'18% of households with children' struggling with debt

One in five (18%) of UK households with children are faced with "problem" debt, according to a survey from two leading charities.

The Children's Society and StepChange debt charity also found:

• On average these households owe £3,437, or an estimated £4.8 billion to creditors and the Government.
• An estimated 2.4m children are living under "problem" debt.

• A further 2.9 million households with dependent children are struggling to keep up with payments on household bills or credit over the past year.
• Almost 18% of 10 to 17-year-olds who took part in the survey had been bullied because of the financial troubles their family faced.

• Over half of the children researchers spoke to said they were embarrassed by their lack of money.