NEARLY 10,000 children in Bury are suffering because of problem debt, new figures have revealed.

Research by the Children’s Society has revealed that some children in the borough are going without basics such as food, clothing or heating because of the debts their families are in.

While the number of affected children in Bury is concerning — that figure is one of the lowest compared with other Greater Manchester boroughs.

Oldham is the only borough in the conurbation with fewer children trapped in debt.

The data also shows that in total there are 5,700 families in Bury which are living with problem debt.

This means they are failing to keep up with household bills and loan repayments.

The research by the charity shows that families with children are more than twice as likely to have been trapped in problem debt as childless households.

This is because families with children are more likely to face unexpected bills and are less able to cope with sudden financial shocks, caused by things like redundancy, reductions in working hours or illness.

The research also found that problem debt is putting stresses on family relationships, damaging children and trapping families in a downward spiral of borrowing.

This leads people to take on credit, which often marks the beginning of the debt trap as repayments take up a larger proportion of income and families find themselves cutting back on essentials.

Now the Children’s Society is calling for changes to how creditors treat families with children who fall behind on bills and repayments. It is urging the Government to introduce a 12-month ‘breathing space’ scheme to give struggling families a period of protection from additional charges, mounting interest and enforcement action while they seek advice, put their finances in order and get back on their feet.

The survey of 2,000 adults, carried out by Opinium, found that families in problem debt over the last year are juggling an average of four different types of debt.

The most common source of problem debt is arrears on energy bills, followed by loans from friends and family, bank loans, and council tax.

Rob Jackson, north west area director at The Children’s Society, said: “Again and again we have raised the urgent problem of families who are trapped by debt, and whose children often pay the price with their mental and physical health.

“It is now absolutely clear that this problem is not going away unless the Government takes action to give families the breathing space they need to get their finances back on track. Acting now could have a hugely beneficial impact, not just on family finances in the short term but on the futures of some of the country’s most vulnerable children.”