Residents of Swindon have significantly higher levels of consumer debt than the national average, and are responsible for some of the largest values of unsecured credit in the south west, according to a new study.

The average individual unsecured consumer credit – made up of personal loans, overdrafts, credit cards and car loans – in the SN postcode stands at £681, 13 per cent higher than the national average.

In the south west regions, only Salisbury had higher levels of consumer debt. At £739, the figure was the second highest in the UK – behind only Northampton at £749 – and 23 per cent above average.

Geoff Naylor, the centre manager for the Swindon branch of Christians Against Poverty, said that they tended to receive clients on low incomes, with many having struggled with the changing ways that benefits are structured.

He said: “Universal Credit has seen a hard transition, and has been difficult for people.

“Sometimes the time it takes for people to be assessed before they receive any can lead to them getting into debt. They can have nothing coming in for three months.

“They are already on tight budgets, because many of the people we see don’t have a buffer, it’s almost hand to mouth.

“Anything that delays them receiving benefits can tip them over the edge.”

Discussing a national trend towards purchasing cars on lease, rather than buying them outright, Mr Naylor said: “I certainly see people who take lease agreements out and they lose their job, so they have to return their car and basically get nothing back for it.

“It can be that if they haven’t paid 50 per cent of the value, and they have to return the car, they got nothing back for that.”

The study included consumer credit issued by high street banks and credit unions, but not payday lenders.

Consumer debt across the country jumped by nearly 10 per cent over the last year, and passed £200bn in June, at the same level as prior to the 2008 financial crisis.

Asked whether increased personal debt levels were evident when working with people on a day-to-day basis, Mr Naylor said: “It is definitely getting worse – I have quite a waiting list at the moment.

“People are on increasingly tight budgets, and some are being affected by benefit caps.

“In particular, I’ve seen a number of people in emergency council accommodation. They are paying above the norm in rent, but as they are classed as housed, they are in a bind.”

The lowest debt levels per capita in the UK were in Lerwick at £446 and Bradford at £450. The average household debt nationally stood at £1,441 at the end of 2016.

If you are struggling with debt, you can call Christians Against Poverty on 0800 328 0006.

An earlier version of this article implied that Citizens Advice had a waiting list for their services; this was incorrect, and Citizens Advice Swindon are accepting new clients with debt enquiries. More information is available at www.citizensadviceswindon.org.uk