Debt Matters

If you collect debts in the UK, today’s jobs numbers are a warning light: when unemployment rises and wage growth slows, arrears usually follow. And with credit card borrowing costs hitting fresh highs, the “can’t pay” segment can grow fast. What happened 1. UK unemployment rose to 5.2% in Q4 2025, the highest since early 2021. 2. Youth unemployment (18 to 24) reached 14%, a 5-year high and descri...

Welcome to Debt Matters, the podcast where we turn the latest UK headlines into practical insights on arrears, recovery, and cashflow. Today we’re looking at a fresh consumer confidence survey that suggests UK households are feeling bleak about their finances, with debts rising and savings under pressure and what that means for collections and repayment behaviour. What happened A new S and P Globa...

Welcome to Debt Matters, the UK podcast where we turn the latest headlines into practical insights on arrears, recovery, and cashflow. Today we’re looking at fresh signals that the UK housing market may be stabilising, and what that could mean for debt, repayments, and collections. What happened A new survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests the housing downturn eased in J...

If your household budget is already tight, a bigger council tax bill can be the push that turns “behind this month” into a backlog. For businesses, it can be another pressure point that changes how quickly customers pay. What happened Worcestershire County Council, led by Reform, was given government permission to raise council tax by up to 9% from April 2026, the largest increase in England. It i...

Welcome to Debt Matters, the UK podcast where we turn the week’s biggest economic headlines into practical moves for credit control and debt recovery. The Bank of England is expected to keep interest rates on hold, and that “wait and see” stance matters more for late payments than most people realise. What happened The Bank of England is expected to keep the Bank Rate at 3.75% at its February meet...

UK manufacturing is expanding again. That sounds positive, but for anyone dealing with late payments, the detail matters: more orders can also mean more working-capital strain and more invoice disputes. What happened S&P Global’s UK Manufacturing PMI rose to 51.8 in January 2026 (up from 50.6 in December) — the strongest reading since August 2024. New orders improved, export demand picked up,...

The Treasury has announced a business rates support package worth more than £80m a year for pubs and live music venues in England and Wales, after industry backlash to planned reforms. The Exchequer Secretary said every pub will get 15% off its new business rates bill from 1 April, worth about £1,650 for the average pub next year. Bills are then expected to be frozen in real terms for a further 2...

Today we’re unpacking a big UK credit headline: the Government says the UK’s major banks have agreed a £11 billion lending push aimed at small and mid-sized businesses, with UK Export Finance (UKEF) guaranteeing up to 80% of eligible loans. If you collect B2B debt, manage credit control, or run a business that lives and dies by cashflow, this matters. When fresh credit enters the system, it change...

Welcome to Debt Matters, the UK debt collection podcast where we turn the news into practical takeaways for creditors, collectors, and credit teams. The government has shelved the long-promised audit reform package and that can ripple through credit risk, recoveries, and late-payment behaviour. What happened The Department for Business and Trade has decided not to consult on the planned audit refo...

Welcome to Debt Matters. If you collect consumer debt in the UK, this story matters: more credit union lending and saving could mean fewer people falling into high-cost borrowing, but it could also change who gets paid first when budgets tighten. What happened Labour MPs have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves urging a major expansion of UK credit unions to widen access to cheaper, community-base...

Rate Cuts and the New Landscape of Debt Recovery Welcome to Debt Matters, the UK podcast where we break down the news that shapes collections, credit control, and cashflow. Today we are looking at comments from Bank of England policymaker Alan Taylor, who says rates are set to fall further as inflation drops. What happened Taylor said the Bank of England should be able to keep cutting interest rat...

Rights to £20m of debt switches hands after a collections firm fell into administration If you outsource collections, you are not just outsourcing phone calls and letters. You are outsourcing a critical part of your cashflow engine. This week’s story is a perfect case study: a collections firm entered administration, and the rights to collect more than £20m of debt have now been sold to another ag...

Phoenix recruitment firms and unpaid tax bills: what “phoenixism” means for creditors and collections Welcome to Debt Matters, the UK podcast for credit control, collections, and cashflow risk. Today we’re unpacking “phoenixism” in recruitment: when a firm goes into insolvency, leaves debts behind, and a new company continues the trade under connected parties. What happened Multiple recruitment bu...

