Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The winners of the second annual 2018 Credit & Collections Technology Awards have been revealed. There were sixteen winners from the eighteen Awards categories which are covered by four main headings of Credit, Collections, Credit & Collections services and Innovation. The awards ceremony was held at Credit Services Association’s (CSA) annual Gala dinner at the…
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Londoners are more likely to be struggling with debt than the rest of the UK despite average higher incomes. That is according to London in the Red, a new report from StepChange Debt Charity, that reveals 100,000 Londoners sought their debt advice, meaning one in six of its clients last year came from London. The…
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Almost 10% (9.08%) of UK consumers have been in debt during their life due to the price of household bills, research conducted by Vanquis Bank has revealed. The survey of 1,311 UK consumers, conducted on 3rd August 2018, analysed the factors behind debt, taking into account household bills, rent, overspending, unemployment, medical costs and high…
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People are increasingly struggling with ‘smaller but trickier’ debts on everyday household bills, according to new figures from National Debtline, run by the Money Advice Trust. The charity expects the number of calls to National Debtline to hit 189,000 by the end of the year – the highest level in five years – with webchat…
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Citizens Advice is calling for better regulation of unaccountable bailiff firms as it reveals households have fallen behind on their essential bills, such as council tax and utilities, by an estimated £18.9 billion. Last year, the charity helped one person every 3 minutes with bailiff issues. In 2014, the government introduced reforms which were meant…
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The finalists for Credit Connect’s second annual Credit & Collections Technology Awards 2018, the UK’s celebration of tech innovators in credit and collections, have been revealed. The Credit & Collections Technology Awards, organised by Credit Connect, brings together credit and collections technology executives to honour the industry’s leading players across 18 categories. The Technology focused-Awards scheme seeks…
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The total council tax owed in England has risen by 6.6% in the past year. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government figures show that in 2017-18 local authorities collected a total of £28.0 billion in council tax, irrespective of the year to which it related. This was an increase of £1.4 billion, or…
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Public sector outsourcing spend has increased sharply in the first six months of 2018 despite a backdrop of Brexit uncertainty, according to the Arvato UK Outsourcing Index. Overall, £2.61 billion of outsourcing deals were signed between January and June, of which £998 million were government contracts. The total value of public sector spending was up 39…
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Public sector debt collection should not be lagging behind private sector best practice, H&F Ethical Collections said today. H&F Ethical Collections is the joint venture between global credit management firm Intrum and Hammersmith & Fulham Council which was formed in 2017 to reduce the use of bailiffs and improve the treatment of people in debt.…
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A new report by The Treasury Select Committee says debts and overpayments are often pursued “over-zealously and uncompromisingly” by councils. In its report, it calls for public sector bodies to change the way they recoup debts. A summary overview of the report says that people become over-indebted not just through conventional credit, but through arrears on…
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Almost nine in 10 local authorities are not monitoring their supply chain and therefore ensuring getting paid within 30-days, breaching Whitehall regulations to ensure prompt payment. The research has revealed the minimal effort that local authorities have focused on prompt payment. The research by construction trade body, the Electrical Contractors Association and Building Services Association (BESA), obtained…
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The National Housing Federation, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Community Housing Cymru and the Northern Irish Federation of Housing Associations, are joining together to warn that the Universal Credit system is “flawed” and causing debt, suffering and hardship for the families they house. Together these organisations represent more than 1,000 housing associations housing over…
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Local authorities could save thousands of pounds by using digital debt recovery instead of resorting to traditional solutions like bailiffs according to new research by Essendex. Figures show that around £2.8bn of outstanding council tax was owed to local authorities in England as of March 2017 – with many councils struggling to claw back the money.…
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