Ripon Ray phoned in on LBC on Shelagh Fogarty’s show this afternoon to explain how he campaigned against the introduction of student loans during the initial period when the Labour government introduced tuition fees and removed student grants in the 1990s. His partner received full student grants, but by the time he started studying he had to take out loans to cover tuition fees and living costs. It took him over 20 years to pay off his debts. These included not only student loans, but also money owed to credit card companies and friends. This is his story!

  January is hard. The celebrations are over, the bills have arrived, and for many of us, savings have quietly disappeared. As we wait, often painfully, for the next pay cheque, January becomes the month of fresh starts, New Year’s resolutions, and, if we’re honest, a few broken promises. I’m Ripon Ray, your host, and in this episode of the Debt Talk Podcast, we focus on January Financial Planning and how money is closely linked to the promises we make to ourselves at the start of the year. To help us navigate the challenges of January 2026, I’m joined by three expert guests: Shakira Taylor, a fitness instructor working on the frontline, shares insights on staying active and motivated beyond January. She reminds us that fitness isn’t just about quick wins; sustainable, gradual progress is what leads to lasting health and real rewards. Joe Marley from Alcohol Change talks about Dry January, alcohol habits, and wellbeing. He shares practical tools, including the Alcohol Change app, a...

Debt Talk CIC publishes its first report Breaking Point to Breaking Through reveals a hidden debt crisis affecting Bangladeshi Londoners, based on community consultations with over 45 residents, frontline workers and statutory organisations in Tower Hamlets. Despite 63% of Bangladeshi Londoners living in poverty, there is no dedicated, culturally responsive debt advice service for this community. The report shows how shame and honour (izzat), faith-based barriers to interest, informal lending, remittance pressures and intergenerational trauma combine to push families into crisis before they seek help. Participants were clear: mainstream debt services are not working. Generic advice, interest-based solutions, digital-only access and short-term funding models exclude Bangladeshi lived realities. The report outlines community-designed solutions, including Bengali-speaking advisors, trauma-informed and faith-aware support, Shariah-compliant credit pathways, holistic debt and wellbeing sup...

As we move into the next episode of the Debt Talk podcast, 'Financial Abuse & Our Communities', we do so against the backdrop of growing public concern about domestic abuse in the UK—particularly the recent cases where coercive control, economic exploitation and intimate partner violence have escalated into fatal harm. This makes our conversation with front-line experts even more urgent. Dr Clare Wiper , Assistant Professor in Criminology at Northumbria University and co-author of the report “Designing Out Economic Abuse in the UK’s Banking Industry: A Call for Action”, highlights how deeply financial systems can compound the risks victims face. She stresses that many of the changes required to protect survivors are not radical—but depend on professionals asking the right questions, recognising red flags, and putting effective, trauma-informed safeguards in place, especially when victims are trying to separate financially from an abuser. Helen Ganney from Christians Ag...

  In this month’s Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explores one of the most pressing challenges in modern Britain: the real cost of digital inclusion. As technology becomes central to everyday life, what happens to those left behind? How do we bring marginalised communities into the digital mainstream without deepening inequality or compromising privacy? Joining the conversation is Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, who unpacks what true digital inclusion means in today’s society. From a student needing online tools for geography lessons to individuals struggling to upload documents or access essential services, Elizabeth illustrates the profound impact of being digitally excluded. She reveals staggering figures on how many people remain disconnected and the steep social and economic cost of bridging that divide. Elizabeth also delves into the government’s proposed digital ID initiative, raising critical questions about the price of inclusion and the potential e...

Dear Friends of Debt Talk, You are warmly invited to take part in a landmark community consultation and lunch to help establish the first-ever Bangladeshi-led Debt Advice Service in the UK, funded by Tower Hamlets Council. Detailed agenda to follow soon. Currently, no debt advice service represents the Bangladeshi community. Many residents continue to face financial struggles without a service that fully understands their cultural, linguistic, and social needs. The urgency of this work is clear. Many of us are still living with the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which left deep scars through job losses, debt, and financial insecurity. These struggles have been compounded by structural inequalities that disproportionately affect Bangladeshi and other minority communities in Tower Hamlets. This consultation is about ensuring that the new service is shaped by the very people it is meant to serve, so it reflects their lived experiences and provides the right kind of suppo...