Serious debt has become such a problem in the UK that now one in every five people are struggling to pay their bills.
Worst affected areas are the North of England and Northern Ireland, where as many as 40% of adults in some areas are not able to keep up with payments.
Research by Money Advice Service indicates that nearly nine million people are trying to cope with serious debt. Only 17% are getting professional advice to help them sort out their debts.
Money Advice Service is responsible for coordinating debt advice in the UK and is backed by the government.
The Centre for Social Justice, the think tank set up by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, also has reported that household debt has doubled in the last decade as more people rely on credit.
British households now owe an average of £54,000, an increase from £29,000 a decade ago.
More than 5,000 people are becoming homeless each year because of rent or mortgage debts. The rising cost of energy bills is adding to debt among poorer households.
Caroline Rookes, chief executive of the Money Advice Service, said: “Millions of people could escape their spiral of debt by accessing free advice. We know it transforms lives and the sooner people access it the better."
