Virgin Media fined £28m for repeatedly preventing customers from cancelling contracts

8th July 2026 Consumer Collections |

Ofcom has fined Virgin Media £28 million for putting customers on millions of calls through unreasonable effort, hassle and difficulty when trying to switch to another provider. In the UK’s competitive market, telecoms customers can choose from a wide range of providers, services and packages – often saving hundreds of pounds by switching to a new…

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FCA calls for stricter AI oversight

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has called for tighter oversight of AI in financial services, having warned that the technology will significantly impact retail finance over the next decade. The report suggests expanding the FCA’s regulatory scope and creating a public-interest AI financial guidance service. The FCA found that a fifth of people are open…

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Energy networks made £7bn windfall from inflation loophole in 2025

New analysis from Citizens Advice has revealed that energy network companies have continued to rake in massive windfalls through 2025. The charity has previously warned that energy network companies, which provide pipes and cables to people’s homes, are able to profit from the high inflation that has driven the cost-of-living crisis. Since its last Debt…

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Households back smart water meter rollout but lack clarity on the benefits

Water companies should seize more opportunities to raise awareness among households about the potential financial and environmental benefits of smart water meters, according to new research by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). Awareness of smart metering remains low among customers, despite companies’ plans to ensure around half of homes across England and Wales are…

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Council tax arrears hits record high

Council tax arrears in the UK have reached £9.3 billion after rising by £1 billion over the past year, a 12% increase. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reported that England accounts for £7.4 billion of the total, with Scotland at £1.6 billion and Wales at £320 million. In the past five years,…

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Nearly one in four would struggle to cover an unexpected £300 bill

Nearly one in four (39%) of adults (27.2 million, as of March 2026) would struggle to cover an unexpected £300 bill, new research from Chetwood Bank has revealed. The research found that financial resilience remains under pressure, with more than half (55%) of UK adults saying they have changed their savings or financial plans in…

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Firm fined £300,000 after targeting people in debt with unlawful texts

23rd June 2026 Consumer Collections | #fraud

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined KRA Consultancy Ltd (KRA) £300,000 after it targeted people who were already in financial difficulty with unlawful spam texts – including fake bailiff messages. The Manchester-based company sent 5,575,715 unsolicited direct marketing texts between April 2022 and May 2025, promoting debt solutions to people who had already been…

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One in five young men do not consider controlling someone’s spending as abuse

One in five young men do not consider controlling someone’s spending as abuse, as the government and banks unite as part of the Enough campaign. Victims and survivors of economic abuse will benefit from a new partnership to tackle the issue, as new figures from a survey by Ipsos UK published by the Home Office…

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ECB says Government plans to regulate bailiffs is too slow

The Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) says that the Government’s plans to regulate bailiffs are too slow, stating that it is exactly one year after the Ministry of Justice announced that it would legislate to make independent regulation of bailiffs mandatory. The enforcement industry receives over 7 million cases for enforcement every year and collects over…

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Ovo Energy to pay out £10m over prepayment meter breaches

5th June 2026 Consumer Collections | #energy

Ovo Energy has agreed to pay more than £10 million to customers after energy regulator Ofgem found a lack of monitoring of vulnerable customers with prepayment meters (PPMs). ​​The regulator’s investigation concluded that OVO’s inadequate monitoring of PPM customers, including those on the Priority Services Register (PSR), led to breaches of Ofgem’s rules designed to…

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Enforcement Conduct Board finds inconsistencies in fee-charging practices

The Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) has published its Review into fee-charging practices across the enforcement sector. It found inconsistencies in the way firms are applying fees, with some people paying more in fees, or earlier in the enforcement process. In 2025, the ECB identified a serious breach of the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 at…

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Credit & Collections Spring Series 2026 review

Credit Connect hosted its second annual Spring Series of events at the end of May at Eastwood Hall Hotel in Nottingham. The event opened with the first-ever Industry Leaders networking dinner, which hosted 60 attendees who have been nominated and ratified by Credit Connect’s Industry Leaders partner associations: CIVEA, CICM, CCUA, CCTA, Cifas and Registry…

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CSA Learning receives Strong standard following Ofsted inspection

2nd June 2026 Company News |

CSA Learning, the learning and development arm of the Credit Services Association, has received a Strong standard from Ofsted for Curriculum and Teaching following the recent inspection of its apprenticeship provision. The inspection report, published on 14 April 2026, recognises that CSA has developed ‘a demanding and relevant curriculum in partnership with employers and sequences…

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