Debt advice
Dealing with money issues like debt and gambling, can sometimes be upsetting but if you don’t understand how things like credit or mortgages work, you could end up losing out financially or getting yourself in debt.
Citizens Advice Bureau can give you the information you need to make the right choices, including dealing with debts, how to avoid losing your home and getting your finances back into shape.
Useful links
Citizens Advice Bureau
citizensadvice.org.uk
0808 144 8848
Bradford District Credit Union
bdcu.co.uk
01274 434100
Step Change Debt Charity
stepchange.org.uk
0700 138 1111
Money and mental health
Money worries and mental health problems often feed into each other. Financial stress can cause anxiety, disturb sleep and lead to isolation, while poor mental health can make it harder to earn and manage money. Money Wellness’s guide explains this link and offers practical steps: getting organised with bills and paperwork, building a support network, taking breaks from stressful tasks, and using free tools like their budgeting calculator. It also covers what to do if debt is affecting your mental health, including free debt advice and the Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form, which lets lenders take a mental health condition into account.
How it could help people in Bradford: with the cost of living squeeze hitting household budgets hard, this page gives Bradford residents a clear, judgement-free starting point if money stress is affecting their wellbeing. It’s a useful signpost for anyone in the district who’s struggling silently, pointing them towards free, FCA-regulated debt advice rather than costly alternatives, and towards wider mental health support such as Mind and Rethink.
Useful links
Money Wellness website
https://www.moneywellness.com/debt-advice/money-and-mental-health
Gambling
When money is tight, we know it can be hard to resist the lure of ‘easy money’. But gambling is never the answer.
The NHS Northern Gambling Service provides a mixture of face to face and telephone or virtual appointments for those with gambling problems.
It also runs a service for loved ones who are experiencing distress as a result of someone else’s gambling behaviour. The service accepts direct referrals as well as referrals from health and other professionals.
Useful links
Northern Gambling Service https://www.northerngamblingservice.nhs.uk/
Gambling Understood https://gamblingunderstood.co.uk/
loan sharks
A loan shark is someone who runs a money lending business without permission from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Loan sharks often use intimidation and violence to get money from their ‘clients’. If someone who has lent you money threatens you or is violent, contact the police straight away.
What can you do?
If you think a money lender is operating without being FCA authorised, you can speak in confidence to the Illegal Money Lending Hotline on 0300 555 2222.
You can also email the Illegal Money Lending Team at reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk or text Loan Shark and your message to 60003.
Page last updated 24/07/2026