Surge in debt-related queries to free advice centre

THE number of debt-related queries such as rent and mortgage arrears, arrears to estate management companies and repossession proceedings have risen by almost a half (45%) in a year, the Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) has said.

The extent of the debt crisis is once again laid bare in the organisation’s annual report, which says that although family law is still its largest area of enquiry a significant proportion of calls have a debt element to them, even where debt was not the primary reason for the call.

Since 2007, there has been a dramatic increase in debt-related queries, from 153 in 2007 to 787 in 2010 — a 400% rise.