CHRISTIANS Against Poverty (CAP) has estimated 6.1m people have been impacted by rising costs in the South East.

According to a poll by YouGov, commissioned by CAP, more than half of people in the South East have seen their bills rise by £101 to £500 a month.

In an effort to combat the crisis CAP alongside local churches is aiming to help thousands of people become debt free through free expert debt advice, money management courses and job clubs.

Approximately 13 per cent of the South East, including Winchester, are behind on bills while nearly half (43 per cent) have borrowed money this year.

Winchester Debt Centre manager, Babs Isaac, said: “This poll reflects exactly what we are seeing on the ground here in Winchester and across the rest of the South East.

“Many people have spent any savings they may have had during the pandemic and they’ve had no chance to rebuild these. This has left these people with no other option but to borrow money to cope with emergencies and rising costs.

READ MORE: City council announce £200,000 cost of living crisis support package for Winchester residents

“Others on low incomes have never had savings in the first place, and are now facing huge debts just to stay warm and fed. We’re meeting people who can’t begin to think about how they will afford Christmas. Right now, it’s just about survival.”

“Energy bills have just risen again by a further £529 per year on average for a typical household. That’s around double the cost they were last year, even after taking into account the UK Government’s energy price guarantee."

SEE ALSO: Winchester churches offer a warm welcome to fight fuel poverty

Half of the people asked in the poll said they were in financial difficulty. It’s estimated that 5m people in the South East have reduced their energy, while 1m are predicted to be going without heating and electricity completely to save money.

CAP is working with its partners to provide emergency fuel top ups and food shops for people in immediate need of help. The charity combatting is also part of the warm welcome hubs campaign which sees churches and community spaces offer warm and friendly spaces to visit.

Babs added: “For anyone struggling with debt or finding it hard to manage their money, I’d encourage them to contact CAP. All our help is free as it’s funded mostly by our amazing supporters who give financially to the charity each month as they are as passionate as us about seeing more local people break free from the chains of debt and poverty.”

For more go to capuk.org/about-us/policy-and-research/lifelines-to-safety.

CAP Winchester has three trained debt coaches and five people trained to run the money course. The charity will be running new courses in 2023, anyone interested in attending should email babsisaac@capuk.org.

This story is part of Your Money Matters. Your Money Matters is a campaign launched by us and our sister titles across Newsquest to help you overcome the surge in the cost of living. This year has seen a whole host of household price increases — from the energy price cap rise to surging inflation and food prices — costing your family hundreds or even thousands of pounds extra per year. We’re making it our mission to look out for your cash, offering money-saving deals, competitions, giveaways and insightful stories from your community on the impact this cost-of-living crisis is having on our readers. The worldwide energy crisis exacerbated by the Ukraine invasion, the financial impact of the Covid pandemic, record inflation figures and a surge in the cost of goods, fuel and travel means we will all feel the pinch. Through our newspaper, we want to do what we can to help make your cash go further because we know your money matters.