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Subscribe to RSSLONDON -- Irresponsible lending and intimidating debt collectors are pushing thousands of people in Britain into depression and suicide, a report said Wednesday. Separate data showed more people are taking their own lives.
Many, already struggling with the economic slowdown, wage freezes and benefit cuts, were overwhelmed by tactics used by some money lenders, including persistent phone calls and threatening letters, the report by researchers at England's University of Brighton found.
"Debt clients frequently feel humiliated, disconnected and entrapped, with the process of debt collection having a clear impact on people's mental health," the report said.
"The government must take urgent action to tackle the problem of irresponsible lending and intimidatory collection tactics which has left thousands of people trapped in a spiral of debt and at risk of depression and even suicide," it said.
Separately, figures from the Office for National Statistics released on Tuesday showed a "significant" rise in suicides in 2012.
The Brighton report, launched on Wednesday by British parliamentarian Molly Meacher, said there were cases of individuals not eating properly and asking their young children for money to tide them over.
One individual who owed money described the effect of his wife's credit card lapsing.
"I was very close to calling the doctor to her because she is that close to breaking because of ... these continual phone calls," the man was quoted as saying.
The total number of suicides in the U.K. hit 6,045 in 2011, a 7.8 percent increase over 2010 with deaths among men accounting for the largest proportion, according to figures from the national statistics office.
A total of 4,552 men took their own lives in 2011 compared with 1,493 women.
British mental health charity SANE said the downturn in Britain, which is struggling to maintain economic growth, was behind a "significant" rise in the number of suicides, reflecting a trend seen in other Western countries.
"These figures ... reveal the profound human consequences of the economic downturn, in which unemployment, debt and the relationship breakdowns that often follow can push people who may be already vulnerable to take their own lives," said Marjorie Wallace, SANE's chief executive.
Suicide rates in the United States have also risen more steeply in recent years.
"It is also worrying that the group most at risk should be middle-aged men, who are not usually perceived to be at risk," said Wallace, commenting on the statistics office figures.
Among men aged between 45 and 59 years old, the suicide rate increased significantly between 2007 and 2011 to 22.2 deaths per 100,000 people, the statistics office said.
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
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Irresponsible lending! What a laugh, what about irresponsible borrowing? How does the party who is the cause of the problem in today's society become the victim? People must know when they are borrowing too much and making bad decisions. Suicide is an easy out. It's much harder to face the music and fix the mess they created for themselves. Letters and phone calls are the reason given for suicide, sure, that's it. People ignore warning signs, likely consequences, and then cry foul. Their the one who committed the foul. Don't try to live beyond your means and none of this will happen to you, it's that simple. Anybody who can add and subtract can figure out how to manage their finances.
"Anybody who can add and subtract can figure out how to manage their finances."
Except our government apparently. They just know how to add to the debt not subtract from it.
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Its only Brits, they got rid of their guns and now they have to work at it. Should i take pills, or jump from a high place or step in front of a moving car? They just can't make up their minds. Just do it quietly and quit whining. If you have to whine do it so the EU are the only ones who have to suffer.
To all, sometimes there is just not enough to pay your bills. If you are suddenly laid off, let's be real here....you can never pay all your bills on what you may get unemployed. I got 505 a week (before taxes) instead of what I was paid...850 (after taxes). have been there and you pick the actual living expenses...rent, utilities, car payment and insurance. Whatever is left after groceries, co-payments for insurance ...or the actual insurance itself, PLUS prescriptions. THEN you pay off debt. No person in his or her right mind chooses to be in this place, we just do the best we can. If bill collectors are not sympathetic or willing to work with you. SCREW THEM. That is when bankruptcy is the only option. SO..lets see...bankruptcy stays for 7 years...bad debts stay for 7 years from the last contact. Hmmm...no contest on this one. Bankruptcy rules.
What a BUNCH OF BS!!! Don't buy an I-phone and a ridiculous cell phone package. Don't eat out every day, don't try to keep up with the joneses because a tv commercial makes it look like everyone else has STUFF but you!
The suicide rate has nothing to do with Debt collectors. WOW PEOPLE!
If you think that everyone that committed suicide fit the profile you laid down, you're a complete idiot.
