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It all seemed easy to Angela McLeod when a doorstep lender first turned up at her home in Cranhill, Glasgow. She only needed £300 and here it was, with no credit checks and no questions asked. She just had to agree to an interest rate of 55%.
Then came the recession and things began to collapse: first, her 21-year-old son, Christopher, was "paid off", then her partner, Stephen, lost his overtime. "We couldn't buy as much food. We switched the electricity and gas off early and went to bed. I could not let the children go on school trips," said McLeod.
The doorstep lenders kept coming – first to offer more money and then to "aggressively" demand their dues. "They came every day and threatened me with court action. I was hiding in my own home."
McLeod's story has emerged from a remarkable study into family life in Britain that today exposes the true impact of the spiralling levels of credit offered to families, whatever their income, in the late 1990s and beyond. It highlights what happened to families who enjoyed the heady days of the boom when banks were desperate to lend and consumers were happy to spend now and worry later. Average household debt rose to 167% of annual disposable income – and Britain faced a personal debt mountain of more than £1.4 trillion.
When the crash finally came, the result was a downward spiral into poverty that hit many far harder than in previous recessions, according to this week's report. The study, by the Institute for Public Policy Research, exposes the day-to-day reality for low-income families across the UK.
By following 58 of them from boom to bust, through regular, in-depth interviews, and detailed diaries of what they spent and when, it reveals how small events could have a profound impact. Saddled with credit cards, mortgages (many self-certified) and high-interest loans, many of the families struggled to cope with things such as a washing machine breaking down, a leaking water pipe, a car needing its MOT, or children wanting warmer clothes in winter.
As a result of its research, the IPPR is calling for low-income families to be given life-long savings accounts, more affordable credit initiatives, a website on which to compare lenders and free and impartial financial advice. It also argues that policies to broaden the appeal of renting should be investigated. "Our reliance on debt – far from creating opportunity – has created vulnerability during this recession," the study concludes. Among those who took part was Sophie, who lives in Nottingham with her husband and three children. When the recession was at its worst, she spent 60% of their £507 weekly income on debt repayment and a mortgage. Another £159 went to bills, including council tax, water, food and bank charges. Spending £55 on Christmas sent the family further into debt.
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