Foreign helpers reportedly are indebted to couples (2,5)
I believe the answer is:
au pairs
'foreign helpers' is the definition.
(typically foreign housework and childcare helpers)
'reportedly are indebted to couples' is the wordplay.
'reportedly' shows a homophone (sound like).
'are indebted to' becomes 'owe' ('they owe' means 'they are indebted to').
'couples' becomes 'pairs' ('pair' can be a synonym of 'couple').
'owe' is a homophone of 'au'.
'au'+'pairs'='AU PAIRS'
(Other definitions for au pairs that I've seen before include "Young foreigners who live and help in homes" , "Foreign nannies" , "Domestic servants, 'on an equal footing' in their own tongue!" , "Language students doing homework" , "home helps" .)