Credit, collections & insolvency news
Energy regulator Ofgem has laid out plans to make firms offer tariffs without standing charges from next winter. The new plans also outline better support for households struggling with debt. The regulator will consult on introducing an option under the price cap to include zero standing charge tariffs alongside existing tariffs, offering consumers the ability to choose…
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Household energy debt has hit a five-year high of £216 ahead of the winter, with the number of homes already owing money to their provider up 11% on last year new research from Uswitch.com, has revealed. The average household debt is up 13% on the £190 figure seen at this time last year, and the number…
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A Bank of England survey of lenders shows that mortgage defaults have risen at their fastest pace since 2009. The Bank’s research through its Credit Conditions Survey shows that the net percentage balance of defaults on secured loans to households jumped from 30.9% to 43.3% over the previous quarter, indicating that defaults had increased sharply…
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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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Record levels of smaller businesses sought external financial support in 2020, with further significant demand expected in 2021, British Business Bank research has found. The report highlights a surge in applications for external financial support, including government and local grants, among small and medium sized businesses (SMEs), with almost half (45%) of all SMEs surveyed…
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Many recipients of government support after the onset of the pandemic crisis saw their income fall one or two months before receiving support according to findings of new work, funded by the Standard Life Foundation. In the period in between, household spending hit a low and non-payment of bills hit a high. This particularly affected…
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The Government is set to roll out a financial wellbeing programme designed to turn UK into a ‘nation of savers’ by 2030. The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) says that the initiative will see an extra 2 million people saving regularly within a decade, while 2 million fewer would be using credit cards for day-to-day…
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New data from Citizens Advice shows 49% of benefit claimants affected by the benefits freeze have struggled to meet essential costs such as rent, household bills and food while 40% have lost sleep due to money worries in the past 12 months. The findings are worse for Universal Credit claimants, with over half (55%) having…
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The Government has announced a new breathing Space scheme which will protect Individuals and families struggling with problem debt. Under the new scheme, consumers will be given extra help and time to get their finances under control, City minister John Glen has revealed. The new plans will see the introduction of a 60-day Breathing Space…
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