This month comparison website uSwitch.com claims one in ten women are forced to cut short maternity stay with their newborn babies due to money worries. The report also confirms the belief that nearly a third of mothers end up £2,500 in debt while preparing for their new arrival.

As someone who has been through this very experience, I decided to swallow my pride and share my story with The Sun to try and show people that this can happen to anyone; more often than not, it’s not about overspending or being careless with money, it’s about a change of situation which means that your income decreases and therefore the challenge of covering your monthly costs becomes a constant worry.

My story started in the summer of 2008 when I was six months pregnant. My husband and I had savings prepared for the new arrival and we were confident that all costs would be covered when I took a few months off after the birth before returning back to work.

Jacqueline and her daughter Savannah

But unfortunately, the first signs of the recession hit and as we worked for the same company, when it went into administration, we were both made redundant. Whilst we had saved for one of us being out of work for a few months after the baby, we certainly didn’t have enough savings to cover both of us being out of work. Our world was truly turned upside down and it was time to sit down and go through our income (which was pretty much zero) and our outgoings, and work out how on earth we would cover our essential costs.

I was lucky enough to join the Marketing team at ClearDebt around a month after we went into administration but left for maternity leave just 12 weeks later. My husband was unable to get permanent work until just before my daughter was born, however his new employers had overestimated their budgets and shortly afterwards, let him go. My daughter was just two weeks old. Again we had no money coming in and the savings which were originally saved for when the baby arrived had been used to supplement the single income we’d had for the previous four months. I had no choice but to return to work when she was just 6 weeks old.

Luckily, five months later my husband found work and my daughter went into full time child care. So, the story does have a happy ending after all ;)

The point of it all? Of sharing this with you and the readers of The Sun?

Because it matters and because sometimes, tough situations come to face good people – like you, like me.
The perception of what kind of people fall into debt is changing – most people in this country have debt – be it a credit card bill, a mortgage or much more; the emotional burden of paying off that debt is huge. So when the issue of women on maternity returning to work early hits the headlines, I feel it’s time to hold my hands up and share my story – after all, I’ve certainly been there, done it and got the t-shirt.

What now?

The problem with a lot of these reports is that they come out, hit the headlines and then go away quietly to the back of beyond until the next report with similar statistics comes along. I’m hoping this time it will be different. Doubtful though.

Many women on maternity receive just £135.45 per week after the first six weeks of their maternity leave – this just about covers the cost of the milk, nappies and wipes – but doesn’t help contribute to living costs of a family who have committed to a mortgage and utility bill payments based on two salaries. I’m not suggesting in any way the government should pay for the missing second income, but I do think more thought should be given to this situation and how families can prepare better and be better supported through these times – even if circumstances unexpectedly change.

After speaking on BBC Radio Kent last year about the number of women putting off having children because of financial worries, this is a much bigger issue than some would believe.

My personal opinion is that in this day and age, you can save your pennies in preparation of new arrivals and those who say “If you wait until you have enough money, you’ll wait forever” are out of touch with the effects of the recession. We shouldn’t be opting into debt by having children, we should be saving and preparing financially to provide a secure environment. However, circumstances can change which are out of our control and I’m asking, when that happens, what additional support could be provided?

If you’ve gone through a similar experience, why not share your thoughts with us now too?

Edwina Currie should be hanging her head in shame today.

It was with shock that I listened to the narrow minded comments and judgements made by former MP Edwina Curry on Radio 5 Live this morning. Edwina brandished her unfounded criticisms onto a financially exhausted young mother whose situation has become so desperate that she and her, husband regularly go without meals in order to ensure that their children can eat.

24 year old Hayley Sanderson was reduced to tears as Edwina suggested she had ‘lived life to the full’ and this had resulted in her current indebted position. Through this Edwina only demonstrated her stereotypical belief of indebted people and exposed the unfair stigma people like Hayley face.