I feel sorry for these people. Sometimes, it's not your fault. I went thru a divorce, got reeducated to be a teacher, worked four years and got laid off. The bottom has dropped out of the profession in California. More than 100 teachers apply for ea. opening that comes up in Northern California. I've been out three and one half years. I'm getting some bites lately, but I am destitute and lost alimony through my husband's connniving. I sub and can hardly afford the rent. I've thought about doing myself in-I can't-because of my two sons (22 and 26) I love them. But, sometimes, when you just cannot think of what more to do, or where else to try, and you are living in poverty when once you lived an upper class life-it gets overwhelming.
R dance, I applaud your efforts and sympathize with your situation. I'll agree it's hard to go to near nothing once you've had it all, but you still have options.
First, get the hell out of California. Even fully employed teachers don't get much. You're at the mercy of a state funding budget. California has the highest state income tax, sales tax, etc, etc. Housing is sooo much more affordable in other parts of the country. Even if the salary is cheaper in another state, the cost of housing, food, gas, makes it actually better to make less. Not to mention you can get better federal rates and better deductions.
2nd, Maybe your kids could help you. It may be a little embarrassing, but remember you took care of them for 18 years. If they aren't well off either, maybe you should move in together and work with each other for your family good.
3rd, It's not easy. It's not fun, but it can be done with a little research and a plan. Forget the bad of the past, live in the present , and plan for the future. Time is the enemy, don't give in and let the bad get worse.
I wonder how many murder-suicides are related to debt in this country? I bet several of the ones hitting the media in the last couple of days may have had some relation to debt.
Now if we could only convince the government to stop making more debt in our names.
I'd suspect a lot of the Husband/wife kills spouse and children and then shoots themselves are.
Sometimes directly and sometimes because the debt would put stress on the marriage and the combined crumbling relationship and debt drives them too it.
I did not realize the tea party had a branch in the UK.
They say people look like their pets...is that true with you? Remember it was a tea party that set our country on the road to freedom from the UK...or do you remember high school history?
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Actually, I'd say you're "Notsosure" yourself, repeating that pop-cultural version of the Boston Tea Party. It was not so noble as you make out; colonial privateers had made such a dent in British tea profits that the Brits gave up and decided to stop charging the tea tax It was the 1st shipment of untaxed tea that got chucked overboard to keep the Limeys from horning in on the cottage industry.
There is another angle to this story that affects folks regardless of country - and that's the age/gender bracket. Imagine if you will - you're 55 and male and you lose your job; now imagine trying to find a job when nobody wants to hire you. They either figure you're gonna have high expectations about salary and won't stay for very long, or you'll drop dead the next day and they'll have to fill the job again. Forget about retirement (which those of you who call that an "entitlement" will do anyway); even if you manage to get 15 years in with the company, you're barely vested. Don't expect living a comfy dotage on that income.
Guys at that age may ask themselves why they should bother banging their heads against that wall any more. Who wants to keep getting those calls over and over? It may feel like being at the bottom of a well.
Yeah, I can understand it - and I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. And I'd just ignore those who would. Because everyone's entitled to an opinion, but not all opinions are worth hearing.
I just graduated with a second degree in May and not one job interview off the dozens of applications yet. So if it is that hard for me I can imagine how hard it is for the rest of the country. Depression could do a person in. I owned a small business for over 20 years so I am an eternal optimist I guess. Just keep trying until the last bill is paid.
I keep getting collection agencies calling me looking for a female who uses my phone number. The agencies don't even know the address and when they do, it doesn't match with my phone number... The last one accused me of knowing this person just because my phone number matched the one she is using on credit applications.. Columbo they are not.
You might check to see if someone is trying to jack you identity...just saying it happens. Be careful out there.
All of the risk is calculated by an actuary and the rates are set based on that and the fact they get a write off for bad debts for the defaults. they're not losing money, just not making as much as they would like. And don't ask me who pays for it. it's figured in the cost of doing business. Just ask congress.
England is gloomy anyway, and they're promoting a fudge race with their pushing interracial dating like they do. And that comes from a girl I know who lives there.
Every time a deadbeat does not pay responsible people pay more. Live within your means and it's not a problem. Sounds a lot like the progressive agenda - make paying someone else's problem.
