The charity, which offers financial, practical, and emotional support to industry workers facing hardship, said it was experiencing a rise in applications as household bills continue to climb.
LifeLine director Trudie Clements told TTG that although application levels were not currently at highs seen during the Thomas Cook collapse or onset of the Covid pandemic, “they are certainly on the increase”.
“It’s clear we’re going to see an awful lot more in the coming weeks and months,” she warned, and called on travel businesses to increase support of the charity as it braces for the winter.
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“It’s not going to be an easy winter. Charities, especially those in travel, have had a hard two years and to continue giving the support we are giving - we need the industry to really get behind us,” Clements said.
Clements described a trend in those applying struggling with debt after taking out loans “to help them through the last two years”.
“There’s a real issue there and we need to focus on getting people the help they need to manage their debt or find ways to prevent it before it happens,” she said.
“Please don’t bury your head in the sand and think it will just go away. We can give access to expert advice to help ease stress and make these situations more manageable.”
Clements said in some cases people do not know which bills to pay first, or aren’t aware of the support that is available.
“It’s confidential and will not affect your credit rating. Some of our beneficiaries have called our support life-changing,” she added.
“Last year, through our partnership with Citizens Advice Manchester, we were able to save our beneficiaries £104,000 and it shows we can find solutions together.”
Travel professionals seeking support from LifeLine are required to submit an online application form alongside documents demonstrating their situations.
The charity has recently adopted a new applications platform to help speed up the process and start assisting eligible applicants more quickly.
