Surge in calls to MABS as thousands with money woes seek help

MORE than 17,500 people in financial distress contacted the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) during the first nine months of this year.

Last year MABS saw 21,653 new clients, but it looks like this figure will be exceeded by the end of the year.

Most of those who contacted MABS needed help with a personal loan or utility bill. Spokesman Michael Culloty said that almost 50% of those seeking help had a mortgage.

The figures show those having trouble paying personal loans or mortgages continued to increase this year.

The primary income of almost seven out of 10 new clients was a social welfare payment and more women — 9,698 than men — 7,836, sought financial advice, although that gap is narrowing.

Of the clients seen, 9,947 were aged between 26 and 40. Just over 7,000 were aged between 41 and 65. Seventeen new clients were aged between 15 and 18 while 266 were over 65.

Most clients — 4,422 were married with children, 3,337 were single, 2,738 were single with children and 1,794 were separated with children.

The number of those in debt to a money-lender increased from 219 to 340 over the first nine months of this year.

Helpline calls peaked during the first three months at 9,457 and then fell in the second quarter to 7,163, before levelling off and rising slightly to 7,323 in the third quarter.

The Citizens Information Board, which published its 2010/11 annual review yesterday, answered over half a million queries during the first six months of this year.

The board’s website citizensinformationboard.ie has around 4.5 million users. Most of the queries related to social welfare, employment rights and health.

A new advocacy service for people with disabilities launched in late 2010, had 622 new clients in the first six months of 2011.

* www.mabs.ie