Credit score barrier to seeking help with debt
19 January 2026
New research from the Centre for Responsible Credit shows how concerns around credit scores can prevent people in financial difficulty from seeking help and should be viewed as one aspect of financial health, not the entirety.
Stats from the report show that:
- Credit score concerns stop hard-up borrowers from seeking help: Industry-promoted fixation on credit scores deters three quarters of borrowers from seeking support, making debt problems harder to resolve.
- Credit score messaging pushes people into hardship: A third (32%) of low-to-middle income borrowers; 6.4 million people are going without essentials like food and heating specifically to preserve their credit score.
Responding to research from the Centre for Responsible Credit, Adam Butler, Public Policy Manager at StepChange, said:
"Whilst credit scores can help people understand how lenders may see them, the reality is that they are only one element of what lenders look at when assessing creditworthiness. Our research shows that people in financial difficulty often delay seeking help because of worries about the impact on their credit scores. This deepens the harm of problem debt and can lead people to take out further credit which exacerbates their financial problems. It’s important to note that seeking free debt advice and exploring options will not have an impact on someone’s credit score.
"The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has required the credit information industry to set up a new governance body with stronger consumer representation and make reforms to encourage struggling borrowers to seek help early. We want the industry to build on these steps and ensure people can seek help when they need it without fear of punitive credit reporting. As our recent polling found that 18 million people have an outstanding unsecured credit balance of some kind, a credit information system that works well for those who are struggling is vital."
Notes to Editors