Debt Talk

As the winter unfolds, there is going to be an inevitable increase in fuel bills due to the high usage of gas and electricity especially for those who are on prepayment meter. During this time, the fuel cost is also to go up and access to fuel support is to be removed for pensioners who are not on pension credit by the current government. In this month’s Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray spoke about: 'Pensioners & winter fuel payment'. To navigate the subject, two panellists took part on the podcast to raise awareness of the impact of removal of Winter Fuel Allowance. Ian Samuel, a pensioner, and a Labour Party member shared his personal experience of not getting the support in this winter and his fear that many other pensioners, who already struggled with existing system, are to find themselves in further financial hardship. As a former social worker, he heard first-hand how low income pensioners struggled with prepayment meters whilst on pension credit. Recently he had a health scare which made him feel the vulnerability of being a single man living on his own. He wrote to his Member of Parliament and passionately campaigned against the removal of Winter Fuel Allowance. He explained how several councils have set up local hubs to encourage the uptake of pension credit. Matthew Cole, Head of the Fuel Bank Foundation recognised the need for the government to manage public finances. However, he was not convinced whether this was the right way to go about do it. He explained that the measure was implemented without exploring the impact it would have on low income pensioners who would miss out by just a £1 over the threshold. He emphasised that the government could have explored the tapering system as is the case with universal credit, a means tested benefit for working age population. Regardless of the stigma attached, he emphasised the importance of claiming pension credit because it would give access to other financial support, such as council reduction and housing benefit from local councils. Both panel members also provided TOP TIPS to Debt Talk Listeners to address the challenges faced by pensioners for this winter. My Debt Talk podcast is on: ‘Scammers and fraudsters target vulnerable communities’.

One of the important changes in the last decade is the rise in the consumption of products and services on Buy Now Pay Later, as many low-income households are using these products to buy household items. In this month’s Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray discusses ‘Indebted with Buy Now Pay products’. To address this pressing subject, Sean Breen from the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland and Gulsah T from Bromley Citizens Advice highlight some of the issues faced by communities struggling with buy-now-pay-later products and services. Sean Breen, Director of Financial and Postal Service from the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland, explains that, based on their research, most consumers are from low-income households. They are already struggling with their finances and must be made aware of the consequences of non-payment, such as not being covered by the Financial Ombudsman Compensation Scheme. Many of them are also prone to being attracted to illegal money lenders. Gulsah T, Head of Advice Services, at Bromley Citizens Advice, highlights the changes in the types of clients they see. Where among many debts, they have seen an increase in young people purchasing buy now pay later and how education is crucial in highlighting the cost of default in payment of buy now pay later can be to the individual credit rating and a claim in court since the Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate them. The next podcast is on ‘Pensioners & winter fuel payment’.

Thousands of unpaid carers have been fined due to falling foul of earnings rules in the UK. Some of them also faced prosecution. The Department of Work and Pension (DWP) is recovering the overpayment of carers’ allowance from their existing benefit or salaries. On this month’s Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored: ‘Carers & benefit overpayment’ with distinguished guests from a funder and civil society organisations. Rory Ewan, Senior Analyst from Policy in Practice, spoke about financial and non-financial challenges carers face in the UK. He explained the nature of carers’ role and how they have fallen foul of the criteria for carers allowance. He also describes how income received under carers allowance is different from universal credit. Universal credit has a taper system where carers lose the whole of their allowance if they earn a pound above the legal threshold. The DWP then use drastic enforcement action to recover the debt which leaves carers in further poverty and with some faced with criminal prosecution. Abby Jitendra, Senior Policy Adviser from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) explained the UK's carers' state. They are mostly women, low-paid and deemed to fall within the vulnerability category. JRF carried out several research into the causes of poverty and carers and they are financially penalised for caring and also marginalised from the labour market leaving them with insecurity. Abby also highlighted the importance of changes in the benefits system to support carers in the long term. Both panel members provided Debt Talk listeners with TOP TIPS to consider policy change to improve the lives of carers in the UK. My next podcast is on: 'Indebted with By Now Pay Later products.’

