80% of households saw disposable income fall last month

Research by the Centre for Business and Economics Research (CEBR) and Asda has revealed that wealthy households in the UK were the only group to see a rise in living standards this year, while poorer families are being pounded by soaring energy and food bills. The decrease in disposable income has been particularly stark for…

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One in three facing hardship in retirement

Scottish Widows has today released new data, that shows that one in three (35%) of adults currently aged 22-65 risk having less than the minimum needed to pay for essentials when they retire.  The research found that many societal groups –such as renters and young people –are disproportionately facing hardship, while others such as millennials…

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1.2 million households insolvent as a direct result of higher mortgage payments

According to research from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), by the end of the year 1.2 million households or 4% of all UK households, will run out of savings as a result of higher UK interest rates. NIESR says households will run out of savings because of higher mortgage repayments, taking…

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Banks agree lenient repossession measures

23rd June 2023 Arrears and Recoveries |

UK banks have agreed to give mortgage holders a 12-month grace period before their homes are repossessed should they fall behind with their repayments. Homeowners will also be able to switch to interest-only for six months or temporarily lengthen mortgage terms for the same period without affecting credit ratings in new measures announced by Jeremy…

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6.9m mortgage holders struggling to keep up with household bills

22nd June 2023 Arrears and Recoveries |

New polling from StepChange Debt Charity has revealed 45% of mortgage holders, equivalent to 6.9m UK adults, have found it difficult to keep up with bills and credit commitments in the last few months. The new figures, which come as the Bank of England is expected to again raise interest rates today, show that two…

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5.7m low-income households having to cut down or skip meals

20th June 2023 Arrears and Recoveries |

5.7 million low-income households are having to cut down or skip meals because they don’t have enough money for food, while the number going without items such as food, heating or basic toiletries (63%) has remained around 7 million for more than a year according to latest analysis by Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). The research…

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Two in five hit by unexpected bills

Two in five people (40%) have been hit by an unexpected expense in the past 12 months costing them £1,851, up £394 in a year.according to research by Hargreaves Lansdown. The unexpected bill was most common among those aged 18-34 – half of whom had an unexpected expense (49%). Half (49%) of people were able to cover…

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Personal insolvencies increase by 5%

Latest quarterly figures from the Insolvency Service for England & Wales have indicated that personal insolvency numbers increase by 5% in May 2023 when compared with May 2022. The personal insolvency figures also increased by 10.7% in May 2023 to a total of 9,962 compared to April’s total of 9,002, and decreased by 5.1% compared…

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Warning that salary advance schemes are masking debt crisis

Manchester-based Money Wellness, an organisation offering free debt and wellbeing advice, is warning that the explosion in salary advance schemes, allowing employees to access their salaries before payday, is camouflaging a spiralling debt crisis.  Salary advance schemes, also known as earned wage access, salary loans or payroll advances, are financial arrangements offered as an employee…

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Energy bills support took too long to help those most in need

In a new report published on Government’s energy bills support scheme, the Public Accounts Committee says it took too long to get support to some of those most in need. While support schemes were introduced quickly, the Government did not have the bandwidth to make sure support reached all groups in a timely fashion. In…

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Second charge mortgage volumes fall by 22%

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) have shown that second charge mortgage new business volumes fell by 22% in April 2023 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),…

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5.5 million people behind on energy bills

14th June 2023 Arrears and Recoveries | #arrears

An estimated 5.5 million people (one in ten adults) were behind on their energy bills in April, an increase of 2.1 million compared to March 2022 according to new research from the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline.   The charity’s Under Pressure research, based on an Opinium survey…

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Less than half of children have been taught about money 

Less than half of children have been taught about money at home or in school, according to a new report from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).  Financial Foundations, based on a survey of 4,740 children aged 7-17, found that just 47% had received a meaningful financial education in either or both settings. The figure…

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