Latest: Debt News

Catalogue debt growing says helpline

Catalogue debt growing says helpline

Calls from people concerned about their debts with mail order catalogues accounted for more than 12 per cent of all calls received by National Debtline last year, compared with just 8 per cent in 2007. More people were concerned about catalogue debt than about payday loans, mortgage or rent, according to the Money Advice Trust [...]

May 23, 2012 | 0 Comments More
400,000 more English homes in fuel poverty

400,000 more English homes in fuel poverty

An increase in the price of gas and electricity price at the end of 2011 is estimated to have pushed 400,000 more homes in England into fuel poverty, according to the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The new projections show that 3.9 million homes in England were in fuel poverty at the end [...]

May 17, 2012 | 0 Comments More
Personal debt soared prior to credit crunch

Personal debt soared prior to credit crunch

Household borrowing soared in the decade leading up to the start of the financial crisis in 2008 according to a report by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and the Resolution Foundation. Household spending, GDP and property prices all increased steadily between 1997 and 2007 but the report suggests that this growth [...]

May 15, 2012 | 0 Comments More
Fall in bankruptcies hides rise in personal debt

Fall in bankruptcies hides rise in personal debt

There was a fall in the number of people going bankrupt in the first quarter of 2012 but more people are experiencing debt problems and many are simply unable to afford the £700 bankruptcy fee. According to the latest figures from the Insolvency Service, 28,723 individuals in England and Wales became insolvent in the first [...]

May 4, 2012 | 0 Comments More
Household finances continue to deteriorate

Household finances continue to deteriorate

Lower earnings, increased levels of debt and inflation worries took their toll on household finances in April, with the Markit Household Finance Index falling for the second month in a row. The Index fell at the steepest rate for three months to 37.0 in April from 37.8 in March, with a score under 50 indicating [...]

Mothers accumulate debt on maternity leave

Mothers accumulate debt on maternity leave

Three quarters of mums are unprepared for a fall in income while they are on maternity leave and nearly a third go into debt. A study by price comparison site uSwitch.com suggests that the average debt accumulated by mothers while they are on maternity leave is nearly £2,500. As well as facing a 50 per [...]

Debt not serious until it hits £14,000

Debt not serious until it hits £14,000

Brits don’t consider themselves in serious debt until they owe more than £14,416 according to insurance company Bright Grey. Although this may sound excessive, it reflect a significant improvement from a year ago when £15,837 was the point at which people started to consider them themselves in serious financial difficulty. Bright Grey’s ‘financial safety net’ [...]

Energy firms to reveal their best deals

Energy firms to reveal their best deals

The UK’s six largest energy companies will be required to write to their customers each year telling them if their current tariff is the cheapest one which meets their needs. Vulnerable customers, including pensioners and those eligible for assistance from the warm home discount scheme, will be contacted twice a year. The news, announced by [...]

OFT updates guidelines for debt management firms

OFT updates guidelines for debt management firms

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has today published new guidelines for firms offering debt management advice or credit repair services to consumers. Complaints about debt management firms have increased significantly in recent years; 546 complaints were made to the Financial Ombudsman Service last year compared with 463 in 2010. The complaints included concern over [...]

Debt repayment increasingly difficult says CCCS

Debt repayment increasingly difficult says CCCS

Although households reduced their debts last year they face a ‘tide’ of difficulties in repaying them, according to a study by the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS). The study of 370,000 cases handled by the counselling service suggests that youth unemployment and rising rents are key factors which cause people to fall into debt. 42% [...]

Saga sees financial green shoots for over-50s

Saga sees financial green shoots for over-50s

Saga’s latest quarterly report is slightly more optimistic about the financial health of the over 50s than its report for the final quarter of 2011, but the organisation warns that the “green shoots” of recovery are very tentative at the moment. Compared with a year ago, the report suggests that the quality of life for [...]

70% of UK adults in debt

70% of UK adults in debt

Seven in ten UK adults are in debt but many are choosing to ignore the problem instead of seeking help before it gets out of hand. Research by The Co-operative Bank found that 29 per cent of people refuse to confront their debt problems. Many do not admit that they are in debt until borrowing [...]

UK households falling deeper into debt

UK households falling deeper into debt

UK households will find it increasingly difficult to service their debts in the coming years, according to a report by debt charity, Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS). According to the charity’s research, an average of more than 23 per cent of households’ disposable income went towards interest payments on loans at the end of 2011. [...]

Netmums says families in financial crisis

Netmums says families in financial crisis

The economic downturn, the rising cost of living and the government’s austerity programme have pushed over 70 per cent of UK families to the brink of poverty, according to online parenting organisation Netmums. The organisation surveyed over 2,000 of its members this month to find out how they are coping in the economic downturn and [...]

Monthly pay lasting just 17 days

Monthly pay lasting just 17 days

Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]

More women experiencing debt difficulties

More women experiencing debt difficulties

Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]

Fewer people declared bankrupt in 2011

Fewer people declared bankrupt in 2011

The number of people declared insolvent in 2011 in England and Wales declined to 119,850, the lowest level for three years and a fall of 11.3 per cent from a record high in 2010. There was a sharp decline at the end of 2011, when personal insolvencies fell by 5.6% compared with the last three [...]

Personal debt falls by £377 million

Personal debt falls by £377 million

Economic uncertainty and the threat of another recession is causing consumers to take charge of their finances and cut back on debt according to the latest figures from the Bank of England. Personal debt, excluding mortgages, fell by £377 million in December, the biggest fall since records began. Howard Archer an economist at Global Insight [...]

Debt soars for UK families

Debt soars for UK families

The rising cost of essentials such as fuel and food has contributed to a 48 per cent increase in the level of personal debt, according to the latest Aviva Family Finances Report. The average British family now owes around £7,944 in unsecured borrowing, compared with £5,360 a year ago, despite a 7 per cent increase [...]

More UK households cutting back on spending

More UK households cutting back on spending

Nearly one third of adults in the UK expect to spend less in 2012 compared with around a fifth in October, according to the Resolution Foundation, an independent research and policy organisation which aims to improve outcomes for people on limited income. The survey, which was carried out by Ipsos Mori on behalf of the [...]