Labour's landslide victory in the General Election raises questions about what the policy development will be for leaseholders' benefit in the United Kingdom. In this month’s Debt Talk podcast with Ripon Ray, three distinguished individuals share their knowledge on another important subject, ‘Leasehold & charges’. Suz Muna from the Social Housing Action Campaign says that renting and leasehold are two sides of the same coin where leaseholders are very much trapped in an exploitative situation from developers, freeholders, and management companies. Many of the leaseholders are living in unsalable homes whilst service charges are rocketing up. She argues for the abolition of leaseholds. Nicolas Kissen, senior adviser and a solicitor at the Leasehold Advisory Service, explained the rights leaseholders may have against stakeholders when there are high charges, bad behaviour and cladding in properties. Matthew Connell, Director of Policy and Public Affairs for the Personal Finance Society emphasised exploring different insurance and service products for leaseholders and explaining free money advice when leaseholders need support. They also provided TOP TIPS to the new Labour government to make policy changes to improve the conditions for leaseholders who are struggling with service charges. The next podcast on Debt Talk is on: 'Carers & benefit Overpayment'. If you want to get involved, get in touch with Ripon Ray - ripon.ray@yourdoctordebt.com

Thames Water considered a rise of 40% whilst its parent company is on the verge of liquidation. Southern Water requested Ofwat last October to increase its bill to consumers by 66% on top of the rise in inflation. In this month's Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored 'UK waters & our bills’. Eugenio Vaccari - Senior Lecturer from Royal Holloway, London, who researches sustainable restructuring procedures, explored the legal framework in which Thames Water and its parent company work and the potential challenges faced from the perspective of shareholders, government and sustainability of the water companies for the public interest. Andrew White - Senior leader for Social Policy of the Council for Consumer Water which represents the interest of consumers in the water sector explained the the impact of the rise in cost for vulnerable communities and explained that there is a genuine need to have a social tariff to support struggling consumers. He also explained how important it is to collaborate to raise awareness of the cost of water while there are families with deficit budgets. My panel members have also provided TOPS TIPS to listeners to drive changes as the general election looks in the UK. My next podcast is on: ‘Leasehold & Charges.’

Another thought-provoking podcast on Debt Talk is ‘Poverty & ethnicity premium’. This time, leading experts from academia, think tanks, debt advice, and funders spoke about issues that matter in financial services. Maria Booker from Fair By Design explained the poverty premium and how communities are paying more and being financially discriminated against because many can’t afford to pay by direct debit and are also on low incomes. This is particularly the case with paying for insurance and fuel or customers who pay a fee for withdrawing cash from a cashpoint when they have no alternative option. Sara Davies from Bristol University explored how many customers are directly impacted by services in the retail finance sector based on her research on those digitally excluded or affected by disability. However, when one product has been regulated, others seem to come into the market to exploit vulnerable customers. Jerry, during MBE from Money A&E, passionately spoke about how direct and indirect discrimination exists when the system disadvantages minority communities. He emphasised that Muslim South Asian communities may find that financial products are not Sharia compliant and the Afro-Carribean community may end up paying more towards mortgages compared to their white counterparts. He argued for representing such communities in product development processes to drive change. Ayesha Begum from Fair4All Finance, which published ‘Levelling the playing field—Building inclusive access to financial services for people from minority ethnic groups’, explained that minority communities face multiple barriers and exclusion in financial services while also experiencing frequent financial shocks compared to their white counterparts. When mainstream lenders do not support some minority communities, they turn to their community or fintech companies due to a lack of trust from mainstream lenders. My guests also provided TOP TIPS to listeners of Debt Talk for regulators, policymakers, customers and businesses. The following podcast will be on ‘UK Waters & Our Bills.’ Thank you for listening to the Debt Talk podcast with your host, Ripon Ray.

Introducing Consumer Duty principles by the Financial Conduct Authority resulted in a dramatic shift from treating customers fairly to focusing on customer outcomes, which requires a readjustment of thinking for many regulated firms in Britain. To navigate such an insightful subject on the Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray invited distinguished experts from research and consultancy, debt recovery, and the advice sector. Kathy Ellison from Savanta, a research and consultancy firm, explained how some regulated firms had changed their governance structure, consumer terms and conditions, communications and marketing, and in dealing with vulnerable consumers. Savanta's research showed that although many firms have significantly addressed regulatory expectations to benefit consumers, some work is still needed to improve consumer outcomes. Bob Winnington of the Money Advice Liaison Group emphasised the importance of delivering world-class service. He explained how the group brought different regulated communities within the financial services market together to encourage firms to share best practices in a highly competitive environment. Alex Pitcher from Step Change emphasised that Consumer Duty enabled them to revisit their consumer advice journey through the organisational process. They had to explore diverse ways of communicating with their clients whilst considering their client profiles and meeting regulated funders' expectations to demonstrate how their mission is aligned with the best outcome for consumers in debt advice. They also provided TOP TIPS to listeners who require extra support and firms struggling with implementation today. The following podcast is as pressing as the current one. It is on 'Poverty and ethnicity premium'. If you want to provide feedback on the content of this and other podcasts, do not hesitate to contact Ripon Ray: ripon.ray@yourdoctordebt.com

