Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
In a new report, the Credit Services Association (CSA), the UK trade body for the debt collection and debt purchase sector, has called on the Government to improve its methods for collecting debts to help service users more effectively and boost collections revenues. The report praises the accomplishments of the Government Debt Management Function and…
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A coalition of organisations including StepChange Debt Charity, Christians Against Poverty, Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, Money Advice Trust and six others has written to the Government reiterating a call to end imprisonment for non-payment of council tax. The coalition claims the rule is “outdated” and “disproportionate,” as it continues to campaign for reform…
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New Enforcement Board (ECB) research has found that 6% of civil enforcement doorstep interactions are a breach of current standards. The research, commissioned by the ECB and led byagency M.E.L Research, represents the first comprehensive study of its kind. Researchers analysed a substantial, randomly selected sample of over 600 videos of interactions between enforcement agents…
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A two-year study by Fair4All Finance has identified that more than half of adults are living in financially vulnerable circumstances in 47 local authorities across the UK. The research identifies rising living costs, low or unstable incomes, persistent debt and a lack of ‘safety nets’ such as insurance, credit and savings among the factors which leave…
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StepChange Debt Charity is calling for urgent action from the Government and local authorities to overhaul the council tax debt collection system, as it says current practices are causing significant harm to people struggling with their finances, including damage to their health, wellbeing, and relationships. As it stands, there are no binding standards for local…
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Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for September 2024 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,860.6 billion at the end of July 2024. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £65,515 and per adult was £34,457, around 95.8% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending increased by…
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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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StepChange Debt Charity Scotland’s latest quarterly client data has revealed the ongoing pressure that council tax is having on households, as average council tax arrears per client in Scotland have risen by 11% year on year. The average council tax arrears amount among Scottish clients stands at £2,075 during the second quarter of 2024, up…
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Unsecured household debt is set to rise by over £1,600 this year as families continue to struggle with the cost of living crisis, according to new TUC analysis. The analysis shows that unsecured debt (loans, credit cards, purchase hire agreements) is on course to increase by 9.4% (£1,660) in real terms, on average, per household…
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Latest data published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) show outstanding council tax arrears have reached a total of £6 billion as of 31stMarch 2024, a 9% year-on-year rise and an 71% increase since before the pandemic – the total outstanding arrears stood at £3.5 billion in 2019 to 2020. Over…
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Credit Connect has announced the shortlist of companies and partnerships for this year’s first-ever annual Credit & Collections Industry Awards. The shortlist for the inaugural awards consists of 64 entrants with over 50 companies in the running to win the first-ever awards. Credit Connect’s panel of judges has now compiled the shortlist for the fourteen…
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The annual cost of household bills is predicted to drop by £350 on average year-on-year in April 2024, 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 is set to decline…
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