People struggling on the Isle of Man urged to get debt counselling

Debt counselling services are offered free and confidentially by the OFT

People on the Isle of Man struggling with their finances are being urged to take up the offer of debt counselling by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Senior trading standards officer David Oldfield said the coronavirus pandemic, followed by the cost of living crisis, had put pressure on people's finances.

It was something many found "very difficult to speak about", he added.

The watchdog has highlighted the free services available during Debt Awareness Week.

Mr Oldfield said people could find themselves struggling with debt for a number of reasons, from "bereavement or the loss of a job to health issues of all types, both mental and physical".

He said with things "seemingly becoming more expensive", people had less available income and existing debts could make things even harder.

The counselling service could give people the "tools" to manage and ultimately get themselves out of debt, he added.

'First step'

OFT chairman John Wannenburgh said the watchdog wanted to make sure the service was "as easy to access as possible".

"Some people are experiencing problems for the first time and I urge them to take the first step in getting help," he added.

Mr Oldfield said: "Anyone that finds themselves in financial difficulty can come to us and we can hopefully help them see a way forward."

If people did not seek help then "the problem can get bigger, which is the last thing we want", he added.