Contact your lender or financial services provider sooner rather than later to see if they can help. There are a number of options they may be able to discuss with you.

• It will help if you can have the following information ready when you call:
• Your monthly income (including any benefits, overtime and bonus payments and whether these are guaranteed)
• Your monthly household spending (bills, shopping, fees, subscriptions)
• The total amount you owe in terms of mortgages, loans and credit cards and any other debt payments
• The number of organisations you owe money to

You’ll find most of this information on your bank statements or by looking at your bank account online.

If you prefer, you can ask them to talk to a relative, friend or debt counselling organisation about your accounts or products. For your own protection they will need your authorisation first.