Bradford's debt problems

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2006

[Figures released by the Department for Constitutional Affairs show Bradford to have the worst debt problems in West Yorkshire, as numbers of people claiming bankruptcy through the entire region increase. Bradford West MP Marsha Singh has claimed financial companies should be more responsible when lending money.]

A Bradford MP has argued financial companies should be more responsible when lending money, as a new report claims the city has the worst debt problems in West Yorkshire.

Figures released by the Department for Constitutional Affairs on November 10th, show 125 individual bankruptcy petitions were filed in Bradford between July and September – an increase of 238 per cent from the same time last year.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh told the Bradford Telegraph and Argus: "People have got themselves into debt but at the same time the financial institutions are not blameless for continually allowing people to have credit when it is not appropriate.

"It is about time they woke up to their responsibilities they have in the community."

A report by the newspaper blamed the county's problems on "rising utility bills and credit card debt".

The total amount of bankruptcies in the region rose from 256 to 416.

Leeds was shown as having the second - worst individual debt problems in West Yorkshire, with bankruptcy claims rising to 108 from 74 over the three-month period.

However, bankruptcy claims fell to 21 in Halifax – it was the only town in the area to report a decrease.

The news follows a report released by Citizens Advice on November 7th, which claims the number of people it advised on debt problems has risen by 11 per cent to 1.4 million.