THE latest government statistics show that bankruptcies in the United Kingdom have been climbing higher year on year since 1994 and about 25,000 people are expected to go bankrupt during the first year of this millennium.

I am the founder of the Bankruptcy Association, which has now been providing help and advice to people facing serious debt or bankruptcy for 17 years, and we have helped thousands of people to cope with their debt problems during that time.

We are also constantly campaigning to improve the laws in this difficult area of life. At this moment, we are striving hard to protect the pension rights of bankrupt people.

The association can also advise on the alternatives to bankruptcy, eradicating the need for people to seek sometimes expensive legal and insolvency advice. We are also a sensitive and caring organisation, very much aware of how lonely and traumatic it can be for individuals in serious debt.

Anyone seeking personal support can obtain this by joining our assocation. The annual subscription is £15, which includes access to our advice line and regular newsletters.

Our address can be contacted by Freepost (no stamp required); our telephone inquiry line is: 01524 64305. Readers connected to the internet may also wish to visit our website: www.theba.org.uk

JOHN McQUEEN, The Bankruptcy Association, 4 Johnson Close, Lancaster LA1 5EU.