Five things you can do if you're struggling to pay your bills - how to get help

Sonia Sharma
·4-min read
Citizens Advice has explained what you can do if you are struggling financially
-Credit: (Image: PA)


Many people may be feeling the pressure financially as we head into the festive season.

Everyday living costs will be putting a strain on incomes as householders try to keep up with payments like energy bills, rent and council tax. And household budgets can be heavily impacted during Christmas.

However, a charity has some useful advice for anyone who may be struggling to pay their bills. First, Citizens Advice says: "If you owe money and you’re struggling to pay you should speak to the organisations you owe money to – they might let you pay smaller amounts or take a break from payments. Don’t ignore bills or letters about money you owe."

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The charity has a helpful guide and information to help families. We have summarised the details below but you can find out more on their website here.

Can you get extra help or money?

You might be able to claim benefits or increase your current benefits if you’re:

  • struggling to afford essential things - such as food and housing

  • sick or disabled

  • not working

  • working and on a low income

  • a pensioner on a low income

  • a carer

  • responsible for children

It’s important to check if you can get extra help or support, even if you’re working. Universal Credit is the main benefit for most people of working age.

You should check if you can get Universal Credit if you’re over 18 and under State Pension age, and you have less than £16,000 in savings or other investments. It's worth checking even if you work full-time. There’s no set amount of income where you stop being eligible for Universal Credit - it depends on your situation. If you’re already claiming benefits, talk to an adviser first to check if you’re better off on Universal Credit. You can check what benefits you can get here.

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Can you get help from your local council?

You can contact your local council - they might help you pay for things like:

  • your energy and water bills

  • food

  • essential items - for example clothes or an oven

This help is known as 'welfare assistance' or the ‘Household Support Fund’. Each council runs their own scheme. The help they offer and who can get it varies.

Citizens Advice says: "Ask your local council if they run a welfare assistance or Household Support Fund scheme. You don’t have to be getting benefits to get help from your council. If you do get benefits, they won’t be affected if you start getting money from a welfare assistance or Household Support Fund scheme."

How to get help with your bills

Contact the organisations or people you owe money to. They might agree to help by doing things like reducing your payments or giving you more time to pay. Each organisation is different so it’s important to check what help you could get.

If you’ve borrowed money and are struggling with the cost of living, ask your lender for support. They should give you advice based on your individual situation or reduce fees and charges.

"You should start by trying to sort out problems with your energy bills, council tax or housing costs. These are more urgent than things like credit cards or loans," the charity says.

What to do if you’re struggling with the cost of an overdraft

Contact your bank or building society and ask how they can help you - for example, they might agree to temporarily pause interest or fees on your overdraft. You should also ask your bank or building society to help you work out how to pay back the overdraft.

According to Citizens Advice: "If you take out a loan to pay off your overdraft it could cost you more and cause problems if you can't afford the payments. Talk to an adviser before you take out a loan." You can find out more about how to deal with your overdraft here.

What to bear in mind before borrowing money

If you’re thinking about borrowing money to pay your bills, experts at the charity warn: "It’s usually more expensive to take out a loan – you’ll have to pay extra costs like interest. You should first contact the organisations you need to pay. You might be able to agree a plan to help pay the money you owe."

If you decide to take out a loan, you should:

"If they’re not on the register, don’t borrow money from them," says Citizens Advice. "A lender that isn’t on the register might want to charge high interest rates or expensive fees. They might ask to take things like your passport, or a bank card as security for the loan - they’re not allowed to use these things as security.

"These lenders are often called ‘loan sharks’. You can report loan sharks on the Stop Loan Sharks website."

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