Latest: episode 26,
Real stories about debt. Honest explanations of why it happens.
Cashflow Confessions gives voice to the people behind the statistics, and decodes the systems that put them there. Every story is also a short documentary on YouTube.
New documentary and journal entry published every week. Get them by email.
More stories
A confession is a real, first-person account of living with debt, told plainly, without judgement.
My Prepayment Meter Decides When We're Warm
In some homes the heating doesn't come on when it gets cold. It comes on when there's money on the meter. The thermostat does not decide anything here.
£2,673 in energy arrears, collected through the meter
My Landlord Doesn't Know I'm Three Months Behind
My rent has never once been late in four years. I am three months behind on everything the rent left nothing for, and from the outside all of it looks like coping.
£3,800 Behind on Council Tax
It started with one missed payment of £175. Fourteen days later I legally owed the rest of the year. I hadn't bought anything.
£3,800 in council tax arrears, court costs and fees
The systems behind the stories
Where confessions are the human side, Understanding decodes the money mechanics, policy and psychology that shape them.
What Actually Happens When You Fall Behind on Rent
Falling behind on rent is frightening in a particular way. You do not know what happens next, so you imagine all of it at once. There is a real sequence, and it is slower than almost anyone expects.
Why Council Tax Debt Escalates Faster Than Any Other Bill
Council tax is the only household bill in England where missing one payment can make you legally owe the entire year. Not eventually. Within fourteen days. And no court has to agree to it first.
Why Banks Increase Credit Limits You Didn't Ask For
Never missing a payment is the kind of thing that gets your credit limit raised. Never missing a payment is also what being stuck looks like, from the outside. In the data, those two people can be very hard to tell apart.
The numbers behind the silence
If you need to talk to someone
Cashflow Confessions is editorial, not advice. These organisations offer free, confidential, regulated debt help.
Citizens Advice
Local and online guidance on debt, benefits and consumer rights.
citizensadvice.org.ukThe story behind the story
One considered email when a new story lands, with the context and sources that didn't fit inside the documentary. No marketing, and you can leave whenever you like.