Ofgem has published its annual report on how suppliers treat their customers in vulnerable situations, including those in debt and at risk of being disconnected. Last year the total number of prepayment meters installed under a warrant granted by a court to recover customer debt rose from 81,000 to 84,000 compared to 2016. This works out at…
National Audit Office’s (NAO) report into Universal Credit suggests that the government’s flagship benefits system has been too slow to roll out, causes hardship, and is not delivering value for money. The NAO says the £1.9bn Universal Credit system could end up costing more to administer than the benefits system it is replacing. Some claimants waited…
New research from Scottish Widows has revealed that more than half (58%) of men in the UK with dependent children have no life insurance, meaning that just over 4.5 million dads are leaving their families in a precarious situation if the unforeseen were to happen. Worryingly, this has increased by five percentage points compared with 2017,…
The Welsh Government has launched a plan to end prison sentences for non-payment of council tax. Regulations will be brought forward in early 2019 to prevent any more people being jailed for council tax debt in Wales, pending the outcome of a 12-week consultation. Unlike other forms of civil debt, courts have the power to…
The Credit Services Association (CSA), the voice of the UK debt collection and debt purchase sectors, has confirmed the full programme for this year’s UK Credit and Collections Conference (UKCCC), including a keynote address by Romana Pearson, Head of Consumer Credit at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The conference is divided into morning and afternoon…
SSE has agreed to pay £1 million to Ofgem’s consumer redress fund after providing some pre-payment meter (PPM) customers with inaccurate and misleading information in annual statements. Ofgem launched an investigation into the supplier in November last year after SSE reported the issue to the regulator. The investigation found that, between June 2014 and September…
Ofgem has launched an investigation into the way that Utility Warehouse manages its customers who are in debt. Ofgem will investigate whether the supplier has breached rules related to the way it manages these customers, particularly whether it puts in place appropriate repayment options for its indebted customers. This includes whether it does enough to…
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced new proposals designed to protect millions of people who use overdrafts and high-cost credit. The changes the FCA are consulting on follow an in-depth review into the high-cost credit market and are expected to reduce the costs for consumers and give them greater control over their finances. These…
Citizens Advice research reveals limited, inconsistent and patchy support for people with mental health problems. Energy and telecoms were rated the worst sectors for customer service and additional support, while water companies were seen most favourably. The number of people with mental health problems seeking advice from Citizens Advice on utilities and communications issues has…