The total amount of the Enforcement Authority's debt claims to households has increased by 70 percent over the past two years. But it's not just the Enforcement Authority that has noticed that more people are struggling to make ends meet. The municipalities' budget and debt advisors are seeing a clear increase.
In the first half of 2022, there were 14,952 cases in the municipalities – the same period this year, there are 18,747 cases.
Between 2022 and 2023, there was a fairly significant increase. There is still high pressure, but not as large an increase as between 2022 and 2023, says Marita Stureson, chair of the Professional Association for Budget and Debt Advisors in Municipal Service and active in Klippan Municipality.
"Must be on their toes"
In Malmö, the number of visits to the municipality's debt counseling has increased by 15-20 percent during the first eight months of the year compared to the same period in 2023.
You can also see a difference in who is seeking help:
Traditionally, it has been people who are in economic exclusion. But over the past two years, we are seeing people who have jobs and incomes, but where increased interest rates and inflation have quickly led to debt, says unit manager Betim Jahiri.
When the Enforcement Authority notices that debts are increasing, budget and debt advisors often see the increase with a certain delay in the municipalities. There, preparedness must exist.
I think the municipalities must be a little on their toes, and if it increases sharply, they must ensure that sufficient resources are available. The risk in these times of cutbacks is that they may not quite prioritize this issue, says Marita Stureson.
Debt and shame
Budget and debt counseling is very resource-intensive, she believes.
Many people feel very bad when they have gone wrong in their economy and there is a lot of debt and shame. Sometimes it can be that we are the first ones they tell how the situation really looks.
According to Betim Jahiri, there is a risk that we will see a continued increase going forward.
There is a time delay when talking about debts. Such things are difficult to talk about, and it can take years before one comes to insight.
Correction: An earlier version contained an incorrect statement about the increase in Swedes' debts.
