Credit card company collaborates with Citizens Advice for debt advice

A new campaign by charity Citizens Advice will see credit card provider Barclaycard join in the awareness raising initiative to stop people falling into debt over Christmas.


Barclaycard has teamed up with the charity Citizens Advice in order to warn consumers of the dangers of going into debt over Christmas by spending too much money on credit cards.

Citizens Advice Bureaux in the UK have dealt with three million separate people with a collective ten million financial problems over the last two years as a result of the recession, 3.06 million of which were related to troubles with credit card charges.

The credit card issuer has provided a list of tips to help people avoid getting into debt, including budgeting Christmas spending and paying by cash, cheque or debit card where possible.

Consumers should also keep on top of their bills, making sure they pay credit card companies back on time to avoid arrears spiralling out of control, Barclaycard said.

David Harker, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: "Bureaux are responding to increased demand by extending their opening hours and rolling out initiatives such as the Christmas top tips leaflets, to encourage people to seek advice as early as possible."

Amer Sajed, chief executive of Barclaycard UK, added: "It's all too easy to overspend, so we are encouraging people to decide how much they can afford and to seek advice as early as possible if they are getting into difficulties."

Consumers who cannot escape putting the cost of Christmas on plastic should apply to credit card issuers now before rates are hiked in the run up to the festive period, it was recently said.

According to Moneynet.co.uk, Brits have two options available to them - take out a zero per cent purchases credit card now or apply for a balance transfer product, using existing plastic for Christmas spending and switching the debt later on.