UK credit card borrowing rises at fastest annual rate in almost 2 years Welcome to Debt Matters, the podcast where we turn UK headlines into practical takeaways for credit, collections, and recoveries teams. Today we are looking at fresh Bank of England data showing a sharp jump in consumer borrowing, with credit cards leading the way. We will break down what happened, why it matters for arrears r...

FCA closes 100 probes to sharpen enforcement focus Intro Welcome back to Debt Matters, the UK podcast where we break down the news shaping credit control, collections, and recoveries. Today: the Financial Conduct Authority has been clearing out its enforcement backlog, closing 100 investigations, and it’s changing what “regulatory risk” looks like for lenders, brokers, and the firms that serve the...

Tackling the Council Tax Debt Tightrope: Better Outcomes Without Fear Intro Welcome back to Debt Matters, the UK podcast for debt collection and credit control professionals. Today we’re looking at a challenge many councils are living with: how do you protect revenue for local services while avoiding collection practices that drive residents further into crisis? What the article says In The MJ, St...

UK scraps the £100 contactless limit from 19 March 2026 - convenience, fraud risk, and the knock-on for debt Welcome to Debt Matters - the podcast that turns UK money headlines into practical takeaways for debt collection, credit control, and anyone trying to stay on top of bills. From 19 March 2026, the UK’s £100 contactless card limit is being scrapped. The regulator is giving banks and card pro...

UK company insolvencies: November 2025 figures and what they mean for credit control In this episode of Debt Matters, we break down the Insolvency Service’s latest company insolvency statistics for November 2025 and translate the numbers into practical actions for debt collection and credit control teams. England and Wales recorded 1,866 registered company insolvencies in November 2025. That was 8...

UK Company Insolvencies (October 2025) - Compulsory Liquidations Jump, CVLs Still Dominant: What It Means for Collections In this episode of Debt Matters, we break down the Insolvency Service’s latest company insolvency commentary for October 2025 and translate the stats into practical actions for debt collection and credit control teams. Key headline: England and Wales recorded 2,029 registered c...

UK car finance redress: why 2026 payouts could slip, and what collections teams should watch Welcome back to Debt Matters. Today we’re covering a UK story that could reshape complaints handling, customer contact, and arrears management across motor finance: the FCA’s planned compensation scheme for car finance customers and warnings that payouts expected in 2026 could be delayed. What’s the story?...

UK Government Plans £600m Debt Collection Framework In this episode of Debt Matters, we break down a public-sector pipeline notice that debt collection and credit control professionals should have on their radar: Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has signalled a new “Managed Debt Collection Services” framework. This is not the tender launch yet. A pipeline notice is an early market signal that a proc...

Home movers in Great Britain could get just £30 of energy use without account Home movers in Great Britain could soon have about 2 weeks to set up an energy account before the lights go out. That’s the warning behind a new Ofgem consultation aimed at tackling record levels of gas and electricity debt and it has big implications for households, suppliers, and anyone dealing with arrears. In this ep...

UK labour market data is starting to look softer, and that matters for anyone dealing with arrears, cashflow pressure, or debt recovery. New figures show UK unemployment rising to 5.1% (Aug–Oct 2025), the highest level since early 2021. At the same time, wage growth is cooling: regular pay (excluding bonuses) slowed to 4.6%, while total pay (including bonuses) eased to 4.7%. PAYE real-time estimat...

BBRS enters liquidation: what a failed banking redress scheme means for SME cash flow and your debtor book Welcome to Debt Matters, the UK podcast where we turn business news into practical credit-control and debt-collection moves. Today we’re talking about the Business Banking Resolution Service, or BBRS, which has entered voluntary liquidation. What happene BBRS was set up in 2021 to help small...

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act – What The New DWP Codes Mean For Debt And Welfare Welcome to Debt Matters, the show where we unpack the stories behind debt, collections and credit control in the UK. In this episode we break down an important new consultation from the Department for Work and Pensions under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025. The DWP is a...