Cost of living: Port Talbot mum's debt drove her to the brink

When her 16-year-old daughter called "petrified" that bailiffs  fully  body armour were banging on the door, Julie Andrews realised she needed help.

The carer was £28,000 in debt for not paying gas, electric and  property tax  bills and had payday loans so she could buy her three children school uniform.

"There were times  i assumed  I wasn't going to manage and there were times I tried to take my life," said Julie, 57.

Julie wants to warn of high interest loans amid  the value  of living crisis.

Experts estimate that one in seven people  within the  UK - more than seven million people - are financially excluded.

This is is where people's credit profiles are so poor that things like loans or mobile phone contracts,  for instance , have higher interest rates and are  costlier .

Wales has highest proportion  of monetary  exclusion in Great Britain, including Julie, who was so "ashamed" she was  one among  those in financial difficulty she didn't tell anyone - even her family or closest friends.

"I had  to attend  for the kids to leave the house before I broke down," said the residential care home worker from south Wales.

'Ashamed'

"It was tough. It's something people  don't need  to talk about because you're ashamed.

"It was the fear, I brought my children up  that you simply  don't answer the door until I'm there - and every time I went out,  i used to be  looking over my shoulder to see if anybody was coming up the street, like debt collectors or bailiffs."

Her money troubles began when Julie, who lives  during a  two-bedroom home in Port Talbot, got divorced and her father, who  wont to  help her, died.

"It's  very easy  as I carried on being a single mum and started ignoring all of the bills - and before you know it,  i used to be  £28,000 in debt," she said.

"The kids went without but had what  that they had  to and I went to foodbanks."

'You've  need to  get for your children at Christmas'

But Julie said her children "had  to possess  something to open on Christmas Day or their birthdays" and added there was "no other way" than to get a high interest loan.

"I don't care if I borrowed £500 and  need to  pay £1,500 back," she said.

"They may have gone without holidays or luxury food but Christmas... no.  i could not  see my babies go without.  you've  to get for your children at Christmas."

Julie said she found it difficult  to hunt  help or talk to someone about her problems, almost until  it had been  too late when she considered taking her own life. But she said she  couldn't  go through with it.

"I realised this was  rock bottom  point you can go," she recalled.

"Having lost my mother  once I  was young,  i used to be  now [considering] taking my children's mother from them - and more to the point,  they're going to  find me - I can't have that."

Julie remembers the day when she finally sought financial help  to prevent  the suffering of not just her, but her family.

'Petrified'

"I was at work and my daughter, who was 16 at the time, she rang and said  there have been  bailiffs at the house threatening her," Julie recalled.

"So I told her  to not  answer the door and put the phone through the letterbox and I told them politely I'm at work and stop threatening my daughter. I told them the debt is mine, not her debt.

"I was petrified, she was petrified  and that i  thought this is not fair on the children. My family was gobsmacked  once I  told them I was in so much debt."

Although not  a spiritual  person, Julie got free help from Christians Against Poverty after seeing the not-for-profit organisation recommended on TV by money saving expert Martin Lewis.

They called Julie's creditors, froze her debts and helped her declare herself bankrupt. Christians Against Poverty estimate that 13% of  the united kingdom  adults have fallen behind on their bills.

Now most loans  became  more expensive since the Bank of England put up interest rates to 2.25% last month -  the very best  level for 14 years - and rates are forecast to rise to about 6% by the spring.

'Worrying rise'

About 370,000 people in Wales - that's one in six,  the very best  rate in Scotland, England or Wales - are classed as financially excluded,  consistent with  financial analysts.

This means they do not have access to high street financial services and pay more for bills like utilities.

Analysts also say data shows county court judgements (CCJs) have doubled in Wales  within the  past two years, with what  they assert  is a "worrying" rise in CCJs for "small debts" under £500.

"More people are applying for short-term loans at  a better  price," said Steve Elliot of Cardiff-based Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions.

He added: "Life at  the instant  is difficult for an increasingly number of people and having clear financial records that are able to give people access to financial and utility services in a more affordable way is a significant step to help them reduce cost."

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) have said calls to their helpline are rising  monthly  and in the past two months,  they need  tripled the amount of emergency fuel top-ups than they did last year.

Now the organisation  is looking  on the UK government to raise benefits in line with inflation and "review their plans" to cut the Energy Price Guarantee from a minimum of two years to six months.

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"We are increasingly seeing people coming to us that are  battling  fuel bills," said Karen Homans of CAP.

"This  is especially  bad for those that are reliant on using expensive oil to heat their often poorly insulated and drafty homes.

"While we work with  everyone  to look at their debts and help them maximise their income, more and more people are finding that they simply  do not have  enough income to match the skyrocketing energy and cost of living increases."

'Debt can ruin your life'

The stories  of monetary  struggles resonates with Julie and all she hopes is people in difficulty call for help before they get as deep into debt as she did.

"There are millions like me," she said. "Debt can ruin your life - calling for help was  the simplest  call I made.

"I'm  scared of  slipping back into my old habits but I will never be there again.  i do not  know how I will stay out of debt but I'm hoping to.

"I'm still struggling. I work 30 hours  every week , I'm  barely  keeping my head above the surface. I had 23p Universal Credit last month,  i can not  afford to shop every week and use the food bank occasionally.  i can not  do everything I want but have money to live on."

Julie is now enjoying life as a grandmother to seven children, all under the age of six, which she  couldn't  have envisaged before she sought help with her debt.