Yorkshire & Lincolnshire

Inside Out has been taking a look at just how much cash you can get, even when you’re already in debt.

It started with a bank loan

Billy and Ann live in Bradford, and between them they owe £43,000.

They’ve both been on disability benefits for 10 years and their combined income is just over £1,000 a month.

Their troubles began when the bank offered them a loan for £5,000, then another loan, then they got some smaller loans until things spiralled out of control.

They’ve been advised to declare themselves bankrupt – a move which their debt worker says is becoming a familiar story.

At his lowest point Billy says he thought, "I can’t take this any more and I want to commit suicide."

Scared to answer the door

Twenty-year-old single mum, Mel from Sheffield owes £4,000 to five different lenders including two doorstep lenders who charge 183% and 399% APR.

Mel had to give up her job as a cleaner when she became ill during pregnancy. Most of her benefits now go to pay off her loans.

Some weeks she says she simply can’t afford to pay, so she hides from the collectors:

"If someone knocks on the door, I just ignore it. I just sit in my room and that’s it. 

"Ignore them till they go... it’s horrible. You get a lump in your throat. 

"You’re trying to keep the little ‘un quiet so they don’t know you’re there"

Inside Out decided to try an experiment and send out an undercover reporter to see how much credit she could get, telling each company she’s already in £8,000 in debt and bringing in £180 a week.

We sent her to three companies which said they could give us a quick decision with no home visit – and not one of them seemed worried about getting her into even more debt. And they're acting completely within the law.

But the problem, as people like Mel already know, is paying it back.

Mel has some very direct advice for anyone else thinking of getting into debt:

"Don’t do it. 

"Just try and save because you’ll know about it after. 

"Just don’t do it no way. Because I wish I never had."