PayPlan have teamed up with one of the UK’s leading mental health charity’s, SANE, to reveal a Christmas campaign targeting mental health and debt. Our campaign #HappyNewYear looks at the real cost of Christmas and makes you question whether it’s really worth it.

Christmas is an exciting time of year when many of us enjoy a few days off work, eat a bit more than usual and spend time with our loved ones. It should be a joyous time but unfortunately for many Christmas comes with a heavy burden of financial pressure. The focus on gift giving, lavish decorations and a table full of food and drink can create enormous stress for people who are already struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis. As a result of the financial pressures, more and more people are turning to credit to fund Christmas. Worryingly last year families borrowed £1.5 billion in the run up to Christmas with the average household reportedly taking six months to repay what they owe.

Debt and mental health go hand in hand with one in two adults in debt also having a mental health problem. The pressure of Christmas can increase such problems, which is why this year we have decided to raise awareness and offer our support to people struggling.

We’ve released an animation that tells that tale of many households who borrow more they can afford in the run up to Christmas. Over the next few weeks we will also be revealing exclusive statistics, sharing our expert advice and sharing personal experiences from our clients.

We want to raise awareness of the financial pressures and help stop the stigma associated with mental health. If you head over to our Facebook page we are also bringing together our community of clients and asking them to share their money saving tips in the hope that might help others. There will also be a prize for a winner with the savviest piece of advice. You can find out more about this by heading over to our competition page.

We are overwhelmed by the support our campaign has received so far from our partners but we still need your help in spreading the word. Please share our campaign with your friends, family, neighbours and even colleagues. If you would like more information on our campaign, you can also visit our webpage:  www.payplan.com/happynewyear