Influencing policy

Central and local government debt collection practices lag significantly behind best practice seen in financial services and other creditor sectors. We are working hard to improve fairness in government debt management, by presenting evidence from our services, developing recommendations for change and working directly with central and local government. Along with our partners in the Taking Control group of charities, we are also campaigning for bailiff reform, including for the Enforcement Conduct Board to be given statutory powers. 

The debt options and solutions available to people in problem debt have evolved in a piecemeal fashion over the decades – and we believe a review of the debt options landscape is long overdue.

High energy prices have had a significant impact on low-income households and energy debt is at a record high. We’ve been campaigning for a Help to Repay scheme, to offer households support to reduce their energy debt through debt relief and repayment matching, as well as supporting calls for an energy social tariff. 

We use our evidence and expertise from running Business Debtline, the UK’s only dedicated free debt advice service for small business owners, to secure change for this crucial sector of the economy. Our influencing work includes pressing for greater government action on late payments , as well as our Building up Business programme, supported by Aviva, to build the financial confidence and resilience of small business owners.

As one of the UK’s largest debt advice charities we are a respected voice in issues of policy and regulation in financial services, energy, water and other creditor sectors. We produce dozens of responses to consultations and calls for evidence every year, and engage heavily with the FCA, Ofgem, Ofwat as well as credit industry trade bodies and individual firms – all with an aim of improving the UK’s money and debt environment for people in financial difficulty.