Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The Government is being urged to act quickly to prevent delays in the County Court Bailiff system and changes to County Court policy that negatively impact the rented housing sector. The call comes as new research shows that the delays are affecting the supply of rental properties and costing landlords thousands of pounds, as well…
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Latest figures published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government show that council tax arrears have increased by over £600 million, with total debt reaching £6.6 billion, an increase of over 80 per cent since before the pandemic. The data reveals 400,000 more households fell into council tax arrears between 2022 and 2024, with 1.8…
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New research has found that the majority of the public opposes the welfare changes announced by the Government this year. Twice as many people feel the Government’s changes were the ‘wrong choice’ (54%) than the ‘right choice’ (26%). Over half (53%) of 2024 Labour voters felt that the Government had made the wrong choice, but…
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The winners of the 2025 Credit & Collection Industry Awards have been announced following a live in-person event yesterday (Thursday 22nd May) at the Milner Hotel in York There were eighteen winners (four of which were partnership wins) from the twenty awards categories, which were presented by awards compare’ Brennan Reece. The Credit & Collections…
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More than £1 billion in incorrect Universal Credit (UC) payments have been blocked by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in a drive to stop people falling into financial difficulties. The milestone was reached after a programme to review payments was ramped up last summer, with more than one million cases now looked at.…
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The annual cost of household bills has risen by £112 on average year-on-year, according to new research by Compare the Market. The research analyses the cost of energy, water, home insurance, motor insurance, and council tax. It reveals that the combined cost of these household bills has risen by 2% on average, compared to 12…
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The Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster The Rt Hon Pat McFadden has announced that the Government will consult on council tax debt collection practices. This announcement comes as new StepChange polling revealed today finds that over eight in ten (84%) UK adults oppose households having to pay their annual council tax bill in full if…
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Landlords across England and Wales who are struggling to get their properties back because of months of delays and a ‘postcode lottery’ in the County Court system are being urged to enforce their judgments through the High Court according to the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA). Landlords across England and Wales currently face significant…
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Fraud prevention service, Cifas is urging residents to consider consequences of Council Tax fraud when battling rising costs, as new research highlights an alarming trend in individuals dishonestly claiming the Single Person Discount (SPD). The SPD is a 25% reduction on Council Tax bills for households with only one adult. However, a recent Cifas survey of…
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Birmingham’s residents are set to be hit hardest by rising council tax rates for 2025/26, new research by Go.Compare Home Insurance has found. Households across the city will pay an extra £43.1 million this tax year – the largest overall increase of any local authority in England.[ The country can expect a total council tax…
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Council tax bills in England have risen by almost £7.3 billion over the past four years, according to new research into the increase in tax rates by Go.Compare. Birmingham has seen the largest jump in costs across all eligible properties, totalling an extra £136.8 million during this period. Croydon has experienced the highest increase per property…
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A new survey by Ocean Finance has found that 73% are worried about affording their essential bills this Spring. Millions of households across the UK are set to be hit with yet another wave of bill increases this April, with hikes expected across council tax, broadband, water, energy, and phone contracts. 42% say they’ve already…
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StepChange Debt Charity’s 2024 Statistics Yearbook, published to mark the start of Debt Awareness Week, has revealed tha the average StepChange client is £3,911 in arrears on household bills, a jump of 25% from £3,124 in 2023. Overall, the average amount of debt per StepChange client jumped 7%, from £16,706 in 2023 to £17,936 in…
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