Join us at this webinar to hear more and about the underlying causes of the UK’s personal debt crisis, and what we can do.
Date: Tuesday 28 September 2021
Time: 18:30-20:00 BST
Join us for this webinar where:
- We discuss why problem debt is an urgent social justice issue and draw inspiration from those resisting it across the world.
- We hear from those who have been affected by problem debt in the UK and are resisting debt in their communities.
- We ask who benefits and who loses from problem debt and what the government needs to do to tackle the ‘long covid debt crisis’.
The UK’s personal debt crisis
“Debt has social, emotional and mental side effects, the like of which is a silent venom” Yesmin, East London
Over the past few years, personal debt levels have exploded in the UK, and the pandemic has made things a whole lot worse.
Since March 2020, 11.5 million people have built up 25 billion in arrears and debt just to pay for essentials, and the roll-back of government support measures at the end of the month could mean millions more are pushed into debt.
With Universal Credit about to be cut by £20, and the end of the furlough scheme, we could be headed for a ‘long covid’ debt crisis. Citizens Advice estimate that 2.3 million more people could be pushed into debt.
Problem debt is higher amongst low-income households, zero hours workers, key workers, women, lone parents, communities of colour, disabled people and renters. Personal debt grows from inequality and makes it worse.
This autumn, millions more could be pushed over the edge. It’s the long covid debt crisis that the government is yet to face up to.
Join us at this webinar to hear more and about what can be done to address the underlying causes of the debt crisis, and what we can do right now.
Now is the time to come together to resist unfair debt and demand that the government tackle the ‘long covid’ debt crisis.
Speakers include:
- Astra Taylor (US documentary filmmaker and part of Debt Collective)
- Peter Tutton (Head of policy, Stepchange) – Peter has been Head of Policy at debt advice charity Stepchange for 10 years, prior to that he worked as a front line debt adviser.
- Heidi Chow (Director, Jubilee Debt Campaign) – Heidi is the new Executive Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign. She has a track record of winning public campaigns on economic justice issues for over a decade and was formerly Senior Campaigns and Policy Manager at Global Justice Now.
- Louisa Coward