Calls to debt helpline rise threefold on last year

MORE people with personal debt issues have contacted the State-provided financial and budgetary helpline in the first six months of 2009 than all of last year, it has emerged.

New figures from the Money Advice and Budgetary Service (MABS) show that between January and the end of June 12,427 people sought help from the group as a direct result of mounting personal debt.

The figure, which includes 6,450 calls between January and March alone, is almost three times higher than the number of calls in the first six months of 2008, when 4,641 requests for help were received.