Living standards are through the floor, while living costs are through the roof. 14 years of a Conservative government have culminated in record numbers of people living in poverty - and a now gargantuan disparity between those who are rich and those who aren’t. However, no one is immune from debt, and certainly not from the shame, embarrassment, stigma and difficulty that accompanies it.  Joining me on Blethered at the Ballot to talk through those issues is senior debt adviser Tommy Gallacher, a name many returning listeners will be well acquainted with. Tommy has featured on Blethered five times, offering his expert insight and human approach to one of society’s biggest killers: financial debt.  You can go back and listen to our previous conversations where we dismantle the notion that debt is anything to be embarrassed about, while Tommy offers advice and solutions on government-backed and protected initiatives that can help you gain control of any spiralling financial issues.  In this conversation, we continue the discussion and Dismantling of the shame and embarrassment attached to debt… We talk about the stark reality that suicides will be linked to financial pressure, and that everything in life can be fixed, while expanding on the Government-protected schemes that exist to help you… And we hear a bit about what Tommy would like to see from an incoming government order to help people feeling the strain   If you take only one thing away from this episode, I hope that it’s these four words: Everything Can Be Fixed. It does not matter what it is. So talk to someone, and let’s fix it.  While Tommy is a trusted expert who offers terrific advice and invaluable professional help, this episode is not an advertisement for the company Tommy works for, or any other company. As stated in the conversation, there are many different options out there for you, including free advice from impartial charity stepchange.org and mygov.scot/support. Contact: [email protected] Instagram: @seantmcdonald Twitter: @seanmcdonald01 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.