People in South Yorkshire urged 'not to bury their heads in the sand' ahead of 'awful April'
Several bills are due to increase from today
People struggling to afford their bills across South Yorkshire & North Derbyshire are being encouraged 'not to suffer alone'.
It's as a number of increases are set to come in from today - to regular outgoings such as Council Tax, water & broadband bills.
Sophie Wilson is a Manager at Citizens Advice in Sheffield - she says this month - which has been dubbed 'Awful April' - could push a lot more people into debt:
"We are seeing rises across the board in your water bills, Council Tax bills - which is rising by just under 5% in Sheffield - so we are expecting to see more people feeling the pinch.
"We know that quite a lot of people are just a £50 bill away from being in a deficit budget.
"That's all it could take to tip some people over the edge when it comes to paying their bills.
"Don't struggle alone - there is help out there.
"We can help you with a benefits check.
"There are so many people who aren't getting all of the money they're entitled to.
"One of the big groups that don't claim everything they're entitled to is pensioners.
"A lot of pensioners don't claim pension credit - and we can help them get onto that.
"Often pensioners don't pursue this because of shame, or due to not wanting to be a burden.
"We encourage you - if you are in debt - to compile your debts - make a list of where you owe money to - and then seek professional debt advice - through a provider like Citizens Advice Sheffield.
"If you are struggling, pick up the phone and talk to us."
However, household energy prices will go down from today until the summer - when they're expected to rise again in July 2026.
You can find out more about Citizens Advice in Sheffield on their website below:
https://citizensadvicesheffield.org.uk/