Young Woman Faces Financial Hardship and Homelessness This Christmas

A young woman, who has received support from a charity since her childhood, has indicated that financial concerns are influencing her efforts to live independently this Christmas season. Holly, aged 23, residing in Poole, Dorset, recently experienced homelessness and has been staying on a friend’s sofa for the last three months. She stated, “I think this might be one of the loneliest Christmases I’ve had.” She added, “I’ve never really spent Christmas on my own.” A YouGov survey conducted for the debt charity StepChange indicated that a quarter of individuals anticipate difficulty affording Christmas this year. Holly mentioned that she recently began employment at a hotel in Poole, but financial issues remain a significant worry. “I have about three credit cards, a loan and an overdraft,” she disclosed. “One credit card I was able to pay back and then I cut the card up within a week, [but] I had to order a new one and dip back into it.” Action for Children, the organization providing support to Holly, commented that increasing prices are creating strain on young individuals and families, particularly during the Christmas season. A YouGov poll revealed that over one in four people, which equates to approximately 14.5 million individuals, are expected to face challenges in affording Christmas this year, marking an increase of 1.6 million people compared to last year. Richard Lane of the debt charity StepChange, which commissioned the survey, stated: “People may feel pressured to make Christmas with their loved ones special through gifting and spending money. However, we know all too well that the repercussions of relying on credit over the festive season can rear its head in the new year.” Action for Children also reported that one in seven young people expressed concerns that their parents would be unable to cover household bills due to financial pressures. Furthermore, over three-quarters of teenagers in the southern region are anxious about their parents’ or carers’ ability to afford Christmas. Readers can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.