Government needs £12bn to maintain value of household support package

The Government would need to find £12 billion simply to achieve what it was aiming to do with the £24 billion package announced in May according to new analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), funded by the Nuffield Foundation as part of the forthcoming IFS Green Budget. The analysis says that the figures…

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Energy bills will cost two months’ wages next year

New analysis published by the TUC has shown that energy bills are now expected to cost more than two months of average take-home pay in 2023 – without government intervention. Average take-home pay (after tax) will be £2,054 per month in 2023 based on Bank of England forecasts, so at £4,108, two months’ pay will…

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Mortgage arrears customer figures continue to fall

The total number of customers in arrears with their mortgages continued to fall in the second quarter of 2022 according to latest UK Finance data. In absolute terms there were 530 more possessions in Q2 2022 compared with the same period last year, however the total for this quarter is approximately half the number seen…

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Energy price cap forecasted to rise to £4,266 in January

10th August 2022 Consumer Collections | #energy

Energy bills for a typical household could hit £4,266 next year, according to new predictions by Cornwall Insight. The higher estimate means the average household would be paying £355 a month, instead of £164 a month currently. Cornwall Insights says that the increase in forecasts since last month reflects both the increase in the wholesale…

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Nearly six million households struggling to afford telecoms and broadband bills

Nearly six million households are struggling to afford essential telecoms services according to a new analysis by Which?, as it calls on the government to cut the amount of VAT paid on mobile, broadband and telephone services. The consumer champion found that millions of households reported issues affording essential telecoms services such as mobile phone…

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Second charge mortgage new business volumes grew by 24% in June 2022

5th August 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #mortgage

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) have indicated that second-charge mortgage new business volumes grew by 24% in June 2022. 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…

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Warning that inflation could hit 15%

4th August 2022 Banking and Loans | #inflation

The Resolution Foundation has warned that inflation could hit more than seven times the Bank of England’s 2% target, with the think-tank saying it could pass the 15% mark in early 2023. Inflation currently stands at 9.4% and the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is expected to increase interest rates further as it looks to tackle…

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Over 50s are hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis

New research from the University of Edinburgh’s Smart Data Foundry, supported and funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust has found that as revealed that the over-50s are being hit hardest by the current financial crisis and could face a lifetime of financial insecurity. According to the report, economic inactivity rates have risen a third amongst…

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Half of households with children struggling to pay bills

2nd August 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #bills

Latest figures fromcomparethemarket.com’s Household Financial Confidence Tracker, has found that nearly half (46%) of households with children at home, the equivalent of 3.8 million families, struggled to pay their bills over the last month, reflecting the worsening conditions for millions of families across the UK as the cost-of-living crisis deepens. Financial anxiety is highest amongst…

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Call for universal water affordability scheme

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has called for renewed urgency in putting in place a new universal water affordability scheme to provide fair, consistent and sustainable financial help for the 1.5 million households across England and Wales living in water poverty. the call follows a report which has revealed a steep rise among the…

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Consumer credit increases in June

Latest Bank of England data has shown that people borrowed an extra £1.8 billion in June, up from £900 million in May showing that consumer credit growth rose 6.5 percent in June 2022. The annual growth rate of credit card borrowing was 12.5 percent with outstanding balances for consumer credit now standing at £203.9 billion.…

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Debt charities call on Ofgem to ramp up energy debt protection

The UK’s three largest debt charities have called on the energy regulator Ofgem to urgently increase protections for people with energy arrears, as rising costs continue to impact households. Citizens Advice, the Money Advice Trust and StepChange Debt Charity are warning that with a further substantial rise in the energy price cap coming in October,…

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Household disposable income falls by 18% in June

26th July 2022 Arrears and Recoveries |

The average household was £175.80 worse off in June this year than they were in the same month in 2021, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) June’s fall in disposable income marks the eighth consecutive month of decline and leaves the average household with £200 left to spend after taxes and…

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