UK debt advice: Citizens Advice, StepChange
The two largest UK debt advice charities, monthly: what Citizens Advice clients come in about — debt by type, energy affordability, homelessness, food bank referrals — and their average debts and budgets; and StepChange's demand, the reasons people fall into debt, the debts and arrears they hold, negative budgets and who the clients are.
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | 09-2025 | 08-2025 | 07-2025 | 06-2025 | 05-2025 | 04-2025 | 03-2025 | 02-2025 | 01-2025 | 12-2024 | 11-2024 | 10-2024 | 09-2024 | 08-2024 | 07-2024 | 06-2024 | 05-2024 | 04-2024 | 03-2024 | 02-2024 | 01-2024 | 12-2023 | 11-2023 | 10-2023 | 09-2023 | 08-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizens Advice clients7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Food bank referrals32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Energy affordability advice32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Homelessness advice29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt advice by type of debt8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average debt among clients30 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clients with a negative budget23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average monthly budget surplus23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| StepChange debt advice clients3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Demand for advice3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debts and budgets7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Who the clients are5 |
Latest reading
People helped with food bank referrals stood at 14,824 People in Aug 2026. That is −11.2% from Jul 2026 and +0.1% from a year earlier. The series on this page is monthly and runs from Apr 2019 to Aug 2026. Source: Citizens Advice — advice clients in England and Wales; StepChange Debt Charity — UK monthly client statistics.
- Latest
- 14,824 People
- Aug 2026
- vs previous period
- −11.2%
- Jul 2026
- vs a year earlier
- +0.1%
About this data
The two largest UK debt advice charities, monthly: what Citizens Advice clients come in about — debt by type, energy affordability, homelessness, food bank referrals — and their average debts and budgets; and StepChange's demand, the reasons people fall into debt, the debts and arrears they hold, negative budgets and who the clients are.
Frequently asked questions
- What do these UK debt advice statistics measure?
- They track clients seeking support from Citizens Advice and StepChange Debt Charity, including client volumes, debt categories such as rent arrears, average household bill arrears, household budgets and people helped with food bank referrals in the UK.
- How often is UK debt advice data updated and how far back does it go?
- The data is published monthly and provides continuous historical series going back to 2014, covering client demographics, debt profiles and support needs over time.
- What geographical area does this debt advice data cover?
- The statistics cover advice clients in England and Wales for Citizens Advice, alongside UK-wide monthly client figures from StepChange Debt Charity.
- What breakdowns are available in the debt advice dataset?
- Series are broken down by debt type, household tenure, income band, age group, household composition, ethnicity, disability status and reasons for falling into debt such as reduced income or benefits.
