A new report from Christians Against Poverty (CAP), No Time to Lose, has sounded the alarm on a hidden crisis in the UK - one where financial debt and poverty are trapping millions in a cycle of isolation, mental distress, and fear.
Timed to coincide with Loneliness Awareness Week starting on June, the report draws on fresh national polling and extensive client data to reveal the stark psychological and social consequences of personal debt.
No Time to Lose is based on an analysis of 2,225 new CAP client households in 2024, and 527 responses to CAP’s debt annual client survey. National figures were derived from a CAP-commissioned Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults.
According to the findings, 85% of clients report feeling isolated, and more than half say they are too afraid to leave their homes.
A further 58% suffer from poor mental health and many live in a constant state of anxiety.
“The crippling fear and loneliness our clients talk about are often driven by the pressure of mounting debt, and the shame of feeling unable to manage on low incomes in the face of increasing debts,” stated Graeme McMeekin, Chief Mission Officer of CAP.
“Our clients are often terrified to even open the door until they know we’re from CAP.”
He continued, “The unseen impact of this hidden crisis of loneliness and debt is that people feel unable to ask for help, with many isolating from family and friends.”
“This traps them into a cycle of poverty and despair, often worsening their mental health.”
The national polling by Opinium reinforced the scale of the problem: over 11.2 million UK adults report experiencing loneliness (21%) with 11.1 million residing by themselves (20%) and more than 4.6 million saying they have no support network at all (8%).
The report highlights a range of distressing findings from CAP’s own client base: nearly half (49%) had thought about or tried to take their own life before reaching out for support, 62% fear a knock at the door, 78% are afraid of picking up the phone, and 82% feel anxious about checking the mail.
In addition, many reported severe deprivation: 59% had borrowed money to buy food, and 63% couldn’t afford a basic bed or mattress due to overwhelming debt.
CAP’s reach in 2024 was significant - 8,716 people accessed free, face-to-face debt support through its network of 250 debt centres and 123 job clubs, all run in partnership with over 1,000 UK churches.
Yet the charity warns that many more remain hidden, suffering in silence.
The average debt for a new CAP client in 2024 stood at £12,260.18, with those in London facing an even steeper burden at £14,023.
The emotional and social cost of delay is staggering. According to survey responses, people often wait months or even years before reaching out for help: 63% cited embarrassment as the reason for delaying, 56% mentioned shame, and only 6% sought support immediately after struggling with debt.
One such story of delay is that of Jolene, a single mother of three, who fell into debt after her partner left and her work hours were reduced.
“Going from a life where you work, to literally putting your pennies together, it’s deeply scary,” she said.
“It’s the headspace of it. I didn’t sleep properly because my head was permanently calculating, worrying about where the next meal’s going to come from. It was a really depressing time.”
After a pattern of social withdrawal, her turning point came when she reached out for food help and was connected with a CAP debt centre at her local church.
“That community has literally saved me, it’s given me and my family hope for the future,” Ms Jolene expressed.
“What churches working with CAP do is provide a life-changing experience, but it’s not just the initial support and getting people out of debt: it’s that life-long support and guidance that they give you.”
As the nation marks Loneliness Awareness Week, CAP is urging those who feel isolated by financial hardship to contact them for support.
