Welfare agencies 'ready to give help when credit card bills kick in'

Social welfare agencies in one city in Victoria are preparing themselves for a surge in the number of people looking for help with their credit card debts.

Counsellors across Ballart report that increasing amounts of consumers are set to struggle with their finances in the wake of the festive season, with credit card bills and tuition fees among the areas they will seek guidance on.

At present, Julianne Fogarty, manager of the Ballart branch of Lifeline, tells the Ballarat Courier that at present there is a "pregnant pause" in terms of those seeking financial guidance, although this could soon change.

"Then reality kicks in as credit card statements arrive, people deal with the cost of schooling," she points out.

Meanwhile, Child and Family Services counsellor Jacqui Marshall claims traditionally well-off people - who are "normally immune" to financial difficulties - are now developing problems.

However, monetary problems are not merely confined to those in Ballarat, as a recent Sydney Morning Herald article reported that increased credit card and mortgage costs are placing more strain on those from middle class backgrounds.