Millions of households in the United Kingdom could be missing out on support to help them pay their bills, the country's public spending watchdog has warned, even as the amount of money owed on utilities continues to climb.
The National Audit Office said that more needs to be done to raise awareness of the help that is available to people who are struggling to pay rising household bills. According to the watchdog, many people who could qualify for support may simply not be aware that it exists.
The report sets out the scale of the problem. It says that, for broadband, energy and water, the total amount of unpaid bills and charges reached more than 7 billion pounds by March of last year, and estimates suggest that the figure has risen even further since then.
Behind those numbers lies the rising cost of living of recent years, which has left many people with too much month at the end of their money. For a growing number of households, paying for essentials such as energy, water and broadband has become a real struggle.
The watchdog's central message is that awareness of the available help needs to improve, so that families who are entitled to support are able to access it rather than falling further into debt on their bills as the charges mount up.
The government has said that it is working to reduce the number of people who are struggling. Campaigners, however, argue that the process is taking too long and that more urgent action is needed to reach those who are already behind on their payments.