For anyone who has read my previous blogs or heard me on the radio, my financial past has granted me a great deal of empathy for anyone in the position Hayley has found herself in; I know from personal experience how quickly unexpected hardships can spiral out of control. I am therefore appalled that Edwina Currie could feel comfortable or even fair making such judgements when Hayley went on to say her life had taken a dramatic downwards turn when her husband lost his job whilst she was pregnant.

For me my husband was made redundant when my daughter was just two weeks old; I was only on statutory maternity pay and we had no redundancy cover on our mortgage. Like many people not expecting to be hit by the recession, we had budgeted our life accordingly to the income we jointly earned. I made the decision to go back to work when my daughter was just six weeks old to ensure we had one salary coming in – we had no other options. Despite the cut backs we made, we used our savings to cover the costs my salary didn’t cover. We worked to a strict budget and once we’d hit our limit, we’d eat what was left in the cupboards or nothing at all.

We didn’t buy new clothes, we sold what we could on eBay and at car boot sales – we struggled but we did our best.

My husband thankfully found a job five months later but we still watch every penny which comes in and goes out…and we have an extra £800 per month to budget for as our daughter is in full time child care. We still forego many pleasures we once enjoyed such as holidays; we don’t have credit cards and we rarely go out for a meal without a voucher!

We have however come through the other side of what was a very stressful and difficult time. It only makes me question Edwina’s snap judgement – do you really know your facts and are you really in touch with the reality of how people get into financial strain or debt? Because if the answer is no, as it appears to be, then why were you commenting or questioning Hayley’s call so judgementally?

Some of the most common reasons for people being in debt in the current economic climate are redundancy, separation, divorce, pregnancy, illness and family bereavement, not “a life lived to the full” as suggested by Edwina.

By judging others you can often make assumptions without all the facts and I personally believe unless you or I have gone through exactly what someone else has gone through in their path to debt and their courage to get out of it, then we have no right to judge- it doesn’t help them, and it didn’t help you Edwina – it just makes you look ignorant.

Hayley had called into the radio show, not to be judged but for help, understanding and most likely, inspiration for a way out of her financial worries.

I have now been with ClearDebt three and a half years and I’m proud with what we do here. Each day we are able to change people’s lives for the better and give them hope and relief. I use my own experience as a way of connecting with our clients and making sure we not only provide advice and solutions to people in debt but that we provide support and useful information which can help them on their journey to a debt free future.

Our clients review us on independent websites like ReviewCentre.com and Trustpilot and constantly refer to the fact they feel “comfortable”, “relieved” and “un judged” by the team they speak to. Until a similar review could be written about Edwina and her judgements, I suggest she re-evaluates her approach to speaking with people in debt, or refrain from participating in the conversation at all.

Did you know that when out for dinner in a party of four, it’s highly likely one of you will have a mental health condition.

Recent stats from Royal College of Psychiatry tell us:

• One in four people has a mental health problem
• One in four people with a mental health problem is also in debt
• Debt may be a cause and consequence of mental health problems
• One in two adults with debts has a mental health problem

Since working at ClearDebt some three and a half years, I have quickly come to understand the emotional issues connected to money worries; I have witnessed client testimonials sent to us talking about the relief felt when we have been able to help make a difference to someone’s debt and their path to repaying it.

Mental capacity issues and the debt industry

Identifying mental capacity is a key issue for the debt solution industry and for the Office of Fair Trading who recently published their “Mental Health – OFT Guidance for Creditors” paper. The connection between Mental Health and debt has quickly established itself as a matter to be taken seriously and for those talking to people in debt it’s often been a “taboo” subject.

Debt Resolution Forum training on mental health and debt

I and other members of ClearDebt staff attended a pilot training scheme provided by Debt Resolution Forum (DRF) and presented by MIND. The aim of the training was to help us bto be more aware of the mental health conditions people can suffer from and how to communicate best with people in these circumstances to make sure they feel comfortable with the conversations they may be having with us. The training also helped us understand the importance of being able to confirm the caller we are speaking to has the mental capacity to understand the information being discussed and the implications of any solution we explain.

