Citizens Advice Issues Call to Debt-Threatened Brits

Customers who are currently at risk of falling into debt due to rising food and fuel prices were encouraged to make their stories public today.

Charity Citizens Advice said that it was currently looking to hear from members of the public, either through its website or in person at its bureaux, in order to find out the real debt situation in the UK.

Citizens Advice issued the call following the release of new data from the British Chambers of Commerce earlier this week, which found a "menacing deterioration" in the economy, which put Britain at "serious risk" of recession.

Launching the initiative, campaigns officer at the charity Johan Jensen said: "The government has promised to halve child poverty by 2010. Citizens Advice will hold them to account to keep their promise, but to do this we need to hear from families willing to share their story…the information collected nationally will be presented to the government to make sure they know what life is really like for many parents and their children trying to manage day-to-day on very low incomes."

The public's contributions will be analysed by the charity, and then collated into a report to be released in September during the annual Citizens Advice conference in York.

According to figures from campaigners at Credit Action, total levels of personal debt held in the UK currently approach £1.4 trillion.