Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published its approach to Supervision and Enforcement. When the FCA launched its Mission, it committed to publishing a series of documents that would explain its approach to regulation in more depth. These articulate how the FCA carries out its main activities, aiming to provide transparency to its thought process…
Read moreThe Credit Services Association (CSA), the voice of the UK debt collection and debt purchase sectors, is to host the Credit and Collections Technology Awards at this year’s CSA Gala Dinner on 13 September. The co-branded event, which will form part of the CSA’s UK Credit and Collections Conference (UKCCC), reflects the Association’s growing recognition…
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Proposed reforms that would allow high court enforcement officers and certificated enforcement agents to enforce small sum County Court Judgments and Consumer Credit Act judgments have been put to the Government in a joint industry submission. The joint submission by the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA) and the Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) has been…
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Millions of pounds in unpaid debts are being written off by East Renfrewshire council following a hike in council tax rates. Local authority bosses are preparing to accept the loss of £3.363m in historical community charge arrears, dating back more than 20 years. A further £739,000 of ‘bad debt’, including unpaid council tax and housing benefit…
Read moreCouncils across the Black Country and Staffordshire called in bailiffs to collect more than £21 million in debts over the past two and a half years, new figures have revealed. From 2015 six local authorities used debt collectors on 161,471 occasions, with council tax arrears accounting for around 65 percent of cases. The association that…
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The Office for National Statistics has published its latest UK consumer price inflation figures showing the Consumer Prices Index was at 3% in January 2018, unchanged from December 2017. Jane Tully, director of external affairs at the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, said: “Inflation remains high at three percent with wages…
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During 2017, 22,763 debt decrees were registered against Scottish consumers, nine percent more than in the previous year according to latest figures by The Registry Trust. The combined value of all consumer decrees was £64m, just two percent higher than 2016. The mean average value of a consumer decree decreased seven percent. Dropping 10 percent,…
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Phoenix High Court Enforcement has announced two new appointments. Jason Critchley joins as a new Business Development Manager, in the High Court Services team. Critchley, an ex-Wales and Great Britain Rugby League International, has been appointed to a new role in the company as Business Development Manager, High Court Services. Jason has an extensive knowledge…
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Debt advice experts are calling for enhanced training for legal advisers and court staff following last week’s announcement by the High Court that up to 17 people in England and Wales were unlawfully sent to prison in 2017 for council tax arrears. While the court failed to declare this a ‘systematic failing’, it was acknowledged…
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The Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) has appointed Russell Hamblin-Boone to a new position of Chief Executive Officer. Mr Hamblin-Boone will give a new voice and direction to CIVEA and its members at a time when the industry is facing a review of regulations and needs strong representation in policy debates. Hamblin-Boone was previously Chief Executive…
Read morePlans to protect people from unresolved debts which can damage credit ratings without them knowing have been outlined by the Government. It has launched a consultation on how County Court Judgments (CCJs) are issued after concerns were raised that some rogue companies were deliberately sending claims to consumers using incorrect addresses. Credit ratings can be…
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A new European Consumer Payment Report, from debt collection specialist Intrum, has shown that parents are vulnerable to social pressure, forcing them to spend more money on their children than they can afford. Every third parent in Europe has experienced social pressure during the past year to buy something for their children that they feel…
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Hammersmith & Fulham Council (H&F Council) have announced that we will no longer use bailiffs to collect council tax debt from 1st April 2018. Further to the council’s announcement that it is working 1st Credit, earlier in the year, on a new, ethical-focused debt collection practice. The brief for the new project is to save…
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