Poverty ‘deepening’ across the UK, Christian charity warns

“Deepening” poverty across the UK is making it harder for people to interrupt free from debt, Christians Against Poverty (CAP) has warned.

Its latest report, Stronger together: 30 years of weaving hope back into lives, reveals the extent of hardship experienced by many households being supported by the charity. 

Nearly half of respondents (47%) said that they had been unable to afford food in the course of the past yr, while over half (52%) had gone without heating of their homes because of economic pressure. 

Median total debt amongst latest clients stands at £13,225, with many reporting borrowing money simply to pay for food, clothing, rent or utility bills.

The report states that only 24% of clients now have enough income to repay their debts through standard repayment plans, while two thirds have needed to resort to insolvency solutions reminiscent of Debt Relief Orders or bankruptcy. 

The emotional toll of debt was a serious focus of the report. CAP found that 46% of surveyed clients had considered ending their very own life due to debt-related pressures – a rise from one in three people in 2014.

In 2014, fewer than 1 / 4 of clients reported mental health difficulties, but by 2025 that figure had risen to 63%, making mental health probably the most common support issue amongst clients.

Researchers found that many individuals delay searching for help for long periods due to shame, fear or hopelessness, while others struggle to have interaction with online-only services as a result of disability, poor digital access or digital literacy, trauma or anxiety. 

The report says that many families are trapped by rising living costs, insecure work, poor mental health and social isolation. 

Disabled people, single parents and people outside paid work remain especially vulnerable.

It states that just about half of those living in poverty – about 6.8 million people – at the moment are in “very deep poverty”, significantly below the poverty threshold.

Stewart McCulloch, CAP’s chief executive officer, said poverty today is “deeper and more complex” than when the charity first began.

“Rising costs, deepening debt and the associated mental health struggles make breaking free from debt much harder,” he said. “Families are cold and hungry, living in constant anxiety. They have to know they are usually not alone and assistance is on the market for them.”

The report has been published to mark the charity’s thirtieth anniversary. Working through local churches, it has helped struggling households take care of greater than £500m price of debt over the past three a long time.

It highlights the role churches have played in offering face-to-face debt support, budgeting help, job clubs and community-based care to people facing financial crisis across the UK.

The findings draw on CAP client surveys, debt case management data from hundreds of households across the UK, and interviews with staff, volunteers and folks with lived experience of poverty and debt.

Since being established in 1996 by John Kirkby following his own experience with debt, CAP says it has supported greater than 80,000 people through free debt advice and helped over 35,000 individuals change into debt free. 

Church teams have also carried out greater than 100,000 home visits, while hundreds have attended money coaching sessions, life skills groups and employment support programmes.

At St Peter’s Church in Bolton, CAP teams have supported nearly 1,000 households since 2010, with greater than 200 individuals successfully clearing their debts.

The report also highlights examples of churches expanding their outreach beyond debt advice alone. Welcome Church in Woking combines CAP services with community cafés, mental health support groups, digital inclusion projects and employment training.

The report argues that face-to-face support delivered through local churches is especially effective for individuals who feel isolated or overwhelmed. In-person home visits often allow employees to discover hidden needs reminiscent of hunger, lack of heating or emotional distress which will otherwise go unnoticed.

Writing within the report’s foreword, CAP’s Head of Impact Martin Cowles and Head of Strategic and Digital Communications Claire Cowles said: “People facing debt and poverty often tell us they feel uncontrolled. Life is fraying at the sides. Coming apart on the seams.” 

They added that meeting people “with warmth, understanding and acceptance stops the unravelling.” 

The report includes the story of Sharon, a mother of seven who fell into severe debt after leaving an abusive relationship. 

Sharon described reaching some extent where she “felt there was no hope” and no way out of her situation before being referred to CAP through her counsellor.

After receiving support from local church volunteers and CAP debt advisers, Sharon eventually became debt free and is now volunteering to assist others facing hardship in her community.

“CAP doesn’t just change your debts, it changes you as an individual,” Sharon said. “In the past, once I was all alone, I believed there was never any hope. Now I’m living a brighter, greater, more vibrant life.” 

Looking ahead, CAP says it plans to strengthen partnerships with churches, expand services into areas of high deprivation and proceed campaigning for changes to wages, debt collection and social security policy.

The charity says its long-term aim stays to see “transformed lives, thriving churches and an end to UK poverty.”