The Citizens' Advice Bureau offers these top tips to deal with debt:

Ignoring a problem will only make it worse. Don't ignore calls or letters from anyone you owe money to. Contact them to explain your problems.

There are many organisations which offer free and independent advice such as Citizens' Advice, Shelter, National Debtline and the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. Their advisers can assess your situation and work out the best course of action.

If you have debts, there are some you need to pay before others, because the consequences of not paying them can be much more serious. For example, mortgage or rent debts are a priority.

Work out how much money you've got coming in and going out of your household on essential expenses. Check to see if you can save money on your bills and whether you are claiming all your benefits. When you've drawn up your budget, work out how much you've got left over to pay creditors.

If you're on a low income, you may be able to save money by getting help with prescription charges and dental costs. You may be able to claim help with education costs such as school meals and clothing.

Are you getting all the money you're entitled to? There may be benefits or tax credits you can get which you haven't claimed.

Think twice about taking out a loan to pay off your debts. You may end up paying back a lot more than you borrowed and at very high interest rates.

Don't ignore your mortgage problems. There are rules about the steps that mortgage lenders must take before they can start court action against you – so try and get advice as soon as you get into difficulty.

Make sure your employer gives you your legal rights if you lose your job. You might need advice about your employment rights.

Get help if you lose your home. Your local authority has a legal duty to provide help to certain people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

A Citizens' Advice Bureau advisor will be able to help with any of these problems. For more information go to www.citizensadvice.org.uk.