Need for debt advice 2022: estimates for UK constituencies and local authorities
Published on:
19 October 2023
Our 2022 Debt Need Survey looked at the need for debt advice in the UK. These reports provide estimates of the percentage of people needing debt advice in each Westminster parliamentary constituency and lower-tier local authority.
Our Need for Debt Advice measure has replaced the over indebtedness (OI) measure that we previously used to report on this subject.
Read an explanation of how the need for debt advice measure is calculatedOpens in a new window
The reports show the percentage of people falling into groups 4–6 of our measure in each area who we believe would definitely need debt advice.
There is also more information on the data modelling used to calculate these estimates in each report and notes on how to interpret the results.
You can also read a blog covering the results of the 2022 debt needs survey at a UK and regional level.
Need for debt advice in different parliamentary constituencies
In these figures, estimates for the need for debt advice are broken down into different Westminster parliamentary consistuencies.
The highest levels of need for debt advice are in constituencies within large cities including London, Manchester and Birmingham. However, there are also pockets of high debt advice need in smaller towns and cities, including Bradford, Leicester and Derby.
This downloadable heatmap graphicOpens in a new window offers a visual summary of this need for debt advice by constituency. The areas with the highest need for debt advice are shown in red.
Download figures for all constituencies
Need for debt advice in different local authorities
In these figures, estimates for the need for debt advice are broken down into different local authorities.
Again, the highest levels of need for debt advice are in large cities including London, which makes up nine of the 10 local authorities with the most individuals with a high need for debt advice.
However, there are also pockets of high debt advice need in local authority areas in smaller towns and cities, including Kingston upon Hull, Sandwell and Nottingham.
This downloadable heatmap graphicOpens in a new window below summarise the need for debt advice, broken down into different local authority areas. The areas with the highest need for debt advice are shown in red.