The APPG on Debt and Personal Finance has published ‘Tackling high-cost credit – how better regulation can protection vulnerable consumers’.  This is the APPG’s official response to the Financial Conduct Authority’s call for input on high-cost credit including review of the high-cost short-term price cap.

The APPG’s publication follows a seminar on the FCA’s call for input on 8 February 2017. Guest speakers at the event were Christopher Woolard, Financial Conduct Authority executive Board member and Director of Strategy and Competition at the regulator; and Hugh Stickland, Chief Economist at Citizens Advice.

Read the APPG’s response to the FCA’s High Cost Credit call for input.

On 2 November 2016, the APPG brought together council representatives, advice agencies and MPs to discuss how Council Tax debt collection practices can be improved.

Joanna Elson from Money Advice Trust introduced the subject. Debt advice charities have shown how councils are often too quick to send bailiffs round for unpaid Council Tax. The charity’s Stop the Knock campaign shows over 1.27 million Council Tax debts were referred to enforcement in 2014/15. This was in spite of government guidance saying bailiffs should only ever be used as a last resort. Continue reading Seminar on ‘A fairer approach to Council Tax debt collection’ →

On 3 March 2016 the APPG held a joint meeting with the APPG on Credit Unions to discuss how the Government can help low income groups to save.

Robin Walker MP introduced the event, citing the Prime Minister’s speech in January announcing the Government’s intention to launch a ‘help to save’ initiative at Budget 2016. He remarked at how he was struck by the transformative power of small scale savings for people’s life chances. Continue reading Seminar on savings for low-income families →

On 9 December 2015 the APPG held a meeting to discuss the Financial Conduct Authority’s credit card market study.

At a well-attended meeting, the Group heard first from Mary Starks, who is Director of Competition at the FCA and responsible for the Study. While she said that the market was working ‘fairly well’ for consumers, she raised concerns over the extent of unaffordable credit card debt. Continue reading Seminar on FCA’s Credit Card Market Study – interim report →

On 14 July 2015 the APPG held a Financial Fair, a drop-in event for MPs and Peers to find out more about organisations helping people to manage their money and deal with financial problems. Guests speakers included Treasury Minister Damian Hinds MP and Martin Lewis, Editor of MoneySavingExpert.com.

On 9 December 2014 the APPG held an oral evidence session of the Group’s inquiry into the Rent to Own sector. MPs heard evidence from: Financial Conduct Authority; BrightHouse, PerfectHome and Buy As You View; Thrive, the Centre for Responsible Credit and RTO social enterprise, FairForYou.  Read the full evidence session transcript.

On 24 November 2014 the APPG held a meeting with with The Children’s Society to explore the impact of household debt on children and rally support for amendments to the Consumer Rights Bill that would restrict payday loan advertising targeted at children and introduce a ban on the unsolicited marketing of payday loans.