Credit, collections & insolvency news
More than 1.3 million households in the UK are no longer paying council tax, resulting in local authorities failing to collect a record £6bn annually, according to a report by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) think tank. The report highlights that council tax debt has doubled in the past six years, with the debt…
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More than 2.7 million debts were referred to bailiffs by local authorities in England and Wales during the 2022/23 financial year, according to new research conducted by the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, and the Centre for Social Justice think-tank. The findings, based on Freedom of Information requests to local authorities,…
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New government data has shown 2,682 households in England were evicted from their homes by bailiffs as a result of Section 21 no-fault evictions between January and March – up 19% in a year and the highest number in six years. The Ministry of Justice figures show a further 7,863 landlords in England started Section…
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Research by the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA) has found that there is strong support from the general public for a fair and effective enforcement system. The data and the feedback from the research, which involved a representative sample of 2,000 people across England and Wales, showed that 83% agreed or strongly agreed that…
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The Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) has announced the winners of its Excellence Awards at its gala dinner. The CIVEA industry awards showcased the best practices in the enforcement sector and highlighted exceptional performance. Notable winners included Carole Kenney from CDER Group in the Women in Enforcement category. JTR Collections (with Acquired) won the Innovation in…
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Members of the UK Regulators’ Network (UKRN) the Financial Conduct Authority (FC) FCA, Ofgem, Ofwat, and Ofcom, have published a joint letter setting out shared expectations in relation to debt collection and customers experiencing financial difficulty. The letter calls on companies to improve their debt collection practices, after identifying shortcomings across the financial services industry,…
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New Ministry of Justice data, has found between July and September 8,399 landlords in England started Section 21 no-fault eviction court proceedings against their tenants, the highest number for seven years. With the number of court proceedings resulting from no-fault evictions climbing by 38% in a year, Shelter is urging the government not to further…
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The High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA) is backing the Enforcement Conduct Board’s (ECB) new accreditation scheme for the enforcement profession. A register of accredited enforcement firms has now been published on the ECB’s website for the first time and marks an important step for the ECB, which was set up in 2022 to provide…
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In England, a no-fault eviction notice drops through the letterbox of an older private renter every 16 minutes, new research from Shelter reveals. The housing charity’s research, conducted by YouGov and funded by The Co-operative Bank, shines a spotlight on the struggle older renters face in keeping a roof over their heads. Nearly three in…
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Vehicle collection company, Grosvenor Credit Management & Investigations (GCMI) has been sold to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). GCMI is a specialist vehicle logistics company, which was established in 2004 to provide vehicle leasing companies with outsourced services, including vehicle collection, asset recovery, process serving, enforcement and tracing of customers. Ben Lee, founder and sole…
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The Civil Court Users Association (CCUA) is is calling on the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HM Tribunals and Courts Service (HMCTS) to consider far greater involvement by private sector court users in the enforcement of Judgments and Possession Orders to address performance issues. The call follows reports that some property possession appointments in the…
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The Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) Chief Executive Officer Chris Nichols has welcomed David Parkin on a full time secondment for up to 12 months. Until recently, Parkin was the Deputy Director for Civil Justice and Law Policy at the Ministry of Justice. Chris Nichols said “David brings a wealth of experience to the ECB –…
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Latest data from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has indicated that mortgage repossession claims increased by 40 per cent over the past year, as higher interest rates and rising living costs impact borrowers’ ability to service their home loans. The figures show that there were 4,035 mortgage possession claims lodged in the first quarter of…
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