Imperative 'for rates to remain low'

It is important that the base rate stays as low as it can be for as long as possible in order to help borrowers keep on top of their debts, it has been claimed.

Mark Hoban MP, shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, said the financial crisis was created because the UK had an economy that was based largely on debt and unless the government promotes better understanding of the impact of borrowing, who is to say a crisis such as the economic downturn will not happen again.

He commented: "Keep interest rates as low as possible for as long as possible, otherwise families already suffering financial stress will see the interest they pay on their loans and their mortgage rates rise."

Today (March 4th), the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep the base rate at 0.5 per cent. It was last cut on March 5th 2009 by half a percentage point to 0.5 per cent. This is the lowest rate since the formation of the Bank in 1694.

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The cost of making phone calls from landlines has increased, one organisation has said, which could affect those struggling with debt management.

A quarter of Britons are worried about the possibility of a rise in the base rate, according to one study, which could negatively affect those with debt management problems.

More people could face bankruptcy as unemployment rises, it has been claimed.

Cuts to housing benefits will affect hundreds of thousands of people, one organisation has claimed, which could include those struggling with debt management.

Anyone looking to remortgage their home to deal with debt management issues may struggle because of the falling house prices.

People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance are finding it difficult to keep on top of their debt management responsibilities, it has been claimed.

One of the signs a person may be struggling with debt management is that they only ever make minimum repayments on their credit card, one organisation has said.

Debt management problems in the UK could still be prevalent after new figures from the Bank of England showed record amounts of write-offs for credit cards.

There was an increase in the number of people looking for debt management advice from Citizen's Advice Bureaux in the first three month of 2010.

Filing for bankruptcy in cases of financial difficulty may not necessarily always be the easy option.