Dosh dilemma: Luke won’t open his post

Luke knew exactly what was behind the pile of envelopes on his kitchen counter.

Bills. Reminders. Demands for money he didn't have.

After taking time off work due to illness, Luke had fallen behind on a credit card and a loan. At first, he opened the letters, but each one left him feeling more stressed than the last.

So he stopped.

Every new envelope went straight onto the pile. He told himself he'd deal with them when he felt ready.

But weeks turned into months.

The pile grew higher, and so did Luke's anxiety. He dreaded the sound of letters dropping through the door and started imagining the worst.

Then one day, a letter arrived from a debt collection agency.

Panic set in.

Convinced things had spiralled out of control, Luke finally asked his sister for help. Together, they sat down and opened every letter.

The news wasn't great. He'd missed payments, charges had been added and one debt had been passed on for collection.

But it wasn't as bad as he'd feared.

His creditors were still asking him to get in touch. Some had offered support for customers struggling financially. There were options available, but only if he responded.

With his sister's encouragement, Luke contacted his creditors and agreed affordable repayment plans.

"It was horrible opening those letters," he admitted. "But not knowing was worse."

Don’t ignore letters

Ignoring debt letters won't make the problem disappear. In fact, it can limit the help available to you.

If you're struggling:

• open letters as soon as they arrive.
• contact creditors if you're having trouble paying
• ask someone you trust for support if it feels overwhelming
• get free debt advice as early as possible

The sooner you face the problem, the easier it is to deal with.