The consensual budget standards method p13 Poverty definitions and lifestyles p33 Subsidiary budgets p65 The total budgets p11 Summary and conclusions p135

Introduction p5 The design of reference budgets p11 The construction of reference budgets p27 The application of reference budgets p41 Case studies p51 (AT/BE/BG/SP/FI/DE/IE/SE/UK) Mutual learning on reference budgets: lessons learned p122

The financial crisis will dramatically increase the number of unemployed people. In this process, the number of over-indebted people will increase as well. Therefore it is an urgent need to have a closer look on the actual situation concerning over-indebtendess. "Money Matters" 7 provides data and insights into the situation in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom and gives a short overview of the fight against over-indebtedness at EU level.