Christmas shoppers in the North have been warned today not to drive themselves into debt as they buy presents for their loved ones and friends.
The Social Security Agency (SSA) and the Northern Ireland Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux have published a leaflet highlighting the problem of debt at Christmas.
At the joint event in Belfast's CastleCourt shopping centre they urged shoppers to know their financial limits.
Mr Chris Thompson, chief executive of the SSA, said: "Christmas is a happy time of year. Many people get caught up with shopping and Christmas present lists without realising how much they are spending.
"However, after the festivities are over the realisation of just how much has been spent can cause difficulties for families. We want people to enjoy themselves but to know their spending limitations."
Mr Derek Alcon, chief executive of the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), said: "Each year our client numbers increase as more and more people find difficulty coping with their Christmas spending.
"Serious debt problems are frequently highlighted in the period just after Christmas".
Some 22,000 of the people who go to the CAB with problems each year do so because of debt problems, many of them in the period immediately after the festive season.
PA