In this section you'll find help and support for the common causes of money stress and links to useful free resources.

Unmanageable debt has a huge impact on our sense of control, causing anxiety, worry, sadness and can even lead to physical illness.

Interest rates and fees on loans compounds the stress, and as every day goes by, the debt increases and becomes more of a problem. For some, the stress and worry of debt is so bad that they just want to run away and hope that the debt just disappears. The problem is that when debt isn’t addressed, it just gets worse.

The good news is that there is help available. No matter how the debt has come about, or how big the debt is, support is available. It’s important to face up to it and take action to manage the debt and get the support needed.The worst action to take is no action at all.

A Debt Emergency occurs when you feel that your debt is out of control, causing you stress, anxiety, panic, hopelessness and even depression. These are normal responses to stress, and can be really difficult to deal with.

3 Steps to deal with a debt emergency

Here are three steps to take when facing a debt emergency; they are similar to how we deal with any first aid emergency.

Unfortunately, there are dishonest criminals out there who seek to defraud people every day, using increasingly sophisticated and convincing methods to steal money from innocent people.

A recent study by a leading High Street bank found that more than 7 in 10 adults have been targeted by scams in the last 12 months, receiving an average of 3 scam attempts each week. It’s a volume game. The most prevalent scams in the last 12 months include phishing scams (37%), trusted organisation scams (21%) and refund scams (13%).

13% of Brits have lost money to scams, with 7% having lost as much as £5,000, with an average loss of £350 per person.

Being scammed can be a traumatic experience. Victims of scams don’t just lose their money. Their mental health can also be severely impacted, leading to feelings of guilt, distrust, shame, anger and embarrassment.

If you have been a Victim of a Scam

If you believe you have been a victim of a scam, notify your bank, building society, credit card company or pension provider immediately. Don’t be embarrassed to contact them. Thousands of people are victims of scams every month, and their staff are trained to offer support and advice.

The UK has one of the biggest gambling markets in the world, generating profits of over £14.2 billion per year.

Gambling is accessible 24/7, and research has shown that harms associated with gambling are wide-ranging, including not only harms to the individual gambler, but also to their families, close associates and wider society.

“It’s really not a problem, I could stop at any time” is a common statement, but the reality is often very different. As with any addiction, stopping is very hard, and often raw self-control just isn’t enough. Professional support, advice and accountability is needed.

If you or someone you know is impacted negatively by gambling, there is free, confidential and professional support available.

Research by Champion Health found that money worry is the biggest cause of stress outside of work, with 71% of people stating that they experience moderate to high levels of stress.

Financial and Mental Wellbeing are closely linked. If we are worried and stressed about money, we may find it more difficult to manage our finances, which in turn leads to more anxiety and stress.

The topic of money can have an impact on how we feel. It can make us feel happy, sad, worried, guilty, ashamed and low, as well as impacting our sleep, our ability to concentrate and our relationship with others.

If your personal finances are causing you to feel worried or low, there is help available. Explore the resources below to find information and support for your needs.