Fear of debt as a child is a scar that never leaves you
Brian Cox CBE is a Scottish actor who has starred in many Hollywood blockbusters including Braveheart, X Men, Troy and the Bourne trilogy.
He recounts the legacy family debt as child left on him as part of his work for The Children's Society.
The fear of poverty and debt is in my DNA.
My great grandfather was in and out of the poorhouse and descended into mental illness after his wife died and he lost five of his eight children to childhood diseases.
He was declared insane and died in an asylum.
My mother Molly tried to ‘check out’ a number of times after my father died when I was eight, leaving us in debt with only £10 in the bank.
I found her with her head in the gas oven as the harsh reality of debt and poverty took a grip.
Thursday nights would see me down at the chip shop when the money ran out, getting the left over bits of batter to take home for our tea.
That’s why I’m backing the launch of ‘The Debt Trap’, published by The Children’s Society and StepChange.
It’s unbelievable that problem debt is still on our own doorsteps and shameful that families are relying on food banks and payday loans to feed and clothe their children.
We're not talking about debt to buy flat screen TVs but food, energy and clothing for your kids at school.
Diseases we thought we had eradicated like rickets are coming back.
We can cure rickets with Vitamin D, but you can’t erase the scars of poverty which run deep like a psychological disease.
The fear of poverty and debt is one of my greatest motivators, it’s such a terrible stigma, you cannot underestimate the impact.
It’s like a mark, a scar that’s always with you. Believe me, I know.
Brian Cox's views do not necessarily reflect those of ITV News.
The Debt Trap: End the damage to children
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