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Debt Talk: Indebted with buy now pay later products

One of the important changes in the last decade is the rise in the consumption of products and services on Buy Now Pay Later, as many low-income households are using these products to buy household items. In this month’s Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray discusses ‘Indebted with Buy Now Pay products’. To address this pressing subject, Sean Breen from the  Consumer Council for Northern Ireland and Gulsah T from Bromley Citizens Advice Bureaux Limited highlight some of the issues faced by communities struggling with buy-now-pay-later products and services. Sean Breen , Director of Financial and Postal Service from the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland , explains that, based on their research, most consumers are from low-income households. They are already struggling with their finances and must be made aware of the consequences of non-payment, such as not being covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service Compensation Scheme. Many of them are also prone to being attracted to ill
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Debt News (Sept 2024)

Monthly Debt News looks at debts and the causes of debts in Britain from sources selected for professionals to make the debt sector simple.   This month’s Debt News will look at Scottish councils raising bankruptcy threats, lack of income can increase council tax for Birmingham, a mother’s universal credit stopped after giving an appointment at a closed office,   an attacker tried murdering over a debt, a council was fined for taking a man to court for council tax. Labour pushes for regulating Buy Now Pay Later.   You can find national data to look at the causes of debts in the UK.  ——————— NEWS  ——————— Scottish councils raise bankruptcy threat over SNP demand to maintain teacher numbers Scottish council chiefs have warned the SNP’s determination to maintain teacher numbers could help push local authorities to the brink of bankruptcy. More here: Link  ——————- Lack of confidence council can balance books Commissioners overseeing Birmingham City Council's financial crisis are "

Debt Talk: Carers & benefit overpayment (Podcast)

Thousands of unpaid carers have been fined due to falling foul of earnings rules in the UK. Some of them also faced prosecution. The Department of Work and Pension (DWP) is recovering the overpayment of carers’ allowance from their existing benefit or salaries. On this month’s Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored: ‘ Carers & benefit overpayment’ with distinguished guests from a funder and civil society organisations. Rory Ewan , Senior Analyst from Policy in Practice, spoke about financial and non-financial challenges carers face in the UK. He explained the nature of carers’ role and how they have fallen foul of the criteria for carers allowance. He also explains how income received under carers allowance is different from universal credit. Universal credit has a taper system where carers lose the whole of their allowance if they earn a pound above the legal threshold. The DWP then use drastic enforcement action to recover the debt which leaves carers in further poverty and with s

Debt News (Aug 2024)

    Monthly Debt News looks at debts and the causes of debts in Britain from a variety of sources selected for professionals to make the debt sector transparent.   This month’s Debt News post-election edition looks at Labour scraps Winter Fuel payment, the regulation of By Now Pay Later products,   rise in student debts,  repayment of overpayment of benefits, Thames Water breaches licencing and councils near bankruptcy over special needs spending. You can also find bite-size data to look at the causes of debts in the UK.  ——————— Labour scraps Winter Fuel Payments for millions of pensioners Rachel Reeves is to remove Winter Fuel Payments for millions of pensioners in a bid to plug the £22bn funding gap left behind by the Conservatives. Who is affected? More here: Link  ——————— UK Ready to Move on Regulating BNPL Following the lead of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the U.S., Britain’s new Labour government is preparing to impose new regulations on the UK’s buy now, pay late

Debt Talk: Leasehold & charges (podcast)

The Labour Party 's landslide victory in the General Election raises questions about what the policy development will be for leaseholders' benefit in the United Kingdom. In this month’s Debt Talk podcast with Ripon Ray , three distinguished individuals share their knowledge on another important subject: ' Leasehold & charges ’. Suz Muna from the Social Housing Action Campaign says that renting and leasehold are two sides of the same coin where leaseholders are very much trapped in an exploitative situation from developers, freeholders, and management companies. Many of the leaseholders are living in unsalable homes whilst service charges are rocketing up. She argues for the abolition of leaseholds. Nicholas Kissen , senior adviser and a solicitor at the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) , explained the rights leaseholders may have against stakeholders when there are high charges, bad behaviour and cladding in properties. Matt Connell , Director of Policy and Public