Millions struggling with bills regulator warns

21st October 2022 Consumer Collections | #debt

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found 7.8 million people are finding it a heavy burden to keep up with their bills, an increase of around 2.5 million people since 2020.  The FCA has published a snapshot of the latest edition of its landmark Financial Lives survey, which was carried out between February and June…

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Two fifths of over 55s are struggling financially 

30th August 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

More than two-fifths of 55 to 64-year-olds are ‘struggling financially’ or are ‘up to their neck in debt’ against an average of 35% of people surveyed in the 55+ age group according to research by insurer Aviva. The research also found that while more than a third of all over-55s said they are having difficulties with…

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Two-fifths of children in key worker households are living below the breadline

8th August 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

Around 1 million children with key worker parents are living below the breadline, new research by the TUC has found. In some parts of the UK, more than two-fifths of children in key worker households are living below the breadline with one in five (19%) key worker households having children living in poverty. The research,…

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Over 2m households have missed or defaulted on a bill in the last month

8th July 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

An estimated 2.1 million households missed or defaulted on at least one mortgage, rent, loan, credit card or bill in the last month according to new research from consumer group Which? This marks the sixth month this year that an estimated 2 million or more households have missed a payment. Although those on lower incomes…

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Debt amongst over-55s set to top £400bn in ten years

7th July 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

Research by more2life has found that the total amount of debt owed by the over-55s will rise to £294 billion this year. The figure is up from £272 billion in 2021 and £209 billion in 2017. This is a leap of two-fifths (41%) in five years and the total is projected to soar even further…

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Money Statistics: June 2022

30th June 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for June 2022 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,786.6 billion at the end of April 2022. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £64,286 and per adult was £33,780, around 105.3% of average earnings Net mortgage lending rose by…

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One in five people in Scotland running out of money before payday

24th May 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

One in five people in Scotland are running out of money before payday, new polling for Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) by YouGov has revealed. The polling shows 9 per cent of people always run out of money before pay day – defined as wages as well as pensions and benefit payments. A further 11 per…

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Household debt crisis grows as 3 million expect to be pushed into debt

29th March 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

New polling commissioned by the anti-poverty group Jubilee Debt Campaign has revealed that three million people fear they will be pushed into debt over the next six months.  This week’s rises in National Insurance contributions as well as the increase in the energy price cap and council tax are set to push even more people…

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Public Accounts Committee not confident in HMRC’s ability to recover tax debts

The government must do more to recover taxes that went unpaid during the pandemic, a group of MPs has said. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the nature and scale of tax debt creating an enormous task for HMRC to bring tax debt back from the current mountain of £39…

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One in five older households are living in poverty or financial hardship

24th March 2022 Consumer Collections | #debt

New analysis from Age UK has indicated that one-in-five (21 per cent) older households are living in poverty or just above the poverty line and/ or are in receipt of income-related benefits. The Charity is warning that these older households, which include some of the poorest and most vulnerable older people in England, will miss…

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Three quarters of Scots mental health has been negatively impacted by pandemic debit

More than three-quarters of Scottish adults impacted by debt during the pandemic say their mental health has been negatively impacted by it according to new polling for Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS). Polling for the charity by YouGov found that 77 per cent of Scottish adults in debt or at risk of debt since the Covid-19…

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Financial scar tissue in cities driving unequal pandemic recovery

22nd March 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

A new report from Demos, produced in partnership with Lowell has identified a number of areas subject to the ‘double whammy’ of high financial vulnerability and limited access to affordable credit. As UK households are hit by rising prices, the latest update to the UK Financial Vulnerability Index (FVI), a joint project of Lowell and…

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Call for Chancellor to act now to avoid devastating damage to living standards of poorest families

21st March 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

New analysis from the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) highlights the stark impact of a scheduled real-terms cut to benefits next month, as rising energy costs threaten to devastate the living standards of families on the lowest incomes. The analysis shows the impact of rising energy costs on household budgets. It finds that once housing…

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