Please note: this page contains information about suicide that readers may find distressing. If you’re in need of support, you can call Samaritans for free on 116 123 anytime of the day – or you can text SHOUT to 85258. For information about where to find support with your money or mental health, you can find some resources on our get help page.
The cost of living crisis is having a devastating impact on people’s mental health, especially for those who are behind on bills. 50% of people who are behind on bills say they have felt suicidal due to the rising cost of living.
There is normally a range of issues that contribute to people becoming suicidal. But one big factor causing distress for people with money problems is the barrage of letters and calls they get from debt collectors. Nearly half of people who are behind on consumer credit payments say they feel harassed or overwhelmed by the volume of contact they receive from their creditors. This can leave people feeling bullied and hopeless – and is contributing to some people becoming suicidal.
In 2020, we had a big campaign win when the government agreed to change rules on the language in debt letters. Those rules had been forcing lenders to send intimidating letters to people with debt problems.
But now we want the government and the regulator to urgently put limits on how often creditors can contact people about overdue bills.
Stopping people being bombarded with Debt Threats during the cost of living crisis could save lives.
“Feeling harassed and persecuted. The sheer number of contacts scares me, it’s almost as if they are threatening and bullying me into compliance. They have me at the point of not answering calls and removing my SIM so they can’t contact me. I am becoming more reclusive as a result.”
Expert by experience