Disconnect the phone. Try to work out a payment plan (in writing) and if things are truly dire and you can't climb out of the debt, file bankruptcy and start over. Learn from whatever mistakes you've made and don't beat yourself up. In America, almost all the big banks mismanaged their own affairs and required intervention. Then gave themselves big bonus for being such bozos. Just start over. Get rid of the phone for a while and handle all in writing. Borrow a bit of money and get a lawyer to file bankruptcy.
If you really have to commit suicide, take out as many irresponsible lenders and intimidating debt collectors at the same time. Intimidating debt collectors belong 6 feet under.
It 'takes a special kind of person to be a debt collector ...I wonder what their mortality rate is
Everybody is wrong and evil; except the person who spent beyond his / her means.
Wake up you idiots - we ordinary people do not ever own anything - we only believe what the elite want us to believe - ownership is the servitude that we all believe in because the elite want to control us and have us work for them, while the elite live a life of luxury, at out expense! I say to Hell with Taxes, to HELL with supporting the elite - for US to be free, we must eliminate the elite! Only problem is the elite have all the guns, and can fool the masses, that we need them to survive!
At least U.S bankruptcy wipes out dept so you can start over.
In most European countries bankruptcy is just a 7 year payment plan where government official
comes to you home twice a year and take away any TV over 32" etc.
I hate to break it to you Tony but our Bankruptcy laws changed several years ago and it no longer wipes your debt clean. All they do is destroy your credit for seven years and make you set up a payment plan to pay it back. Plus Bankruptcy is expensive to file for. The problem is this Country is run by bloodsucking Lawyers, they make all the laws so no matter what happens they get a cut.
Funny .. to hear tell it here nobody spends beyond their means...but everybody else does
Guess government officials aren't tied to this study for their debt... Owe wait, all they have to do is raise taxes, creating a loss of income to others, creating an indirect hardship on society, creating job loss, creating population control, creating less payouts of Social Security and Medicare... perfect plan... Too bad these scum bags don't get stressed over 17 trillion in debt... Must be nice...
This is why in most of the western world there is univeral health care paid for by citizens and administered by the government! The greedy doctors who expect that we are going to pay for their Mercedes and country homes are to blame for a lot of problems we see.
Hey Donna, the article is about the UK (England, Scotland and Whales.) They all have Universal Medicine you talk about being so good. Doesn't sound any better than ours except they get worse care.
Im sure theres alot happening here in the U.S also... A good friend of mine Jerry Vo got laid off a little over a year ago,his debts piled up fast since he was a well paid firefighter,in july '12 he hung himself and his family got his firefighter retirement to pay off the debts... Id love to even the score with these damn debt collectors
Calm down, everyone needs to enjoy life! It is way too short.
Our government is setting a perfect example for the rest of us to follow. It never works to borrow to pay off debt. You end up in worse condition than before.
One simple solution when the creditor calls don't answer.
Oh by the way bankruptcy is not quite so simple.
Remember can't squeeze blood out of a turnip.
For those that have a good steady job, be grateful that you have that job. It can be taken away even if you have invested years into your career. Trust me I know.
Please if you have a loved one who is going through financial stress; please tell them it is not worth their life. I survived and it wasn't easy, but please it is not worth losing a life.
Well Said!! Any individual can survive a debt crisis. I personally know two people that went through hard times in the past. They filed bankruptcy and years later came out smelling like a bed of roses.
Thanks for your positive comments, jollyholly. We need more hopeful voices to speak up and cheer us on in these tough times.
Things are worse here in the US, they just don't want to make Obama look bad. Debt collectors are like vultures. My Mother passed away owing some money to some credit card companies and they have been hounding me even though none of this was my charges, no wonder people go postal this needs to be researched as a cause of mass killings instead of guns.
I'm on SS Disability and Medicare. Because they say I get too much money I don't qualify for medicaid but inflation has increased so much I can no longer pay the same bills I paid last year. If I made $300 less per month I would get Medicaid and they would pay $800 per month in medical scripts and co-pays on prosthesis parts. It's crazy. Make less and get much more.
The can't even shoot themselves because they don't have any guns!