DEBT woes continue to rise for people in Swindon, who are seeking more and more help from charities to keep their heads above the water.

Figures released this week by StepChange, a national debt charity, have revealed a 23 per cent year-on-year rise in callers from Swindon during 2014.

Across the calendar year there were 1,233 calls from Swindon postcodes, compared to 1,005 in 2013.

Mike O’Connor, the chief executive of StepChange, said: “For those on the edge of their financial means, taking control of the situation can seem a daunting, if not impossible, prospect, but taking steps towards tackling debt is crucial to getting back on your feet.

“We urge those who are worried about their debt problems to seek free confidential advice as soon as possible.”

Geoff Naylor, the Swindon centre manager for Christians Against Poverty, has also noted a rise in the numbers of those ‘on the brink’ in the town.

“In previous Christmases, we have had a slight pause, but not this year. Every slot has been booked through the year,” he said.

“My experience has been the people I’m seeing have got less and less to deal with. More and more people have been referred by family centres and some by the social services, whereas before, many people would find us through word of mouth.

“The trend over the last 18 months for people has been tighter and tighter circumstances, so that increasingly the only route out for some has been debt relief orders or bankruptcy.”

Free debt advice is available at www.stepchange.org or call freefone number 0800 138 1111.