Birmingham Council went bankrupt and accelerated its debt recovery to collect council tax and other fines by 500% between 2022 and 2023. It was revealed under the Freedom of Information Request. Other councils throughout the United Kingdom also use enforcement agents to recover unpaid debts since many are overstretched with their finances. To highlight the severity of this issue in this month's podcast on Debt Talk, Ripon Ray explored: 'Council finance, tax & debt recovery’. To assist him with the subject, Helen Ganney from Christians Against Poverty explained the challenges the debt advice sector faces in negotiating with some councils when many clients have insufficient funds to pay council tax debts and are in a deficit budget. Yet, there have been challenges with them and their agents to accept minimal payment or to hold enforcement action. She emphasised that many of these agents focus on collecting debts whilst not considering whether some residents can afford to pay. Russell Hamblin-Boone from the Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) looked at the causes of the intensification of recovery of many councils and, most importantly, the causes of the Birmingham Council going bankrupt and its debt recovery. He explained that as part of the commercial agreements with councils with private enforcement agents, enforcement agents are required to identify client vulnerability and provide welfare support as part of the agreement. He emphasised that enforcement agents don’t get a commission from council tax recovery but only a set fee. To standardise the behaviour of the enforcement sector, however, CIVEA proactively funded the set up of an independent regulatory body to make sure the enforcement sector works for all. Chris Nichols recently joined the newly founded Enforcement Conduct Board as CEO to make sure the Board works for the public interest. As part of developing a framework to ensure the enforcement market is fit for purpose, it creates a robust and accountable governance structure and complaints system to ensure any complaints against an enforcement agent are investigated fairly. He emphasised that input from the debt advice, enforcement agents, vulnerable communities, and other stakeholders is crucial to keeping the enforcement sector accountable. They also provided TOP TIPS to assist Debt Talk listeners in conversing on such a charged and tense subject. On the next Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray will cover: 'Consumer duty & debt updates’.

In this month's Debt Talk podcast with Ripon Ray, the subject is: 'Gambling and debt'. To navigate such a sensitive topic, he has experts from academia and gambling therapy. Prof John McAlaney from Bournemouth University speaks about the meaning of gambling, the different types of gambling activities in the UK and how the behaviour of gambling differs based on age and sex. He also explores the role of the Gambling Commission and how the Commission and the British government could be influenced to drive change for the benefit of vulnerable communities who face problem gambling. Kathy Wade from GamCare highlights the types of gamblers they support as part of their broad strategy whilst working with other sectors connected with gambling and debt. She explores the chemicals in the brains of many gamblers, which may cause them to gamble. Many gamblers face unsustainable loss of income as a result of gambling and homelessness. The impact of gambling is not simply on the person who risks but also on their family and friends. They also provide TOP TIPS to Debt Talk to support regulators, companies, and voluntary sectors in making policy decisions for the benefit of vulnerable communities. My next episode will be on 'Local government finance, tax and debt'.

