Christmas Credit Crisis

Late Night & Live debate | Watch Dispatches clips | Watch on 4oD

This Christmas, shoppers are expected to spend £31 billion on the High Street. Over £7 billion of that will be on plastic. But has this British addiction to borrowing got out of hand?

With higher interest rates and the UK banks burnt by the global credit crunch, reporter Tazeen Ahmad investigates the unsettling implications for those who've borrowed too much. As house repossessions and mortgage defaults continues to soar, is Britain's £1 trillion pounds credit timebomb about to explode? How responsible were the high street banks in allowing people to borrow so much on plastic?

The programme also examines the methods the credit card companies used to target vulnerable consumers, and uncovers the hidden tricks used to charge customers more money.

Helplines

The three main debt advice charities, who provide free advice:

Consumer Credit Counselling Service CCCS
Helplines open 8am-8pm, Monday to Friday on 0800 1381111
Online counselling is available 24 hours
www.cccs.co.uk

National Debtline
The helpline that provides free confidential and independent advice on how to deal with debt problems.
Tel: 0808 8084000
www.nationaldebtline.co.uk

Citizens Advice Bureau
Citizens Advice Bureaux provide free, confidential and independent advice.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Dispatches Late Night & Live

Tonight, Chris Tapp of Credit Action will go head to head with Stephen Sklaroff, Director General of the Finance & Leasing Association, to discuss readily available credit - is it a progressive force for good or leading us into debilitating debt?

Join the debate from 10pm on Monday 10 December

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