Overdue debt piling up faster

People with overdue debt are getting younger, owing more and the situation is much worse than 10 years ago, family budget advisers say.

"We are constantly seeing younger people with higher levels of debt," Federation of Family Budgeting Services president Shirley Woodrow said.

"Some of our budget advisers see contracts where the client can't even afford the first payment. There is almost an expectation for families to take on more debt."

New clients of the federation collectively owed $64 million in overdue payments during the June year.

The overdue portion of client debt rose 14 per cent and clients now owed an average $6027 each in outstanding debts, a 27 per cent rise on the previous year.