Over 300,000 Interest-only risk loans not fully repaid since 2011 – Report

16th May 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has released its latest member data and shows that the number of outstanding residential interest-only loans has been falling by between 10 and 13 per cent a year since 2012. In the CML survey covers well over 90% of all residential mortgages outstanding, reflecting the industry’s ongoing commitment to…

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CCJ numbers rise to the highest level in over a decade

15th May 2017 Consumer Collections |

The number of county court judgments (CCJs) against consumers in England and Wales rose to the highest level in over a decade during the first quarter of the year, according to figures released today by Registry Trust. In Quarter 1 (Q1) 2017, there were 298,901 debt judgments registered against consumers in England and Wales. Rising…

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Irish Court fines worth €48.5 million remain unpaid

3rd May 2017 Consumer Collections |

A total of 196,909 court fines imposed since 2011 in Ireland, worth a total of €48.5 million, remain unpaid. The latest figures from the Courts Service of Ireland show that the rate of evasion is increasing, with €16.5 million overdue at the end of 2017 compared to €7.5 million in 2011. Jim O’Callaghan, justice spokesperson…

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£3 billion in child maintenance arrears might never be collected

28th March 2017 Consumer Collections |

The National Audit Office (NAO) has published the findings of its investigation into the Department for Work & Pensions’ closure of its 1993 and 2003 child maintenance schemes. The 1993 and 2003 ‘Child Support Agency’ schemes struggled with IT problems leading to poor customer service, backlogs and incomplete information about amounts due.  Inaccurate assessments can…

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Bailiff reforms “not working”, say charities

14th March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Changes to the law covering bailiffs in England and Wales introduced in April 20141 are failing to protect people in financial difficulty from unfair treatment, according to a landmark new report, ‘Taking Control’, released today by a coalition of debt advice and other charities. The report finds evidence that bailiffs are: regularly using intimidating behaviour failing…

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Gross Mortgage lending reaches £18.9 billion in January

23rd February 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates that gross mortgage lending reached £18.9 billion in January. This is 6% lower than December’s lending total of £20 billion, but 2% higher than the £18.6 billion lent in January last year. This is the highest lending total for a January since 2008 (£25.2 billion). Commenting on market conditions…

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February 2017: Money Statistics

22nd February 2017 Consumer Collections |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for February 2017: Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1.516 trillion at the end of December 2016. This is up from £1.466 trillion at the end of December 2015 – an extra £995.53 per UK adult. According to the Office for…

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CCJs hit record high in 2016

7th February 2017 Consumer Collections |

There were more county court judgments (CCJs) against consumers in England and Wales during 2016 than any year on record, according to figures released today by Registry Trust. A judgment is incontrovertible proof that debt has not been managed. In 2016, 912,389 judgments were registered against consumers in England and Wales. Rising almost a quarter…

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Burlington Group appoint new Director of High Court Services

24th January 2017 Consumer Collections |

Marston Holdings has announced that Chris Badger is to join Burlington Group as Director of High Court Services. Badger, one of the youngest people to be appointed an Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer in 2007 at the age of 29, has worked in the industry for over 14 years.  In 2013, Badger was appointed to…

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Marston Holdings announces acquisition

10th January 2017 Consumer Collections |

Marston Holdings (Marston) has announced that it has acquired NSL. NSL provides a range of outsourced services to local government, central government and business, including: issuing and processing of road traffic Penalty Charge Notices on behalf of local authorities; UK-wide vehicle excise duty enforcement on behalf of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency; administration of…

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Northern Ireland outstanding fine penalties are ‘exceptionally high’

23rd December 2016 Consumer Collections |

The level of outstanding fines in Northern Ireland is “exceptionally high”, according to the Northern Ireland Audit Office. Kieran Donnelly, comptroller and auditor general, reported to the Northern Ireland Assembly on the results of his audit of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) Trust Statement for 2015-16. The Trust Statement records the collection of…

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Ofcom announces new measures on persistent calls

22nd December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) have published an update on their joint action plan to tackle nuisance calls and texts>The latest update highlights recent targeted enforcement action, new ‘blocking’ measures to help stop nuisance calls getting through to consumers and progress in their call tracing work. It also summarises how Ofcom is working to…

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Brits to take on £6.4 billion in debt to fund Christmas

15th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Millions of people will be relying on their credit cards to fund Christmas this year. Research conducted by comparethemarket.com found that Brits who celebrate Christmas expect to spend £640 on average over the festive season. Over a fifth (22%) anticipate that they will pay for the majority of their expenses by credit card, suggesting that those…

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