WIREDGOV

Held Back By Debt, a new report published yesterday (Monday) by the debt charity Step Change, highlights the high risk of problem debt for families reliant on zero-hours jobs, fixed-term jobs and self-employment, says the TUC.

The report says that the government must ensure people who work hard have an adequate safety net to help with income shocks.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The growth of household debt not only threatens the security of many families, it is a danger to the economy too.

“The best way to keep families out of problem debt is to improve the quality of jobs. But there are too many workers without a fair wage, enough hours of work, or a secure employment contract. The government must do more to improve the quality of jobs. People can also get help with pay growth and job security by joining a union.

“We also need a stronger safety net, so that when bad luck strikes there is enough protection from social security to keep families out of dangerous debt.”

Step Change:  Held Back by Debt

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
• Follow the TUC on Twitter: @The_TUC and follow the TUC press team @tucnews