According to Shelter, a homelessness charity, there are 271,000 people recorded as homeless in England of which 123,000 children. To navigate this month’s Debt Talk podcast with Ripon Ray on: ‘Debt, housing costs and homelessness', expert panellists who specialise in the benefits system, policy and debt. Deven Ghelani, Founder and Director of Policy in Practice, spoke about the true meaning of homelessness in the UK, and how the current benefit system that was initially ‘designed ‘to simplify things, as it stands, appears not fit for purpose because the current system does not pay sufficient financial assistance to support vulnerable communities who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness. Although he was involved in designing universal credit during its initial policy development, there are wider issues that require discussion, such as the number of homes available and the cost of renting and owning a home. Amy Taylor, Debt Adviser and Chair of the Greater Manchester Money Advice Group, spoke about how local governments are on the verge of collapsing due to cuts from the central government, the demand for temporary accommodation getting higher each year and they also have to prioritise services. She emphasised that many migrants are evicted from hostels and they are also left destitute and homeless. She also explored the impact debts can have on getting onto the property ladder - either as a tenant or homebuyer - home due to the impact debts can have on someone's credit rating. Social landlords may emphasise that prospective tenants pay previous rent arrears to their social landlord before providing prospective tenants with a new home. They also provided TOP TIPS to my listeners to address some of the homelessness-related challenges to vulnerable communities and professionals. The next podcast is to cover: ‘Gambling and debt’. If you want to hear a specific subject on the Debt Talk podcast, you can get in touch with Ripon Ray: ripon.ray@yourdoctordebt.com or Twitter: YourDoctorDebt.

Mainstream lenders are here to stay. It does not mean we are not seeing a variety of lenders in the financial market. In this month's podcast on Debt Talk, Ripon Ray spoke about: 'Alternative lending & debt'. To navigate the subject, there were experts from financial inclusion and debt. Gareth Evens - Co-founder and director of the Financial Inclusion Centre - spoke about the variety of lenders and the make-up of lenders in the United Kingdom. He explored the relevance of alternative lenders, such as the role of local credit unions within the consumer credit market, the benefit of such lenders compared to mainstream lenders and the obligation of any lenders when dealing with vulnerable consumers in financial difficulties whilst considering affordability to borrow. Sam Nurse - CEO of Money Advice Hub & Zeus Design Hub - spoke about the importance of living within your means and that lenders should carry out affordability assessments and treat consumers fairly at every step. She emphasised that some debt advisers need clarification about ways to identify illegal lenders. Yet there is help at hand from the Illegal Lending Team. Debt Talk panellists also provided Debt Talk listeners with TOPS TIPS for those considering approaching lenders just before Christmas. The next Debt Talk podcast is on: 'Housing costs & homelessness'

As we head towards another winter, the cost of electricity and gas will yet again be of concern for many households. Ripon Ray spoke with a savvy pensioner and a Fuel Poverty Action representative to address such an important issue on this Debt Talk podcast episode to explore the causes of the fuel crisis. Barry Duckett, a local pensioner in South London, spoke about the challenges he and many pensioners fear in the coming winter due to the existing fuel cost. Yet, no government subsidy support is being provided to them compared to last winter. Chia Harrington explained the causes of the rise in fuel cost and some of the strategic decisions many fuel suppliers had made by putting prepayment meters in many vulnerable households. This resulted in OFGEM developing tighter guidelines to support susceptible consumers and strong supervision measures. She questioned the relevance of social tariffs within the broader context of fuel poverty. They also provided TOP TIPS to Debt Talk listeners. Next Debt Talk podcast, the subject matter: 'Alternative lending & debt'.

One in 422 adults entered insolvency between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023. The economic factor is crucial in considering bankruptcy for many individuals, particularly when personal Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA) and Debt Relief Orders (DRO) are concerned. In this episode of the Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored: ‘DRO or IVA? That is really the question...’ Sara Williams, the founder of Debt Camel, began the conversation by looking at the history of bankruptcy and IVA leading up to the introduction of DRO in 2009, the commercial drive for many IVA providers to solely provide the only option who do not consider the interest of consumers through to its sales tactics and providing misleading information to entice consumers. There are early IVAs termination due to unsustainability for many low-income households. She also provided recommendations for short and long-term changes to regulations to consider for the interest of indebted communities. Kevin Still is the CEO of the Debt Managers Standards Association (DEMSA), a trade body for debt solution providers. He emphasised the importance of coming together and tightening the quality and compliance framework to eliminate harmful practices. He recognised that community-free advice providers are essential in holistically delivering impartial service. Both panellists provided TOP TIPS for listeners on such an important topic. The next topic is: 'The cost of fuel'.

