Nearly one in 10 (8%) of Brits admitted to having had judgements against them since March 2009, yet for 18-24-year-olds that figure stands at 14.1%.
CCJ’s are formal decisions handed down by a court in England or Wales to an individual who owes money and has defaulted on their repayments.
The record of a CCJ remains for six years unless the debt is paid within a month, making it harder to take out loans from mainstream lenders.
The system differs in Scotland, where lenders claim for a decree to be granted against an individual.
Ian Williams, spokesman for Debt Advisory Centre, said: “It’s worrying to hear so many people say they have had a CCJ granted against them in the last few years, and to discover that young people are the most likely to have received such a judgement.”
Of those with judgements against them one in 10 (9.4%) have debts of £250 or less, while at the other end of the spectrum 8.8% have over £10,000 to pay off.
More than one in 10 men (10.1%) admitted to receiving a CCJ or Court Decree in the last five years, compared to 6.1% of women.
CCJs are most common in London, where nearly one in 20 (19.5%) said they have had a judgement granted against them since March 2009.
Williams added: “If someone is struggling to keep up with their repayments for any type of credit, it’s important they seek help right away so that a solution can be found before their creditor takes legal action against them.
“However, if they have already received a CCJ, it’s not too late to get advice and support with their debts – whether they total £250 or £25,000.”
