Thousands forced to borrow from illegal loan sharks to pay for funeral costs

30th January 2026 Arrears and Recoveries |

Desperate families are finding themselves forced to borrow from illegal loan sharks as a consequence of getting into severe debt due to the high costs of paying for the funerals of loved ones, according to research by Funeralexperts.com. The data revealed that around 32,400 people (3%) of the 1.08 million people who were forced to…

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Government extends energy bill support for millions of families

30th January 2026 Consumer Collections | #energy bills

The Government has announced that around six million low-income households will continue to receive £150 off their winter energy bills with the Warm Home Discount scheme extended by five more years. The Government’s expansion of the Warm Home Discount last year added 2.7 million families to the scheme, bringing the total number of eligible households…

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Water bills set to increase by £33 a year from April

29th January 2026 Consumer Collections | #water bills

New data from Water UK has indicated that water bills in household water bills in England and Wales will rise by an average of 5.4% – around £33 a year, or approximately £2.70 per month – from April, reflecting significant investment in upgrading water infrastructure. The rise is two percentage points above December’s official inflation…

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PayPlan makes senior board and executive hires 

29th January 2026 Appointments | #appointments

PayPlan has announced that it has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of a new Chairman and three senior industry executives, signalling bold growth ambitions to transform the way customers and partners experience debt advice. The company has received strategic investment from Palladian Investment Partners, which will be used to accelerate the rollout of enhanced digital debt advice services, delivering faster,…

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Lantern announces trio of senior appointments

29th January 2026 Appointments | #appointments

Debt management and financial services company, Lantern Group has announced it has made three strategic senior appointments. The company has announced  Charlotte Symonds as Chief Operating Officer, Charmaine Bonnaire as Director of Partnerships, and Scott Forster as Head of Brand and Communications. Joining Lantern’s C-suite as Chief Operating Officer, Symonds brings two decades of experience…

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Almost half of people say uncertainty around money makes them anxious

New research by Moneybox has found that half (50%) of respondents said rising costs of everyday expenses (e.g. bills, food, transport) were triggering feelings of anxiety or stress when it comes to their money. A further third (34%) said unexpected expenses or emergencies (e.g. car/home repairs, family emergencies) and a fifth (22%) mentioned a general…

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Government announces cap on ground rents

Millions of leaseholders across England and Wales are set to benefit from a major shake-up of the outdated leasehold system – with ground rents set to be capped at £250 a year, changing to a peppercorn cap after 40 years. Ground rents were abolished for most new residential leasehold properties in England and Wales in…

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Number of people in ‘very deep poverty’ hits 30 years high

28th January 2026 Arrears and Recoveries | #poverty

The number of people living in “very deep poverty” in the UK is at the highest level in more than 30 years, according to new research by Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). Very deep poverty is defined by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation as earning below 40% of the median household income. According to its latest report,…

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January divorce spike could push thousands into debt

Dubbed ‘divorce month’, January has famously been cited as the time of the year when family lawyers see a surge in those looking to end their marriages. According to current data from Google,  searches for ‘divorce’ in the week beginning 11th January are at their highest in 12 months in the UK. Family lawyers also…

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Weight loss jabs are pushing people into an average debt of £1,600

26th January 2026 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

A new study by Thinkmoney has found that two in five (39%) people currently using private weight-loss injections are getting themselves into mounting financial difficulty to fund the treatment. According to the survey, the average debt is exactly £1,616, with people’s preferred option to put the cost on a credit card (50%). Almost as many…

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61% households are one appliance failure away from debt

New analysis from debt management firm Lowell has found that 61% of households (17 million) don’t have sufficient emergency savings to cover these unexpected costs without turning to credit. At the time of reporting, the cheapest fridge/freezer available at Argos would set someone back £160, a washing machine £189 and a dishwasher £189. Replacing a…

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Energy company to pay £2.7m redress for over payment failures

Energy company, OVO will pay over £2.7 million in redress after failing to provide Warm Home Discount (WHD) rebates to 11,646 customers by the statutory deadline of 31st March 2024. These customers did not receive their rebate until November 2025 – more than 19 months late. The delay meant that some of the most vulnerable…

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Nine in ten believe we will be poorer in the future without financial education

New research by the People’s Partnership has revealed how the majority of adults think that without financial education, we will all be poorer in the future, and we are failing future generations if we don’t equip them with financial literacy. The data shows that nine in ten (85%) of adults believe that without financial education,…

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