Difficulties accessing legal moneylenders, a lack of information on credit and difficulties managing automated payments are among the issues faced by many Travellers with their personal finance, a Government report published yesterday has found.
Issues of Personal Finance Within the Traveller Community was completed jointly by the National Traveller Money Advice and Budgeting Service and Citizens Information Board. It finds the community excluded in certain ways from finance and credit services. Main researcher Liz Daly consulted Traveller groups, social workers, the Department of Social Protection and Travellers over three years. “The main financial issues that came up were to do with accommodation, particularly when young couples moved into private rented accommodation, and the influx of utility bills.”
The report highlights five key areas of concern for Travellers: income inadequacy, access to financial services, dependency on illegal moneylenders, accommodation and utility costs, and the cost of life events.
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