Energy price hike risks more turning to food banks

2nd February 2022 Consumer Collections | #energy debt

Rising energy prices will risk more Scottish consumers turning to food banks, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) warned. The charity says more and more people in Scotland are asking for information on paying their energy bills because they are facing a ‘nightmare scenario’ as the cost of living crisis bites. The energy price cap will rise…

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Millions with mental health problems missing out on Equality Act protections from banks

2nd February 2022 Consumer Collections | #mental health

Millions of people with mental health problems say they are missing out on Equality Act protections from banks and other essential services firms according to new a report by Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. The research found that many banks and other essential services providers are likely to be failing to meet legal duties set…

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Households spending up to 77% of income to cover rental living costs

Households are spending up to 77% of their income to cover the rental cost of living according to latest property market analysis by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves. The research shows that the average UK rental household pays £808 per month in rent, accounting for 26% of total monthly household income. The…

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2.5 million households missed payments in January

28th January 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #arrears

New research by Which? has found that around 2.5 million households missed payments in January. According to the latest findings from Which?’s consumer insight tracker, an estimated 2.5 million households missed or defaulted on at least one mortgage, rent, loan, credit card or bill in January 2022. This marks a significant increase on December 2021,…

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Single-parent families with debt struggling with cost of living

27th January 2022 Consumer Collections |

New analysis from Citizens Advice shows the struggle that many people, particularly single-parent families, have with debt as the cost of living crisis starts to bite. Citizens Advice’s figures show that around 280,000 people in England and Wales sought one-to-one help with debt in 2021, with many more using its website. Of those, almost 70,000…

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Victim-survivors of economic abuse left with average debt of £4,607

New data shows victim-survivors of economic abuse are left with long-lasting harm have an average coerced banking debt of £4,607 and 83% with low financial knowledge and confidence. Charity, Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) has revealed new data showing that victim-survivors of economic abuse are left without the support they need to escape an abuser and…

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Older people worried about heating their homes jumps to nearly 8 million

24th January 2022 News | #energy debt

Charity, Age UK is calling for urgent action as research by the company shows over 80 per cent of over-65s think the Government should step in to help poorer older people. More than three in five over-65s (62 per cent) – equivalent to 7.8 million older people – are worried about heating their homes compared…

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Call for one-off £300 cash payment for people hit by cost of living crisis

The Government should reject over-complicated solutions to the cost-of-living crisis and simply make one-off cash payments to millions of households, according to Dr Aveek Bhattacharya, Chief Economist of the Social Market Foundation. The Social Market Foundation says that cash payments of up to £500 would be the best answer to the cost-of-living crisis, allowing households…

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One in three consumers struggling to keep up with bills

The number of people finding it hard to keep up with bills and credit commitments has doubled since the start of the pandemic according to new research from StepChange Debt Charity. The charity has found the proportion of people struggling is now nearly one in three (30%) UK consumers – 15 million people – compared…

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Personal Insolvencies fall by 10.1%

Latest figures from the Insolvency Service have indicated that personal insolvencies in England & Wales fell by 10.1% to 8,434 in December 2021 compared to 9,385 in November 2021, and were 12.4% lower than December 2020’s figure of 9,625. There were, on average, 6,648 IVAs registered per month in the three-month period ending December 2021,…

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Poorest households may have to spend half of their income on energy bills

18th January 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #energy debt

Single adults on low incomes could spend more than half their income on bills if the energy price cap rises in April, according to a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). The analysis found that households on low incomes will be spending on average 18% of their income after housing costs on energy bills…

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Families suffering from ‘fuel stress’ set to treble overnight

17th January 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #energy debt

The number of households suffering from ‘fuel stress’ spending at least 10 per cent of their family budgets on energy bills is set to treble overnight to 6.3 million households when the new energy price cap comes into effect on 1st April according to new research by the Resolution Foundation. The research shows that the…

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Soaring energy bills expected to tip more people into hardship

14th January 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #energy debt

The anticipated £700 increase to the default tariff cap is set to put energy bills as a proportion of benefit levels at a generational high and tip many more into hardship, new research by Citizens Advice has revealed. Citizens Advice is calling on the government to provide a one-off grant this April to support families…

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