Consumers fear longer-term financial recovery from the pandemic

24th September 2021 Consumer Collections |

Wth the relaxation of lockdown, alongside hospitality and travel industries re-opening over the summer, consumers are less likely to think the pandemic has impacted their household income, according to recent research from global information and insights provider TransUnion. In its Consumer Pulse study, which has been tracking the financial impact of the pandemic, TransUnion found…

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Call for DWP to improve historic tax credit overpayment deductions practices

24th September 2021 Consumer Collections |

Deductions from Universal Credit used by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to collect historic tax credit overpayments are leaving households unable to pay for rent, food and groceries, according to a new report from StepChange Debt Charity. The survey data has revealed that 98% of StepChange clients experiencing such deductions struggle to cope,…

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Four in ten Universal Credit households face 13% energy bills increase

24th September 2021 Consumer Collections |

The Government must do more to protect low-and-middle-income households from rising energy bills, with families on Universal Credit (UC) four times as likely as the wider population to be on pre-payment meters and therefore face higher energy bill hikes in October, new Resolution Foundation research had found. The Foundation notes that 4.4 million households on…

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End of furlough threatens household finances

24th September 2021 Consumer Collections |

The winding-up of the furlough scheme on 1st October threatens to add further pressure to household finances atop the triple threat of inflation, rising energy costs and covid uncertainty according to Interactive Investor. Consumers could also face an additional challenge of reining in spending which has escalated since lockdown. In a poll of 801 interactive…

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Rent arrears increase by £88m

24th September 2021 Consumer Collections |

New research by Barrows and Forrester has revealed that the total amount of arrears during the initial wave of the pandemic was dwarfed by arrears during the second wave of the pandemic There are 4.8 million private rented households in England. During wave one of the pandemic restrictions figures from the ONS estimated that 7%…

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FOS calls for banks to treat fraud victims more fairly

24th September 2021 Consumer Collections |

Banks need to do more to treat people fairly when they are the victim of fraud, according to the Financial Ombudsman (FOS). The latest complaints data also revealed there had been an increase in complaints about cryptocurrencies during the pandemic. The number of customers asking the Financial Ombudsman Service for help with fraud and scams…

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Consumer Credit Awards winners announced

24th September 2021 Consumer Collections |

The Consumer Credit Awards, run by Smart Money People, has revealed its 2021 winners. After 13 weeks of voting and 34 finalists were revealed in a digital announcement on the Consumer Credit Awards Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. The 2021  awards were concluded after a record year for voting, with over 31,000 votes received across 15…

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Close Brothers Motor Finance announces new appointments

24th September 2021 Consumer Collections |

Close Brothers Motor Finance has announced that it has promoted John Cassidy to Director of Commercial Partners, and Matt King to the newly-created role of Head of Partners. Cassidy has worked at Close Brothers for almost 12 years, most recently as Head of Brokers and Partnerships. During his time at the company, Cassidy has led…

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