SOUTH Munster Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is warning of a deepening crisis as it reports 190 people a month reaching out for help since January.
The branch serving West Cork has seen an alarming 10% increase in caseloads in the past six months with more people seeking advice due to crippling financial pressures including rent rises and grocery bill hikes.
MABS South Munster is calling for urgent Government action in Budget 2026 to address spiralling debt and housing pressures for families and individuals.
Regional manager Ursula Collins said: ‘We’re now supporting an average of 190 new clients every month in the region. That’s not just a number—it reflects hundreds of households facing choices between heating, rent, food or mortgage payments,
‘Too many people are falling through the cracks because supports are too slow, too limited, or simply don’t reflect the cost of living on the ground.’
South Munster MABS said key issues include an escalation in mortgage distress and a utility bill crisis with some households facing arrears of up to €9,000.
‘We cannot build sustainable repayment plans when providers are asking for lump sums that our clients simply don’t have,’ Ms Collins said, adding that the winding down of Hardship Funds and the uncertainty around energy credits has also left many vulnerable households at serious risk of disconnection.
MABS found that with average rents in Cork now at €1,900 per month, this is placing immense pressure on even those receiving rental supports like the Housing Assistance Programme (HAP).
The branch wants to see the introduction of a social energy tariff to protect households which are on the breadline, as well as an overhaul of HAP and rent supplement systems to reflect real housing costs.
It is also lobbying for expanded support for people in long-term mortgage arrears, stronger protections against utility disconnection, broader access to hardship funds and emergency supports for those in arrears.
‘We are urging policymakers to implement the practical, evidence-based recommendations outlined in our Pre-Budget Submission to prevent deeper hardship and long-term social costs,’ Ms Collins concluded.
