Employment Management

After 12 months of coalition government and the rolling out of austerity measures across the UK, the country’s debt problem remains a severe one. With personal debts standing at an average of £16,207 amongst the UK population, the prospects of increased unemployment and high inflation during the coming year do not give cause for optimism. As the struggle against mounting debts continues and rogue debt management companies prey on the vulnerable, calls for tighter regulation of the debt consolidation industry are growing louder, but will the government listen?
Ed Miliband, the leader of the opposition, spoke gravely of the financial pressures on UK families when addressing an audience in London earlier this year.
He said: “We should be in no doubt that the global financial crisis was the product of huge irresponsibility in the banking sector, as governments around the world failed to regulate as they should have done.
“But why was there such a demand for cheap credit? Because wages weren’t keeping up with the pressures on families too many were forced to borrow to finance their living standards. So the squeeze on living standards did not just unfairly impact on those on low and middle incomes, it also built instability into the economy.”
Since making that speech, the instability referred to by Mr Miliband has showed few signs of subsiding. Consumer credit lending remains staggeringly high, with £212 billion being borrowed at the end of February 2011. With unemployment expected to hit 8.2 per cent in 2012, more and more people in the UK face a mountain to climb to pay off their debts.
This climate of financial difficulty has led to a surge in the number of debt management companies reaching out to people facing high levels of debt or bankruptcy, offering advice, consolidation and assistance. But a disturbingly high number of these companies have been seen to exacerbate financial problems by offering poor advice and charging extortionate prices for their services.
The Daily Mirror spoke out against “debt rogues” earlier this year by launching a campaign that called for tighter regulation of the debt management industry.
The campaign’s manifesto read: “Last year the industry charged consumers £250 million with many fee-charging firms ripping off their customers – often promising to pay creditors but keeping the money for themselves.
“Enough is enough. The economic downturn is driving the most vulnerable people towards debt management firms in ever increasing numbers. We can’t let those that abuse the trust placed in them by consumers to get away with it any longer.”
Spared the wrath of the Mirror’s campaign are the services of reputable debt management companies like Payplan, whose mission statement promises not to exploit people in debt, instead helping them work their way to financial health through Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) that are tailored to the needs of the individual.
“Being in debt and experiencing financial problems can be stressful,” reads Payplan’s statement. “Talking it through with friends, family or colleagues may not be easy. We’re impartial and non-judgemental: most of all, we are committed to finding a realistic solution that is right for you, your family and your home.”
Should the government respond to the outcry for tighter regulation of the debt management industry and introduce measures to curb the actions of rogue debt firms, the likes of Payplan could have a hugely important role to play in helping those in debt to find a workable solution.