Life changes and coronavirus

The death of someone close to you can have a devastating effect on several areas of your life. Not only does it affect you emotionally, it can take a real toll on your wellbeing, your plans for the future, and your finances. 

Bereavement often creates a lot of uncertainty around what happens to the person’s debts or assets when they pass away. If you've been affected by this, it's important that you know where you stand and how to get the support you need. When you feel ready, please read our guide on how to deal with debt following a bereavement and what to do with debts that aren’t in your name. 

If you’re struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one, contact a bereavement charity such as Cruse or an emotional support charity such as Samaritans. If you have the added stress of worrying about finances after your loved one has passed, we can help.

When you’re living with an illness or you’re on long-term sick leave, it can be challenging both mentally and physically.

If you’ve had to take time off sick during the pandemic, illness may have had an impact on your finances, causing you more stress and potentially hindering your recovery. These financial pressures can make falling into debt more likely, or lead to debts you could normally deal with becoming unmanageable. 

Find out about the support available for applying for benefits, sick pay and other ways to deal with financial problems caused by long term sicknesss.

The pandemic has had an effect on everyone’s home life. Whether it’s weeks apart, or too much time together, the current situation has put a strain on many relationships. As well as the obvious emotional stress this causes, it can also lead to money worries.

Divorce and separation can lead to a reduced income, as well as new expenses like solicitors’ fees and relocation costs. On top of this, if either of you have debts, it can often be unclear who becomes responsible for them when you’re not longer together.

What happens to a debt after a divorce depends on your circumstances. For example, whose name the debt’s in, the date of it and whether it’s a joint debt. The financial situation of you and your ex-partner can also affect what happens to debts after divorce.

If you’re worried about your finances following a divorce or separation, we can help. 

Being made redundant and losing your job can be a very upsetting and stressful situation to have to deal with. In most cases it also means having to get by on a reduced income.

It’s no secret that many people are have lost their job due to coronavirus. If you’ve lost your job, your intention may be to get back into work as soon as possible, but it’s important to act fast as you can to reduce the impact on your finances.

If you’re worried about how to deal with your household bills or debts, or both, we can help. Take a look at our step-by-step reduced income guide for help dealing with your immediate worries, taking control of your finances, and feeling more confident about your financial future.

During such an uncertain time, it's natural that you might be feeling stressed and anxious. This is especially true if you're worried about someone with a vulnerability.

When it comes to money worries, anyone who finds it especially hard to deal with their debts because of their situation or their health could be considered ‘vulnerable’. Creditors are obligated to provide extra support to a vulnerable person. if you make a creditor aware of a vulnerability, they'll put extra measures in place to ensure the vulnerable person isn't impacted unfairly.