CITIZENS Advice South Hams says the percentage of Kingsbridge residents coming to it for help with debt problems is almost triple that in the rest of the district.

The charity, which has released its annual report, reveals that 34 per cent of enquiries to the drop in sessions it runs at Quay House are to do with debt, compared to just 13 per cent across the area.

The five topics on which people seek help most often are, in descending order - benefits and tax credits, debt, housing, employment and consumer goods and services.

Citizens Advice South Hams is urging people to get in touch as early as possible if they are facing unmanageable debts.

The charity says it has helped wipe out £240,000 owed by residents struggling with money problems in the last 12 months.

But, it says, seeking help early is the key to dealing with debt problems, giving a greater chance of repaying what is owed and avoiding the consequences of a last resort debt relief order.

Nationally, increasing numbers of people have been helped with a DRO since the amount of debt covered rose from £15,000 to £20,000 last October.

The orders are designed for people who have exhausted all options for repaying their debts, and will not be able to pay in the near future.

They work by pausing most debts for a year so creditors cannot chase repayment. At the end of the year, unless circumstances change the debts will be written off.

However, debt write offs can have a serious impact on people’s credit rating, making it difficult to take out more credit agreements, or even open a new bank account. So Citizens Advice South Hams is calling for people to seek help before they reach crisis point.

Janie Moor, manager at Citizens Advice South Hams said: ‘We really value the face to face service we are able to provide at Quay House in Kingsbridge. Over 50 per cent of the people we see there are suffering from a disability or long term sickness – this is nearly three times the national average.

‘The number of people who come to us with a debt problem is much higher too. 34 per cent of enquiries at Kingsbridge are debt related, compared to 13 per cent for our overall service.

‘We know that this service is helping to reach those most in need. Recently we’ve seen an increase in people struggling to pay council tax, mobile phone bills and credit card debts. All too often when faced with these competing priorities people turn to an unsecured personal loan, which in fact can escalate the problem, rather than resolve it.

‘We urge anyone who is worried about their debts to come and speak to one our experienced advisors,’ Janie added.