Around a third of people who have sought advice from a Highland Perthshire debt advice centre have considered taking their own lives amid the stress of their debts.
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Highland Perthshire supports people across the Highland, Strathtay, Strathearn and Strathallan areas.
And the centre believes there will be a “tsunami of need” for debt advice amid the rising cost of living and energy prices.
CAP says it is working families on lower incomes who are affected most by pricing increases, and they will not be able to cope unless wages also rise.
And while the issue of fuel poverty must be addressed, CAP says the impact of this on people’s mental health cannot be forgotten.
Centre Manager at CAP Highland Perthshire Angela Hanvey said: “It could save people’s lives I guess – people turn to suicide when things like this happen.
“Around a third of our clients have considered taking their own lives.
“People think about the poverty but it’s the impact on people’s mental health that often forgotten.”
‘A tsunami of need’
And amid the soaring cost of living, Angela believes more people will need to turn to organisations such as CAP Highland Perthshire to cope.
She said: “We have already seen some big price increases in the last few months and there seems to be little prospect of things improving anytime soon.
“A lot of people’s energy bills have increased throughout the pandemic, with more people working or being schooled from home, and then these latest increases have made things more of a struggle.
“We keep hearing there will be a tsunami of need. There will be a greater need for debt advice.”
Impact on working families
As Highland Perthshire is so rural, CAP says most people need to rely on cars to get around.
And amid the rising cost of food and heating, fuel is also costly, particularly for those on the lowest incomes.
Angela said: “The bus services are there but there’s not a great deal of that.
“There will be a huge, huge number of people who are not going to be able to afford it unless they get a wage increase.
“There are agencies that can focus on energy advice but there are those that help with debt.”
She added: “What about those who are on benefits or on minimum wage?
“It’s working people who are hit the most if they are on seasonal zero hour contracts.
“Schemes like the warm homes discount need to be extended not just for people on benefits but also for working families.”
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org ,or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
