Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Outstanding debt on credit cards increased by nearly 10% in the past year, as households turned to borrowing to cope with inflationary pressures and rising living costs. according to latest UK Finance date. The number of credit card transactions rose by 3.8% to 371.4 million in December, with a total spend of £19.2 billion in…
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A new repor from charity Mental Health Innovations, has revealed the extent that the cost-of-living crisis is having on the mental health of the nation. A third of those who are struggling with financial difficulties also tell us they have suicidal thoughts. The report analysed data from two million text conversations over five years, taken…
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New polling by Debt Justice indicated that a record 6.7 million people in Britain are now in financial difficulty. The polling conducted for Debt Awareness Week indicates that 13% of people have missed three or more credit or bill payments over the past six months. Debt Justice’s ,anifesto calls on all political parties to make a…
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Users of alternative financial products, like home-collected loans and payday loans, are four times more likely to be contacted by a debt collector, according to a new study of customers by Lowell. One in five adults who use alternative financial products were contacted by a debt collector in 2023, while one in twenty people in…
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Latest monthly figures from the Insolvency Service for England & Wales have indicated that personal insolvency figures increased by 25.1% in February 2024 to a total of 10,136 compared to January’s total of 8,103 and increased by 23% compared to February 2023’s figure of 8,239. Personal insolvencies increased by 3% from when compared to February 2022’s…
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The Insolvency Service has published its latest monthly Insolvency Statistics, showing personal insolvencies were up by 23% compared to February 2023 at 10,136. The rise was driven by a 44% increase in Debt Relief Orders (DRO) applications compared to February 2023. In the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced an end to fees for DRO’s from…
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As the cost of living crisis continues to escalate, a personal insolvency specialist has issued a warning about a concerning trend of mounting debt among the hospitality workforce. According to Creditfix, hospitality workers are grappling with unprecedented financial burdens, with an alarming average debt level of £13,151 with the industry faces a dual challenge as operating…
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Energy regulator Ofgem has announced a call for input to examine issues around affordability and debt in the energy market. The regulator says that its first responsibility is to protect consumers, and we remain very concerned that struggling households have a limited ability to cope with future price shocks. At the same time, the cost…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that second charge mortgage new business volumes grew by 2% in January 2024 Commenting on the latest new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Fiona Hoyle, Director of Consumer & Mortgage Finance and Inclusion at the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), said…
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New research from Citizens Advice has found that over 13 million people (26% of UK adults) have accidentally taken out a subscription in the last 12 months. These subscriptions cover services from fitness apps to food delivery services, and repeat pet food to magazine subscriptions. The charity is warning that the problem of subscription traps…
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Over 270,000 people in Scotland missed a council tax payment in 2023 according to analysis by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS). The analysis by the charity of polling it commissioned from YouGov found that 276,186 people in Scotland had missed a council tax payment at least once from December 2022. On average around one in three…
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Women are suffering the most in the financial squeeze, according to the latest figures from credit management group Intrum. A survey of 20,000 consumers across Europe shows that people are spending more of their income on essentials than they did in the past. Banks recommend following the 50-30-20 rule, suggesting an allocation of half income…
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New research by Lowell has found that nearly a third (30%) of adults in the UK don’t know how much debt they owe. The research showed that currently, the average total debt per UK household stands at £57,910 and searches for ‘how to become debt free’ have increased by 140% in the last month alone.…
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