Maths difficulties ‘adding to debt woes’

THE level of trouble Irish adults are having with basic maths could be a major factor in mortgage and other debt problems crippling Irish families, according to the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).

Research by the National Adult Literacy Agency revealed that 40% of Irish adults have difficulty with everyday maths calculations, with the biggest problems among people who left school early and men performing slightly better than women. Four-out-of-ten of the 1,000 adults answered incorrectly on half or all the six questions asked, which included two from the primary school curriculum and four sums people might need to make everyday.

MABS has seen a 10% rise in clients in the first half of 2010. About two-thirds of its new clients are social welfare recipients or rely on support from the Health Service Executive, and more than half of its 19,000 new clients last year were aged between 26 and 40.