‘How can I clear my £90,000 of debt?’

can be stressful. However, telling them that your intention is to pay back the money could make a big difference.

With a plan in place, she can forecast when she can start to repay them, focusing on those who most need the money and how much she can afford.

There do not seem to be any savings or protection. She should speak to her employer to see what benefits – sick pay or death-in-service payouts – she gets through work.

She should then consider her options and look to put in place, at the very least, income protection after her sick pay ends to ensure she can keep up the payments on her mortgage and other credit commitments if she is unable to work.

While we don’t like to talk about the worst happening, there were more than 200,000 protection claims in 2018 alone. She may have only £33 left at the end of every month, but income protection policies can cost just £10 a month and life insurance as little as £6.

ANDY SHAW, A DEBT ADVICE COORDINATOR AT STEPCHANGE, THE CHARITY, SAID:

If Ms Rendle wants to start paying off her debt, the first thing I would suggest is looking at her outgoings to understand if she can free up any cash.

It is always worth looking at costs such as utility bills and insurance to

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You must be willing to be photographed for the article. ensure you’re getting the best deal. Her pet insurance premium looks high, although costs can vary with the age, breed and health of the animal.

On the other hand, some costs look quite low – £120 a month is not much to spend on food and housekeeping, even for just one person. It’s important to be realistic about what you’re spending so that you can budget appropriately.

The other expense that could be looked at is the hire purchase agreement on the car – there’s a provision in the Consumer Credit Act that allows you to voluntarily end an agreement early, depending on a number of factors. If she’s eligible, Ms Rendle could be left with nothing further to pay and she may be able to get a more affordable vehicle with a lower monthly payment.

Beyond that, it would be a good idea to look at the credit card. There are two things that will affect how quickly she’s able to clear the card: the amount she pays and the interest rate.

Maintaining her current payments, it will take her nearly five years to repay the balance, but she could cut

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Shared ownership property bought for £81,000 in 2007. Owns 55% of it while paying rent on the rest. Repayment mortgage – a tracker rate, currently 1.7% – with outstanding sum of £53,452 and 13 years left. Repayments and rent come to £292 a month ‘The best way to get her finances under control is to pay off the debt with the highest interest first’