Fair for You launches furniture and appliance poverty campaign

Fair for You has launched a new campaign with TV presenter Gail Porter in a bid to try to help six million people in furniture and appliance poverty.

Porter, who fought back from crippling bankruptcy and homelessness, with data showing that six million people are living without an essential item like a washing machine or table to eat from.

Porter is Patron at the Fair Credit Charity which set up ethical lender, Fair for You said “Six million people are living without household essentials right now, and many of those won’t have access to charity support or local council grants – nor do many want to use them. A helping hand from an ethical, not-for-profit lender like Fair for You can help them make their house a home. The alternative is living in deep deprivation, which I have experienced, or being burned by high-cost credit, or the exploitative tactics of illegal lenders.”

The data also showed that around nine million adults in Britain now have less than £250 in savings – making the upfront purchase of an essential appliance impossible. The campaign aims to get more Brits to spread the cost of essential purchases with ethical lenders like Fair for You, who will only lend what people can afford, and provide customers with control over repayments.

Porter is also calling out banks for turning their backs on customers – even those who can afford to repay – because they don’t want to go to the trouble of making small loans. She also feels that more retailers should be looking at their credit partners and considering whether they are offering options that are fair to hard-pressed consumers.

Porter said  “The cost-of-living crisis has hit people hard, and I know that many people would be in serious hot water if they had to find a way to buy a new washing machine, fridge or other key appliance. I remember the horror of not being able to get a new washer when my young daughter was going to school – it wasn’t just the practical side of ensuring she wasn’t wearing dirty clothes, it was also the stress and the guilt I experienced, which put a huge pressure on my already dented self-esteem and mental health.

“After what I went through, I know how hopeless things can feel when bills are piling up, but also how much of a boost it can give you – practically and mentally – when you find a helping hand. Fair for You and its retail partners are ensuring that there is a decent option out there for Brits who have nowhere to turn if they need to buy a new appliance or furniture – and we really want more companies to follow in their footsteps. We need to direct people away from illegal lenders who want to profit from misery.”

The Fair Credit Charity set up the ethical lender Fair for You in 2015.  Fair for You enables people who aren’t being well served by banks and other mainstream lenders to buy household items including beds, washing machines, fridges and furniture with fair and flexible repayments. A range of leading retailers partner with Fair for You including Hotpoint, Argos and Iceland.

Simon Dukes, Chief Executive of Fair for You, said “The latest data from Fair4All Finance shows that 20.3m people are in financially vulnerable circumstances. Around half of them are not able to save each month. This means there are millions of people with no financial safety net, who may feel they have no option in a moment of financial stress but to turn to high cost credit or illegal lenders.

“We’re proud of the support we do provide, and we are supporting more and more customers all the time. Gail Porter is destigmatising the issue of financial exclusion by being so honest talking about her experiences of appliance poverty and just how distressing and hopeless it can feel without the right support.”

Ian Moverley, Communication Director, Hotpoint said “We don’t believe anyone should worry about being able to put their kids in clean clothes or keep their food fresh. That’s why we’ve been a proud partner of Fair for You since it first launched. Providing an affordable way for people to buy our household appliances means we can help alleviate the financial burden so many families are under. We’re delighted that Gail is encouraging more brands to join us in offering similar ethical solutions that will make such a huge difference to so many lives.”

Claire Donovan, Head of Policy at the End Furniture Poverty charity said “Our research highlights that there are at least six million people in the UK in furniture poverty, meaning they lack access to at least one vital household item, including appliances – and that at least one million are in what we call ‘deep furniture poverty’, meaning that there are three or more vital items they don’t have. The routes out of furniture poverty are becoming increasingly harder to navigate, so we welcome all sources of support.”