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Debt News (March 2024)

  Monthly Debt News looks at debts and the causes of debts in Britain to simplify the debt sector for all. This month’s Debt News includes the closing of the British Gas Individual and Families Fund, a call for Social Tariff by Scotland,    parents fined for taking children out of school,   t hree-quarters of court fines unpaid by criminals, UK credit card complaints record high and Newcastle co-owner in court for bankruptcy. And finally, bitesize stats to get an overview of the causes of debt. You can also catch up with monthly Debt Talk podcasts.  ——————— The exact date £2,000 energy grants from the UK’s biggest supplier will END – how to get the ‘lifeline’ bill help now The British Gas Individual and Families fund will end for some people in just days.  The fund was first set up in 2021 to help households struggling with  energy debt . More here: Link    ——————— Scotland calls for UK-wide social energy tariff Scotland’s national advice service advocates for a UK-wide social energy t
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Debt Talk: Council finance, tax & debt recovery

Birmingham Council went bankrupt and accelerated its debt recovery to collect council tax and other fines by 500% between 2022 and 2023. It was revealed under the Freedom of Information Request. Other councils throughout the United Kingdom also use enforcement agents to recover unpaid debts since many are overstretched with their finances. To highlight the severity of this issue in this month's podcast on Debt Talk, Ripon Ray explored: 'Council finance, tax & debt recovery’. To assist him with the subject, Helen Ganney from Christians Against Poverty explained the challenges the debt advice sector faces in negotiating with some councils when many clients have insufficient funds to pay council tax debts and are in a deficit budget. Yet, there have been challenges with them and their agents to accept minimal payment or to hold enforcement action. She emphasised that many of these agents focus on collecting debts whilst not considering whether some residents can afford to pa

Debt News (Feb 2024)

Monthly Debt News looks at debts and the causes of debts in Britain from various sources selected for professionals to make the debt sector simple. This month’s Debt News includes councils warning MPs the fear of bankruptcy,   MPs recommend councils should not be chasing debters who are unable to afford to pay debts, a rise in enforcement agents by £20% to recover council tax debts, mortgage defaults jump since Christmas and a student chased for a student loan that she had not borrowed. There are also bitesize stats to get an overview of the causes of debts in Britain. You can also catch up with previous Debt Talk podcasts if you have missed them.  ——————— News:  ——————— More than 50 councils warn MPs of bankruptcy fears over emergency housing costs One council said it had seen its emergency housing costs almost quadruple over the last six years  More here: Link  ——————— Council tax – councils should not be chasing arrears from households that can least afford it, say MPs The Governmen

Debt Talk: Gambling & debt

In this month's Debt Talk podcast with Ripon Ray, the subject is: 'Gambling and debt'. To navigate such a sensitive topic, he has experts from academia and gambling therapy. Prof John McAlaney from Bournemouth University speaks about the meaning of gambling, the different types of gambling activities in the UK and how the behaviour of gambling differs based on age and sex. He also explores the role of the Gambling Commission and how the Commission and the British government could be influenced to drive change for the benefit of vulnerable communities who face problem gambling. Kathy Wade from GamCare highlights the types of gamblers they support as part of their broad strategy whilst working with other sectors connected with gambling and debt. She explores the chemicals in the brains of many gamblers, which may cause them to gamble. Many gamblers face unsustainable loss of income as a result of gambling and homelessness. The impact of gambling is not simply on the person

Debt News (Jan 2024)

Monthly Debt News looks at debts and the causes of debts in Britain from various sources selected for professionals to make the debt sector simple. This month’s Debt News in the new year includes the UK’s child poverty highest among the wealthiest nations, rent arrears high in many northern council tenancies, 28% of southern water companies going to service their debts,   Dutch firm challenge ULEZ fine in High Court, Labour considers student loan right off for NHS workers and bitesize stats to get an overview of the causes of debts in Britain. You can also catch up with previous Debt Talk podcasts if you have missed them.  ——————— Debt News ——————— Child poverty levels in the UK worst among world’s richest nations, UNICEF report finds Child income poverty rates in the United Kingdom were the highest among the world's richest countries, a report by U.N. children's agency UNICEF said, ranking bottom of the table for changes in those rates in the past decade. More here: Link  ————

Debt Talk: Debt, housing costs & homelessness (Podcast)

According to Shelter, a homelessness charity, there are 271,000 people recorded as homeless in England of which 123,000 children. To navigate this month’s Debt Talk podcast with Ripon Ray on: ‘ Debt, housing costs and homelessness ', expert panellists who specialise in the benefits system, policy and debt. Deven Ghelani, Founder and Director of Policy in Practice, spoke about the true meaning of homelessness in the UK, and how the current benefit system that was initially ‘designed ‘to simplify things, as it stands, appears not fit for purpose because the current system does not pay sufficient financial assistance to support vulnerable communities who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness. Although he was involved in designing universal credit during its initial policy development, there are wider issues that require discussion, such as the number of homes available and the cost of renting and owning a home. Amy Taylor, Debt Adviser and Chair of the Greater Manchester Mon