THE LANDSCAPE of PERSONAL DEBT in the UK Jess Cook
Surviving the Wilderness THE LANDSCAPE OF PERSONAL DEBT IN THE UK Jess Cook November 2020 1 Introduction Key Recommendations As is the case with so many areas of modern life, low-income 1. Government should bring and vulnerable households are disproportionately affected by personal debt. “The poorest 10% of households have debts three forward Breathing Space times bigger than the value of the assets they own, while the top and extend the respite 10% have total wealth – property, pensions, and other assets – period offered worth 35 times larger than their debt” (BBC, 2019). Manageable levels of personal debt are not cause for major concern. As debt levels become unmanageable, with unrealistic 2. The UK Government should repayment plans, and are taken out for spending with no lasting make contributions for value, a household may be moving into ‘problem debt’ (Experian, 2019). Defined as being unable to pay debts or other household payment matching schemes bills, problem debt is closely related to many wider problems in people’s lives, including “financial exclusion, family breakdown, and poor physical, and mental, health” (Citizens Advice, 2016). 3. Consistent ‘Ability to Personal debt levels in the UK have fluctuated significantly in Pay’ and debt collection recent years, yet in early 2020 household debt was reported to principles should be be 31% higher than the peak before the 2008 financial crisis (TUC, implemented across all 2020). It has been widely acknowledged as a precarious position, both for lenders and borrowers, with increasing concerns about utilities the economic impacts of the global Covid-19 pandemic. “It is clear, that the UK is now in the largest recession on record”, almost 3.7 times larger than the 2008 financial crisis (Office for National Statistics, 2020).
[Show full text]