Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
New data from Ofgem has shown that energy debt has risien 15% year-on-year, hitting a record high of £4.79 billion, marking a 5% increase from the previous quarter. The number of accounts repaying debt rose by 3% for electricity and 4% for gas. Average debt for those with repayment plans is now £828 for electricity…
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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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A third of renters are saving £100 a month or less and face a 35-year slog to get on the property ladder – with the goalposts moving if house prices climb. According to data from Connells, part of the Skipton Group, the current average first-time buyer deposit stands at £41,403, with properties they are buying…
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Fraudsters and debtors who refuse to pay face tough new consequences, including direct deductions from bank accounts, as new laws come into force. People who have stopped receiving benefits but still refuse to repay money owed to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could also be banned from driving under the new rules. The…
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HMRC used Home Office travel data in an innovative attempt to address a major driver of fraud and error in Child Benefit, which totals £270 million annually, but it lacked sufficient governance and risk management and did not consider the impact on claimants, a new National Audit Office (NAO) report finds. In 2021, HMRC identified…
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Two-thirds (67%) of credit users agree that cost-of-living pressures have increased the use of credit in everyday spending, with nearly six million customers revealing they are doing so with greater intentionality than ever before, according to research by Zilch. The finding comes from the Credit Confidence Study, Zilch’s new study of over 10,000 UK adults and over 6,600 users…
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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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The Credit Services Association (CSA) has published a new report examining how language barriers can affect customer engagement across the sector. In particular, the research highlights that language barriers are a recurring operational issue across debt advice organisations, and support capabilities can vary. The paper titled ‘Signposting for customers who have language barriers,’explores the practical…
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Over two million Britons are reportedly in debt to illegal lenders, a rise of 500,000 since 2022, according to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). Britain is facing a growing illegal lending crisis as record numbers of cash-strapped households turn to loan sharks to cover everyday living costs. The number of people borrowing from unscrupulous…
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With the 2026 World Cup kicking off, new research from Lowell shows that 43% of all gamblers increase their betting activity during major sporting events or tournaments. This rises to 50.6% among sports bettors specifically, with levels climbing to as high as two-thirds in certain cities. Gambling can significantly impact personal finances, with many bettors dipping…
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New research from the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed that millions are missing out on vital support with energy and water bills. This comes as over £7 billion worth of debt is owed to energy and water companies. The report examined how Ofcom, Ofwat and Ofgem support consumers in vulnerable circumstances and whether people…
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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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One in four (25%) adults borrowing money from their parents for bills such as rent or insurance admit they don’t always tell their partner about the extra help, even though they share the bill, according to new polling data conducted by Compare the Market. This proportion rises to a third (33%) among Gen Z and…
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