Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Latest data from the Bank of England show that spending on credit cards rose by £700 million in August as households borrowed heavily to cope with the cost of living crisis. The increase pushed the annual growth rate in spending on credit cards to 12.9%, its joint highest level since 2005. Maintaining a high level…
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Almost half a million (450,000 people) could be made to pay their energy bills with a prepayment meter by the end of 2022 because they’ve fallen into debt according to new analysis from Citizens Advice. The charity analysed Ofgem data on the number of customers moved to prepayment meters due to their existing debt to…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has urged insurers to treat customers fairly amid concerns that the cost of living crisis may prompt households and businesses to cut back on insurance, leaving them without adequate protection – or with none at all. In a letter to Chief Executives in the insurance industry, the FCA has called…
Read moreHere is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for September 2022 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,810.7 billion at the end of July 2022. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £65,151 and per adult was £34,235, around 107.5% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending rose by…
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Over half (56%) of UK households are not confident that measures outlined in the Government’s ‘mini-budget’ will help them cope better with rising living costs, according to Comparethemarket’s latest Household Financial Confidence Tracker. The findings come at a time when two in five (42%) households say they already struggled to pay bills in the last…
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The cost of living increase has forced households to dip into their savings with rainy-day funds now depleted by over half since the start of the year, according to research by KPMG. The cost of essential goods such as food, energy and mortgage repayments has risen by £145.50 a month this year for the average…
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One in three mortgage customers say that rising interest rates mean they cannot afford their repayments, new research commissioned by Butterfield Mortgages has found. The independent survey of 2,000 UK adults found that a third (33%) of mortgage holders believe the interest rate hikes over the past year have made their mortgage repayments unaffordable. Among…
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One-fifth of UK adults are already behind on one or more household bill, and one in nine have gone without food as a result of rising costs, according to new research from the Money Advice Trust. While the government’s Energy Price Guarantee removes the risk of energy bills climbing even further, the charity, which runs…
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Latest monthly figures from the Insolvency Service for England & Wales have indicated that personal insolvencies increased by 4.1% to 9,572 in August 2022 compared to 9,198 in July, and were 5% higher than August 2021’s figure of 9,117. Personal insolvencies also increased 7.4% from August 2019’s total of 8,910. The figurse showed that there…
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Real household disposable incomes are on course to fall by 10 per cent over this year and next – the deepest living standards squeeze in a century, while the number of people living in absolute poverty is set to rise by three million. The report incorporates the Bank of England’s latest economic forecasts, as well…
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Latest data from the Bank of England has indicated that credit card borrowing grew by £730 million in the 12 months to July. The 13% rise on borrowing on cards is the fastest rise since October 2005. The annual growth rate for all consumer credit, which also includes overdrafts, personal loans and car finance, increased…
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A new report from the Resolution Foundation has examined the impact of rising energy bills on low, middle and high-income households this winter, with the price cap forecast to hit £3,600 in October and top £4,500 in January. The report notes typical energy bills will cost around £2,000 more this year than last year –…
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Ofgem has announced the energy price cap will increase to £3,549 per year for dual fuel for an average household from 1st October 2022. The increase is up 80% from the current cap of £1,971, and up 178% from the £1,277 cap in March this year. The price cap increase comes as Ofgem’s CEO warns…
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