3.2m young consumers consider themselves vulnerable

Younger consumers in the UK, aged 16 to 24 year olds, are among those most likely to now consider themselves vulnerable – 48%, compared to 34% of all consumers, according to research by the Vulnerability Registration Service (VRS), a not-for-profit company providing the UK’s first central vulnerability database. The FCA’s Financial Lives findings back in…

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AUTUMN BUDGET 2021: Cut in the Universal Credit taper – consumer credit sector reaction

28th October 2021 Consumer Collections |

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced changes to the Universal Credit Taper rate, which is the amount of Universal Credit (UC) withdrawn for every pound someone earns (from 63% to 55%, so for every extra £1 earned, 55p of Universal Credit will be withdrawn) as part of his latest budget announcement. StepChange Debt Charity says that…

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Money Statistics: October 2021

28th October 2021 Arrears and Recoveries |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for October 2021 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,745.7 billion at the end of August 2021. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £62,813 and per adult was £33,006, around 108.9% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending rose by…

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Increase in consumers struggling to manage their personal finances

A new report by Aryza has found an increase in the numberstruggling to manage their personal finances. Drawing on a dataset of nearly 300,000 insolvent UK consumers currently struggling with their personal finances, the company’s latest debt statistics report found the average debt level across the UK to be £17,823. This is compared to £15,924…

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Energy price cap likely to push two in five families into financial difficulty

The record energy price cap increase of £139 in October is set to push two in five families into debt with their supplier, according to the latest Household Financial Confidence Tracker from comparethemarket.com. 43% of families with children at home believe that if energy bills increase it will push them into debt with their energy…

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Credit & Collections Technology Awards announces line up

Credit Connect has confirmed the line-up for next week’s Credit & Collections Technology Awards which takes place at the Midland Hotel in Manchester next Thursday (4th November). The awards are judged by a panel of industry experts who have reviewed technological excellence in four different categories sections: creditor and lender, collections and recoveries, applied technology, and…

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Credit & Collections Technology Think Tank announces line up

25th October 2021 Arrears and Recoveries |

The Credit & Collections Technology Think Tank has confirmed its agenda and speaker line-up ahead of the event in-person event at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on Thursday 4th November. The launch of the event follows on from the successful launches of the Online Collections Technology Think Tank and the Online Lending Technology Think Tank…

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Government announces £65m support for vulnerable renters

The Government has announced vulnerable renters struggling due to the impact of the pandemic will be helped by a £65 million support package. The funding will be given to councils in England to support low-income earners in rent arrears, helping to prevent homelessness and support families get back on their feet. Renters across the country…

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Millions of low-income households pulled under by arrears as living costs rise

21st October 2021 Arrears and Recoveries | #arrears

New research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has found that a third of low-income households are unable to pay their bills, The research found that 3.8 million low-income households are behind on rent, bills or debt payments,  which is up threefold since the pandemic hit, revealing the growing cost of the living crisis facing…

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Two-thirds of complaints to water companies involve concerns over bills

21st October 2021 Arrears and Recoveries | #water bills

New research from the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has found that two-thirds of complaints to water companies involve concerns over bills. CCW says that households have a right to expect clear and accurate water bills and be treated with empathy by water companies if they slip into debt. Bill concerns dominated two-thirds of the…

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Fuel and household energy spend rise by a fifth in two weeks

New analysis of data by Lloyds Bank has found that its customers spent a fifth more on household energy (24%) and fuel (20%) in the last fortnight, compared to the two weeks before. Fuel spend peaked on 24th September (the day after one of the biggest UK petrol station operators said a number of its forecourts…

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CSA warns of fallout from energy company failures

The Credit Services Association (CSA), the UK trade association for organisations active in the debt collection and purchase industry, has written to Ofgem to seek clarification in respect of the standards customers should expect in regards to the practices of administrators and accounts in arrears. It has also asked for reassurance that the integrity and…

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Fragile finances leading to poor mental health

New research by Yorkshire Building Society has shown that more than one in five UK consumers feel worse off financially since the start of the pandemic. The research has indicated that two-thirds of those whose finances, who have been affected had suffered a negative impact on their mental health. Whilst over one in five (23%)…

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