Teesside Citizens Advice teams ready to help with debt advice
A survey shows winter bills and Christmas spending are taking their toll
Citizens Advice teams in Teesside say they're ready to help with debt advice for people who may have spent too much last month.
Rebecca Shaw, debt team leader and advisor at Stockton Citizens Advice, said: "I think there's definitely an element of people who were trying to make it as lovely as possible and there's nothing wrong with that at all. But I think with that there comes maybe overstretching the budget, maybe relying on 'buy now, pay later' or credit cards or whatever. And there's something at the back of their mind saying 'I'll spend this now and I'll deal with this in the New Year' and they put off having to deal with it.
"January's a really good time to address things; Christmas is done, you've got 12-months until the next one, so it's a really good time to say 'right. What can I do to stop this cycle?' The first thing to do would be to check your income, check that you're getting everything that you should be if you're working or even if you're not working, are you getting the benefits that you're entitled to? Is there anything extra you could be getting? You can either do that yourself or seek advice about that.
"Look at your outgoing costs, are there ways you can save money? Is your mobile or your broadband or any insurance, any of those contracts coming to an end and can you get anything cheaper? So once you've checked that your income is as high as it should be and your outgoings, you've reduced things that you can reduce, then have you got anything that you can save? Even if it's a just a little bit like £10 a month.
"If you do have debts that you've accumulated then deal with them, you can either negotiate with your creditors yourself, it might be something you might be able to sort out without any assistance or come and get advice and help. We can look at available options, see what's best for you and help you with that. I think don't struggle on your own, come and seek help because there are always options available."
Here are some tips from Citizens Advice for people who are worried about debt:
- Collect and organise all debt-related documents to create a full list of all your debts. Remember that not paying bills such as rent, mortgages, energy bills and council tax can have particularly serious consequences.
- Try not to feel overwhelmed when seeing all your debts written down. The important thing is that you are taking steps to sort debts out. You can then contact creditors to discuss options to deal with the debt.
- Citizens Advice can help people to check eligibility for benefits and financial support and give advice on the next steps.
Other free debt help organisations may also be able to offer support.
Citizens Advice helped more than 400,000 people across England and Wales with debt problems in 2025 - and said around 13,300 people have already turned to it for help with debt in the first working week of 2026 alone.
Anne Pardoe, head of policy at Citizens Advice, said: "It's clear the cost-of-living crisis hasn't gone away.
"Millions of people are battling to keep their heads above water.
"It's easy to feel overwhelmed by money worries, especially in January.
"But the most important thing to remember is that you're not alone and there is help available."
Meanwhile, more than a third (35%) of people expect to run short of cash before the end of January, as winter bills and Christmas spending take their toll, a survey indicated by money platform Intuit Credit Karma.
One in seven (14%) people are planning to take out new credit products in January to cover the shortfall and get ahead of their expected debt, the survey suggested.
Credit Karma's platform data indicated that 8th January was the most popular day to apply for credit products in 2025.
Eleonore Hajek, head of product for UK and Canada at Intuit Credit Karma, said: "The new year is often when people take stock of their finances, but for many, that moment of reflection can quickly turn into concern, especially around mid-January when the reality of festive spending and a longer time between pay cheques catches up with you."
She said those considering a balance transfer card should make sure they understand the terms, and have a clear repayment plan in place, "so January becomes a turning point rather than a pressure point".