Six million behind on household bills, Citizens Advice says

Six million people across the UK have fallen behind on household bills due to coronavirus, a study has found.

Research from Citizens Advice shows that one in nine people in the UK is behind on bills, with about a fifth of these individuals having to go without essentials including food.

The study found that carers and those who were shielding during the pandemic and key workers are twice as likely to have fallen behind on bill payments due to coronavirus, while black people, those aged between 18 and 34 and disabled people are also at least twice as likely to be in arrears.

Citizens Advice is calling on the UK government to give financial support to those in debt in the form of a one-off or time-limited financial support for arrears built up because of coronavirus, with the cost of relief shared fairly between the government, creditors and individuals.

It says this would be tailored to each sector but could include grants, payment matching or loans.

One in four people who are parents or carers (24%) have fallen behind on their bills, compared with one in 14 people (7%) without caring responsibilities.