Latest data from StepChange has found that two in five (41%) have found it difficult to keep up with bills and credit commitments in the last few months. The debt charity data has also found that, among those with a mortgage seeking debt advice, mortgage arrears have been steadily rising this year. The average arrears…
Read moreLatest mortgage lending data from UK Finance has found that there were 93,630 homeowner mortgages in arrears of 2.5% or more of the outstanding balance in Q3 2024, 3% fewer than in the previous quarter (96,090), but 8% higher than the same quarter in 2023 (87,010). The data also showed that there were 32,860 homeowner mortgages…
Read moreTwo in five households across England and Wales say they will find it difficult to afford the increases to water bills being proposed by the regulator Ofwat. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has published the findings of an in-depth study of 9,500 households. It gauged billpayers’ views on the regulator’s draft decisions to allow water companies to…
Read moreNew research by Hargreaves Lansdown has found that one in four people (26%) said they wouldn’t talk to anyone if they had money worries. The data also shows that this figures rises to 30% among men and 36% among those aged 55 and over. The research found that 13% would speak to a debt charity…
Read moreHere is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for October 2024 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,864.9 billion at the end of August 2024. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £65,665 and per adult was £34,536, around 95.6% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending increased by…
Read moreNew data has revealed a significant increase in debt levels for those approaching or in retirement, with the average debt for ‘baby boomers’ climbing by over 11% in the third quarter of 2024. In comparison to the previous year, boomers’ average debt levels now stand at an average of £19,571. The average debt levels across…
Read moreNew Enforcement Board (ECB) research has found that 6% of civil enforcement doorstep interactions are a breach of current standards. The research, commissioned by the ECB and led byagency M.E.L Research, represents the first comprehensive study of its kind. Researchers analysed a substantial, randomly selected sample of over 600 videos of interactions between enforcement agents…
Read moreNew research from Skipton Building Society has found that just one in four people (26%) are feeling hopeful and optimistic about the upcoming Budget announcement. Whilst a further 70 per cent admit to feeling worried or anxious on what the Government may announce. And of those, it is more women (77%) than men (62%) feeling…
Read moreHomeowners in parts of northern England are more than twice as likely to be in mortgage arrears than those in the south, according to new analysis of Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) data by longer-term lender April Mortgages. The latest mortgage arrears data provided by the FCA shows that the North East (1.76%) has the highest…
Read moreLatest monthly figures from the Insolvency Service for England & Wales have indicated that personal insolvency figures increased by 6% in September 2024 to a total of 10,651 compared to August’s total of 10,046, and increased by 44.5% compared to September 2023’s figure of 7,372. The personal insolvency figures consisted of 567 bankruptcies, 4,032 debt relief…
Read moreLatest research commissioned by the Insolvency Service has shown evidence of poor practice among providers of Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA). Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) are a legally binding agreement between a person who is insolvent and their creditors. They are administered by licensed Insolvency Practitioners, usually last for between five and six years, and give…
Read moreLatest data from UK Finance has found that outstanding balances on credit card accounts have grown by 7.6 per cent over the twelve months to July with 49.4 per cent of outstanding balances incurring interest compared to 50 per cent in July 2023. The report also showed that there were 403 million credit card transactions…
Read moreStepChange Debt Charity is calling for urgent action from the Government and local authorities to overhaul the council tax debt collection system, as it says current practices are causing significant harm to people struggling with their finances, including damage to their health, wellbeing, and relationships. As it stands, there are no binding standards for local…
Read more