Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Consumer sentiment has dropped sharply since the conflict in the Middle East escalated, according to a survey by Barclays. The survey found that around 80% of consumers are concerned that the conflict will increase inflation and energy costs. Nearly half of the respondents said they had already started adjusting their spending behaviour. The data showed…
Read more
The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) says allowing five water companies to increase their customers’ bills even further will heap more pressure on households already struggling to absorb recent price hikes. CCW has responded to the final determinations of the Competition and Markets Authority which has ruled on the appeals made by five water companies – Anglian Water,…
Read more
New Age analysis of DWP data has found that, despite the rise in women’s State Pension age, the number of female pensioners in the UK has fallen by 740,000 since 2010-11, while the number of women living in poverty has stayed steady at 1.1 million. Age UK warns that this is a failure of policy and…
Read more
New research by StepChange Debt Charity reveals the long-term and harmful impact that coerced debt can have on someone’s credit record, in many cases preventing them from securing a home, mobile phone contract, car finance agreement, or even employment opportunities. Coerced debt is a form of economic abuse where the perpetrator coerces a victim into…
Read more
New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that second charge mortgage new business volumes grew by 17% in 2025. 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), said “The…
Read more
The UK is set for a decent but one-off increase in living standards this year, and a bumper rise for lower-income families. But a fresh energy price shock risks ruining this good news, while the medium-term picture for living standards remains bleak, according to the Resolution Foundation’s overnight analysis of the Spring Forecast 2026. With…
Read more
New Compare the Market research has highlighted that the typical costs people may face when separating and setting up a home on their own, with total expenses ranging from £9,175 to £24,641, depending on housing and marital status. With 28.6 million households in the UK, married couples remain the most common family type, accounting for…
Read more
The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) new powers to reach further into citizens’ lives must be used effectively and proportionately. In a new report on benefit fraud and error, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) promises continued scrutiny of how the DWP will work to resolve the cases of carers wrongly pursued for overpayment debts,…
Read more
Financial anxiety is significantly impacting the daily lives and well-being of millions of people across the UK, according to new research from financial education charity Money Ready. The study reveals that 39% of adults feel anxious when they think about money – and this anxiety extends into having a real effect on people’s wellbeing, behaviour…
Read more
Energy regulator Ofgem has announced a 7% (or £117) reduction of the energy price cap for the period covering 1st April to 30th June 2026. This change amounts to a reduction of around £10 a month for the average household using both electricity and gas. The price cap refers to the default tariff applied when a…
Read more
New figures published by StepChange Debt Charity Scotland have revealed that the average debt among people seeking help from the charity has reached on average £20,116 per client, a 10% rise year-on-year, and the highest level recorded in over a decade. Two in three clients were in arrears on their household bills, owing an average…
Read more
The average UK household is now spending nearly £119 per week on food shopping, according to new research by Confused.com, amounting to more than £6,000 per year. The research shows that the average food bill is £1,144 per year, or £22 per week, more expensive than in 2024, a 23% increase. This is significantly higher than…
Read more
Latest UK Finance research has found that around 5,160 mortgaged properties were repossessed in 2025, a 39% increase from 2024. The fourth quarter saw 1,210 homes repossessed, up 17% year-on-year but down 13% from the previous quarter. Despite this rise, only 0.92% of all mortgages were in arrears. The report highlighted that most repossessions involved…
Read more