Six in ten say Christmas traditions’ under threat due to cost of living

More than six in ten (62%) parents believe a traditional Christmas is under threat due to the cost of living, with four in ten (40%) having to prioritise essential bills over festive spending, new research from Nationwide reveals. The poll of over 1,000 parents, done in partnership with charity Action for Children, also reveals that 42…

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Credit & Collections Technology Awards publishes 2025 review

19th December 2025 Consumer Collections | #featured

Credit Connect has published its annual Credit & Collections Technology Awards review. The awards review highlights the unique transparency of the Credit & Collections Technology Awards, with data graphs showcasing the results, accompanied by judges’ comments. The award’s rigorous and transparent process enables each company that enters the awards an opportunity to receive a bespoke…

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Third of consumers plan to spend more this Christmas

Around one in three consumers (30%) in the UK are planning to spend more this Christmas compared with last year, according to new Deloitte research. This is higher than the rest of Europe, where less than a quarter (23%) plan to spend more. In the UK, younger consumers aged 18-34 are nearly twice as likely…

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Four in ten cut back on Christmas gifts

New research from financial wellbeing business Loqboxr has revealed a major shift in how  families are approaching Christmas this year, with four in ten planning to buy fewer gifts and a quarter saying the season has become ‘too materialistic.’ Rather than these changes taking the shine off the season, this shift shows families are choosing…

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Rate of child poverty set to fall for the first time in nine years

The package of measures announced in the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy – including the abolition of the two-child limit on benefit support and an expanded Free School Meals offer – will result in child poverty rates falling in 2026-27, the first time in nine years (outside the pandemic), according to new analysis by the Resolution…

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Government launches child poverty strategy to support families

The Government has announced a new Child Poverty Strategy, which aims to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030. The Government says that following the reversal of the two-child limit, the strategy tackles the root causes of poverty by cutting the cost of essentials, boosting family incomes, and improving local services so every child…

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Bill reform could save struggling households £950 a year

As people across the country battle an unrelenting living standards crisis, Citizens Advice has revealed reforming bill support across essential markets, including energy and water, could save eligible households a staggering £950 a year. That’s the equivalent of £79 a month, which amounts to an income boost of almost 6% for low-income households. Citizens Advice’s…

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14% of households are worried about debt

2nd December 2025 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

Only 14% of households are worried about debt, but fewer than one in five (19%) are classed as resilient when it comes to their use of it, according to research by the HL Savings & Resilience Barometer. The data also showed that across the board, almost half (46%) of debt is used for consumption rather…

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One in three struggling with energy bills set to rise £75

Nearly one in three UK households are worried about paying their winter bills, according to new figures from Ocean Finance. With energy costs rising faster than many can cope with, families face a tough few months ahead whilst Ofgem warns that bills could rise by £75 next spring.  The survey also revealed that 33% of…

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More than one in four will struggle to afford Christmas

New YouGov polling by StepChange Debt Charity reveals more than one in four adults (27%), equivalent to around 14.3 million people, will struggle to afford Christmas this year, which rises to almost one in three (31%) among parents with children at home. With the cost of living still stubbornly high and millions struggling to make…

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Ofcom fines Virgin Media £23.8m for putting vulnerable customers at risk

1st December 2025 Consumer Collections | #telecoms

Ofcom has fined Virgin Media £23.8 million, after it disconnected telecare customers during its programme to migrate customers to digital landlines. Landline phone calls have traditionally been delivered over a copper-based network known as the public switched telephone network (PSTN). This network is beyond its intended lifespan and is becoming increasingly unreliable, so it needs…

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Millions borrowing from family and friends to cover costs

With possible income tax and threshold reforms expected in the Budget, new data from Howden Life and Health reveal families are already under pressure, with millions forced to borrow from friends and family, take out loans, and even cancel insurance policies to cover sudden costs. As part of its Health Gap report, Howden Life and Health surveyed 3,000…

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One in ten have no emergency savings

One in ten (8%) of people have no emergency savings at all, rising to one in ten women (10%) according to Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) Savings and Resilience Barometer. The research found that 11% of the squeezed middle (35-54), 12% of single people and 17% of renters do not have savings, whilst 11% have £100 or…

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