Media Centre

Recent blogs

A positive step towards a fairer, better-regulated enforcement sector

Peter Tutton, Director of Policy, Research and Public Affairs: The enforcement industry handles close to 8 million cases a year. In total, it recovers around £1 billion of debt, largely owed to public bodies. One in ten StepChange clients report facing enforcement action by bailiffs, which rises to three in ten for those in council tax arrears. These interactions touch on the lives of many financially vulnerable people every single day. As such, we have long made the case for the enforcement sector to be placed under a statutory regulator, to ensure this form of debt recovery is approached fairly and does not push people into deeper hardship.

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Recent media coverage

• Simon Trevethick, Head of Media and Social Change, spoke to the Independent for a piece on balancing paying down debt and building savings. Simon gave consumer advice about managing repayments, priority debts, and emergency savings.
• Vikki Brownridge, Chief Executive Officer, had her latest column in the Big Issue focused on our recent policy briefing on credit card usage.
• Vikki’s latest Yorkshire Post column focused on the school holidays and financial pressures, with consumer advice for readers.
• Vanessa Northam, Partnerships Director, was quoted in the Daily Record and the Daily Express regarding changes to Scottish Power's energy billing system.
• Vanessa was quoted in the BBC News write up of the change in the energy price cap, as the cap rises 4%p to over £1,700 for a typical household.
• Vanessa also spoke to Colletta Smith in Media City UK, Manchester. In a pre-recorded interview, she called on the Government to introduce a social tariff to support those struggling with their energy bills and spoke to our average level of energy arrears. This interview was reused across the BBC network in 1pm and 10pm news shows.
• Vanessa also spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live, in conversation with Laura McGhie. In a consumer friendly interview, she spoke to the price cap rise itself, gave consumer advice to listeners worried about their bills, and spoke consumer pressures.
• Our reaction to the bailiff regulation changes was written up in the Mirror and in the Yorkshire Post.
• We worked closely with BBC Radio 4’s Money Box to support their coverage of the bailiff changes, with Vikki giving an interview which also featured across the BBC network more widely.