More than six million people contacted the 700 citizens advice bureaux in the UK in 1998/99.

Inquiries about general debt rose by 12% on 1997/98 figures to 900,000 and about consumer debt by 18%.

Homeless cases rose by 8%, employment problems by 6% and discrimination by 10%.

Exploitation

NACAB, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, says people need more protection from the worst effects of insecurity and risk.

The BBC's Alison Holt reports: "Far too many people are living in fear of the future"

Chief executive David Harker said thousands of people were in danger of losing their homes, getting into debt or being exploited at work because they did not know where to go for advice.

They often had little legal protection anyway or felt afraid to challenge illegal treatment.

"The safety nets which have been steadily dismantled over the last two decades need repairing and strengthening rather than further unpicking," he said.

NACAB is holding its first national Advice Week to raise awareness among the public about how they can access independent information about a range of issues.

The week of events will be launched at a conference at the Barbican in London on Friday.

HRH The Princess Royal will launch a NACAB report, A balancing act: surviving the risk society, at the conference.

It warns that insecurity about jobs, housing, income and family relationships is at the root of many of the problems and has big implications for health, particularly mental health.

Justice denied

Dame Helena Shovelton, chair of NACAB, said not every part of the UK had access to a citizens advice bureau, although NACAB had evolved into the largest independent advice agency in the world since it was set up.

"Until everyone can turn to a CAB or its equivalent in times of crisis, many people will be denied access to justice," she said.

She added that the problems facing society were becoming increasingly complex because people were having to take on greater responsibility for all aspects of their own welfare and faced greater uncertainty in their work, family and housing relationships.

She said NACAB was attempting to adapt to the changing advice needs of the next century by using information technology to reach more people.