh start.
After his debt appointment with Citizens Advice, David said: “I’m still anxious about finding somewhere affordable, but I feel so much better now, knowing I have a plan to move to somewhere affordable and that the debts will be dealt with giving me a fresh start.”