Citizens Advice has warned it is already giving “crisis support” every 30 seconds ahead of household bills including council tax and water rising from April.
The advisory service said it had helped more than 51,000 people with crisis support so far this year, with renters, disabled people and single parents among those most likely to seek assistance.
When broader cost-of-living issues like energy bills and council tax arrears were included, the number of people seeking help reached 175,000.
The charity warned the figures indicated how many household budgets had already “gone beyond breaking point”.
Of those the charity had helped, average debt had reached a record £9,500, up 12% on last year.
On average, more than a third of this debt (42%) was arrears on essential bills such as energy and council tax.
Citizens Advice said it anticipated the number of those in debt would rise further, with global instability threatening more price shocks and essential bills going up in April.
It said government moves including scrapping the two-child benefit limit and bringing down energy bills from April were “steps in the right direction” but warned more help was needed.
It is calling for better-targeted support for those who are struggling the most with energy bills, help with rent costs and speeding up action to get people out of debt.
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Citizens Advice chief executive Dame Clare Moriarty said: “Our data reveals the scale of the problem facing people – households are buckling under cost-of-living pressures, and too many are reaching crisis.
“Every day our advisers see people at breaking point, with nowhere left to cut back and debts spinning out of control. Now, worrying global events look likely to bring fresh challenges to already stretched budgets.
“That is why the Government must give a lifeline to the households struggling the most. This should include help with rent costs, better-targeted support with energy bills, as well as measures to tackle record-breaking levels of debt.”
