1 in 10 still paying off 2013 Christmas debt

With Christmas now just two months away, research conducted for debt advice and solutions provider Debt Advisory Centre (DAC) has found that one in 10 (10%) adults in the UK are still paying back the debt they built up last Christmas on loans, credit cards or other forms of borrowing. In total, a third (34%) of those surveyed revealed they borrowed to cover some or all of the cost of Christmas last year.

The number of 25 to 34-year-olds still paying back credit from last year’s festive season was double the survey average. One in five (19%) respondents in this age group revealed they are still repaying money they borrowed for Christmas 2013. They were also the most likely to have borrowed overall, with more than half (55%) having done so. This compares to just 23% of over 55-year-olds.

And the number of people who borrowed to cover the cost of Christmas 2013 was higher than the number of people who did so the previous year. A survey** conducted last October found that 18% of respondents had turned to credit to help with the cost of the 2012 festive season. Nearly half (47%) of these were still making repayments 10 months on, with 28% saying they hoped their repayments would be completed by Christmas 2013, while 18% thought they would still be making them beyond that date.

Of those who are still repaying their 2013 Christmas debt now, just over one in 10 (11%) said they had less than £100 still to pay. However, two-fifths (40%) of respondents have more than £500 left to repay, and nearly a quarter (22%) have £1,000 or more still to repay.

With Christmas 2014 now fast approaching, one in eight (13%) of those surveyed revealed that they expect to need to borrow to pay for some or all of the resulting spending. Only half (52%) of respondents said they would be able to manage all of the costs of the season from their earnings.

Ian Williams, spokesman for DAC, says: “Christmas can be an expensive time of year what with all the presents, cooking and travel most of us indulge in. For many people the excess quickly becomes excessive spending and they are tempted to turn to credit to cover the cost.

“However, to still be repaying this borrowing nearly a year later is worrying – particularly if people plan to borrow again this Christmas. If you’re already juggling debts built up last year and are planning to borrow again this year – if you can – because your finances are too stretched to cover the expense of the festive period, it might be time to seek professional debt advice.”