Nearly one in seven adults in Kent are 'over-indebted', according to figures from the Money Advice Service.

It describes when a debt becomes a heavy burden on someone who has, for example, fallen behind with their bills in at least three of the past six months.

But which areas in Kent are having the greatest financial woes?

Hitting above the UK average for number of 'over-indebted' adults are Thanet (17.3%), Gravesham (16.5%) and Medway (16.4%).

In fact, the three districts also come up in the top 10 in the South East.

The areas with the smallest percentage of the population 'over-indebted' are Sevenoaks (11.7%), Tunbridge Wells (12.8%) and Tonbridge and Malling (13.3%).

Despite this, areas such as Sevenoaks have seen a dramatic increase, with just 4.7% of residents struggling to pay their bills in 2013, a near three-fold increase to 2016's figure.

On the whole, however, Kent doesn't shape up too badly with 14.9% being 'over-indebted', compared to the UK average of 16.1%.

Across the UK, renters, those aged between 25-34 and those with kids are most vulnerable to debt problems, the study claims.

Caroline Siarkiewicz, head of debt advice at the Money Advice Service, said: "We know that debt advice works but currently, only one in five people with financial difficulties seek advice.

"Today we are calling on everyone with problem debt or money worries, no matter how large or small, to access free advice as soon as possible."

Those who would like help to get their finances back on track are advised to use the Debt Advice Locator Tool provided by the Money Advice Service to find free and impartial help in their area.

The rising debt problems have also been noticed by Stepchange - a debt charity, having seen a sharp increase in the number of clients they advise.

In 2005, the charity advised just 2,139 people in Kent, compared to 6,180 in 2015.

From January to June last year, Stepchange advised 3,148 clients, more than the entire figure for 2005.

The ME postcode area wound up top of the list with the highest number of clients advised per year between 2013 and 2015 - an average on 1,988 a year.

This figure exceeds the UK average of 1,133 per year between 2013 and 2015.

A StepChange Debt Charity spokesman said: “If someone finds themselves in debt, it is important that they act quickly.

"First of all, we’d advise them to write a list of how much they owe to each individual creditor.

"Then, they should come up with a realistic budget that they can stick to, which includes everything they have coming in and going out.

"Next, they need to see if they can boost their income in any way.

"Lastly, we would urge anyone who is worried about their debts to take free, independent debt advice as soon as they can."

Jane Tully, director of external affairs at the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, said: “Many people in Kent will be feeling the pinch this month as the bills from Christmas start to arrive.

"For some, this could leave them really struggling to cope financially.

“Start by getting to grips with what you owe exactly by taking a deep breath and opening any unopened statements to help you plan to meet any repayments.

"It’s never too early to start planning for the year ahead either, so set yourself a budget for 2017 by working out all your outgoings and incomings, month by month.

"This can be a very useful tool in keeping on track financially.

“Most importantly, if you’re worried about not being able to keep up then seek free advice from a charity-run service like National Debtline or Citizens Advice as early as possible.

"The sooner you seek advice, the quicker and easier any problem will be to resolve.”