In today’s society, when debt, mental health and well- being are so interlinked, providing the correct debt advice can no longer be enough. It’s vital we’re now also able to connect to the people we’re talking to and to pick up on any other “stresses” in their life which may affect their understanding of what we are saying and to do something with the advice we provide. The way in which we communicate with clients suffering from mental health conditions should be flexible so that processes can be adapted to fit in with their needs.

What I learnt from the training

The mental health training was truly inspirational – a wake up call for those of us who either haven’t yet known someone with a mental health condition or do know someone with a mental health condition but have never taken the time to truly ask or appreciate the affect this may have on them and their life. We understand, as professionals in this industry, the heartbreak and strain money worries can bring to someone – and to their family; I hope the training by DRF is just the beginning of an industry wide change which means that debt advisors have the ability to provide for people with mental health conditions as equally as we would anyone else.

New year, new start! That’s how you might think many people across the UK have started 2012. But it appears, if you think this, you could be wrong.

According to a poll by First Direct, the biggest financial worries of the year in 2011 were not saving enough and not paying off enough debt – that sounds like a catch 22 to me.

Other worries are quoted as spending too much on a partner, lending or borrowing money from family, or, paying for an expensive holiday.

So whilst we enter the early stages of January 2012, I have to ask, what were your biggest worries in 2011 and where do you think 2012 might lead you?

For some, I hope it will lead to being debt free – to being more financially aware and confident in budgeting more effectively. For others, it might mean sleeping easier at night, carrying out the weekly shop without breaking out in a sweat or even finding the courage to stay away from the shops and cut down on the non essential spending.

We’d love to know your “financial new year’s resolutions” so leave a comment and your ideas could inspire others who might not be feeling so positive about their opportunities for 2012. Alternatively you can share your positive thoughts on the ClearDebt facebook wall or via twitter to @cleardebt and @jax76.

We’re giving away a £25 voucher for the most thoughtful comment submitted so share yours now!

The teams at ClearDebt and Abacus took a different approach to this year’s office Secret Santa, read on to find out more!

If where you work is anything like where I work, each Christmas, we all take part in “Secret Santa”. We pick a name out of a hat and buy something for that person – normally a mug, some soap or maybe a hat and gloves. Creative, I know…

But this year, we’ve been working with Rainbow Trust – a charity which offers support to terminally ill children and their families. Bearing in mind the work they do and the people they help, we decided to organise a “Secret Santa” campaign that will actually make a difference to someone – to be exact, 196 someones.

196 gifts from ClearDebt and Abacus

This year, each member of our staff contributed to a fund which raised a total of £400. Rainbow Trust provided us with a list of the age and gender of 196 children who they support in the Greater Manchester area – some of whom are terminally ill and their siblings.

From the details provided, we worked with Tesco Altrincham to source the first 100 gifts; a huge thanks goes out to them and their Community Champion, Lisa. A selected member of the Tesco team designated to help worthy causes in the local area.

We then scoured the local shops in Altrincham for the remaining 96 gifts which were wrapped and labelled for each age and gender, and collected by the Rainbow Trust representatives.

Not only have we provided the gifts for these children but we also agreed to cover the cost of the postage.

It’s at this time of year that I think it’s important to evaluate our contribution to other people’s lives – what we do with our life outside of our everyday routine which makes a difference to others. I’m proud to be a part of this campaign which enables every member of staff at ClearDebt, Abacus and ClearCash to be proud of taking a few coins from their wallets to think of others and help make a difference.

On Christmas morning, families across Greater Manchester saw gifts for their children which arrived without condition or cost. This year, we have in true essence become “Secret Santas” to the children of Rainbow Trust. If you don’t know much about the work of Rainbow Trust, why not tune into the Rainbow Trust Youtube Channel to understand why we chose to get involved.