Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The Insolvency Service has returned £42.7 million to creditors and the wider economy in 2025-26 while increasing enforcement action against rogue directors and supporting thousands of people facing financial hardship, according to its Annual Report and Accounts. The report shows the agency handled 11,668 insolvency cases, processed 70,633 redundancy payments, and approved 48,344 Debt Relief…
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The Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy is a welcome first step, but it is not a complete plan to tackle financial exclusion according to a new Treasury Committee report. The strategy fails to show: Who is excluded, Where exclusion is concentrated, Which services and products are people excluded from and Why are they excluded. Without this information,…
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Consumer card spending grew by 1.9% year-on-year in June, a marked improvement on May’s 0.8 per cent growth, but below the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.0%. Non-essential spending increased 1.7%, while growth in essential spending reached a 14-month high, up 2.2%. The uplift was driven by a combination of stabilising consumer confidence, warm and…
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The Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) sector will come under the regulation of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) from today (Wednesday 15th July), seeing the launch of stronger protections in place for consumers. New YouGov polling commissioned by StepChange reveals the increasing popularity of BNPL products, but raises the concern that many are using it…
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The UK’s fraud prevention service, Cifas, has announced a major partnership with the Global Signal Exchange (GSE) to strengthen the global fight against a threat estimated to cost the global economy $579.4bn (over £433bn) in 2025. Together, Cifas and the GSE, will work to identify, disrupt, and prevent online scams at scale across borders and…
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New research from Compare the Market suggests that fear of being turned down for credit is preventing millions of people from applying for financial products altogether, as new Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) affordability checks are introduced across the UK. BNPL providers will be required to carry out affordability and creditworthiness checks before approving credit,…
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New research from Rathbones suggests parents and grandparents are increasingly stepping in to fund higher education costs themselves. The research found that nearly seven in ten (69%) parents expect to cover at least half of the total cost of university, with 15% expecting to pay all or almost all costs themselves, 23% expecting to cover…
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The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) has said its members stand ready to support the Government’s plans to drive economic growth by providing the specialist finance that enables businesses to obtain equipment, consumers to buy cars and households to invest in their homes. Ahead of the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech, the FLA said delivering sustainable…
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New analysis from debt advice provider PayPlan, has revealed that Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) usage among its customers across the UK has increased by 3,793% between 2020 and 2025, highlighting the growing role the credit product is playing in household finances. The findings reveal a significant awareness gap when it comes to the new…
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Thousands of people in financial crisis will get faster access to the help they need, thanks to a £900,000 technology boost to speed up debt relief order (DRO) applications. The new technology will allow debt advisers to send DRO cases directly to the Insolvency Service portal. The move will make the DRO application process more…
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StepChange Debt Charity has welcomed the long-awaited Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) regulation coming into force on Wednesday this week (15th July), which will mean all BNPL products come under FCA regulation and include consumer protections in line with borrowing such as credit cards and personal loans. The charity has laid out what the changes…
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The Bank of England (the Bank), the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will start overseeing the first Critical Third Parties (CTPs) on following designation by HM Treasury (HMT). Critical Third Parties (CTPs) are technology and other service providers whose services underpin the UK financial system. The HMT has announced its…
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Recent changes to Debt Relief Orders (DROs) have successfully enabled more people in financial difficulty to access debt relief, according to an Insolvency Service review. The review assessed the impact of the 2021 and 2024 reforms, which raised the maximum debt level, increased the asset allowances, and widened access for people with low incomes and low…
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