The Church of England has put together a post-Christmas debt check for consumers worried about how much their wallets have been hit by Christmas and New Year spending.
It has also published a range of prayers for people living with debt.

Coming at a time when 18% of adults in the UK have £10,000 or more of unsecured debt, the release of the 10-point checklist coincides with the launch of a new section of the Church of England website, called Matter of Life and Debt, dedicated to helping people escape from debt problems – and containing sound advice, real-life case studies, useful resources, and helpful prayers.

John Preston, Church of England’s national stewardship and resources officer, said: “If a household can say yes to any of the statements on the checklist, it may be on the verge of encountering serious debt issues, and should carefully consider taking some of the advice included in the pages of Matter of Life and Debt.

“If a household can say yes to 3 or more of the warning signs, it would be well advised to talk to a debt-counselling service, such as the ones we link to online.”

Designed to make consumers think again about how much they spend, the post-christmas debt check includes checklist items such as having credit card applications turned down, only paying the minimum amount each month and hiding the cost of Christmas from partners or family. It also features anxiety over money issues and the erosion of savings.