There are 17.5 million people in financially vulnerable circumstances, one in three adults in the UK. Some of these vulnerabilities can be seen in the form of financial exclusion. In this episode, Ripon Ray discusses: ‘The cost of financial exclusion’. To navigate the Debt Talk podcast topic, panellists were from a financial inclusion funder, a debt crisis and money training social enterprise, and a household debt campaigner. Diane Burridge, Community Finance Propositions and Segmentation Lead for Fair4AllFinance, develops strategies for financial inclusion projects and provides funds. She focused on supporting innovation to reduce financial exclusion by undertaking research and working with various third sector organisations to promote ways to make the financial services sector fair. Jerry During MBE, Co-Founder of Money A and E, a community money and debt advice organisation in London, emphasised the need to form partnerships with community groups and government agencies to help change policy and remove barriers for marginalised communities to access financial services. He argued that lived experience must be at the heart of the decision-making process to address financial exclusion. Joe Cox, Senior Policy Officer of the Debt Justice campaign group, is part of a global movement to end debt inequality. He focused on the strength of financial institutions, which are far more influential than vulnerable communities that are excluded from decision-making. He believes grassroots campaigns can bring about positive change for communities in financial difficulties. Debt Talk podcast panellists also provided helpful TIPS to listeners. The following podcast is on: ‘DRO or IVA? - that is the question'. For those who are listing to the Debt Talk podcast and want to share your experience or want to hear a subject of your choice, you can get in touch with me: ripon.ray@yourdoctordebt.com or Twitter: yourdoctordebt

Do you know about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and, most importantly, AI within the financial services and debt sector? You will once you have listened to the 12th episode of the Debt Talk podcast. In this episode, Ripon Ray explored the subject with experts from academia, visionaries and tech gurus as they spoke about the actual workings of AI in the financial services and debt sector. Prof Carmine Ventre - Director of King's Institute for Artificial Intelligence - explained the history of AI, the actual workings of machine learning and the algorithm required to create a tool where AI is weak and strong. He emphasised that AI machines require feeding with information and patterns from humans to complete tasks. Douglas Silverstone - Director of Southern Housing and tech visionary, looked at the use of AI for social purposes and emphasised the genuine operational and organisational need to establish AI to be successful with the ultimate user in mind. Rachel Curtis - CEO of Inicio, a debt recovery firm that uses AI to complete affordability assessments - explored how AI solves the affordability assessment problem within financial services and debt space to provide consumers with a supportive space based on consumer needs and outcomes. Maysam Rizvi - founder of Elifinty, a debt management firm and a tech entrepreneur - embarked on developing AI to support debt advisers to focus on the consumer journey within a problem debt space. This is a must-listen podcast for those considering developing AI within the financial services and debt sectors. The panellists have also provided TOP TIPS to Debt Talk listeners considering moving to AI. Next podcast: The cost of financial exclusion.

On this month's Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored: 'The welfare state, deficit budget and debt'. Trussell Trust, a network of food banks in the UK, gave out nearly 3 million emergency food parcels to people facing financial hardship, and it has noticed a 37% rise in accessing its service compared to the previous year. The question for this month's panellists is: have we moved away from support provided by the state and diverted to the third sector? To assist Debt Talk, panellists for this month were the following: Helen Barnard - policy director of Trussell Trust, explained the welfare state's history and purpose and how the UK has significantly shifted away from its initial cause. Food banks are now playing the state's role because the current welfare system is not providing sufficient support to meet the needs of vulnerable and low-income households. The trust is seeing people with disability and working people seeking help because the current social security system does not provide sufficient benefits considering the cost of living in the UK. Rachel Gregory, the senior external manager of Christian Against Poverty, outlined that many of its clients seeking debt advice have unsustainable budgets to live on. She emphasised that debts owned to public bodies, such as local councils and the central government, are systematic. Many clients have suicidal thoughts due to financial pressure and the inability to sustain living under the current benefits system. Amy Taylor - a debt adviser and chair of the Greater Manchester Money Advice Group - emphasised that the role of a debt adviser changed due to funding cuts and heavy audits. As a result of which, experienced debt advisers have left the sector. Yet, she sees the role of an adviser as essential to supporting clients in financial hardship. Debt advisers can listen, understand and help clients with their options when they are in financial trouble and have that difficult conversation. Apart from providing TOP TIPS to Debt Talk listeners in ways to deal with their debt during such a difficult time, they explored the significance of the Universal Basic Income piloted in England. If you want to share your experience or want to hear a specified subject that is of interest on Debt Talk, you can get in touch with the host: ripon.ray@yourdoctordebt.com

In this episode on the Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored the link between mental health and debt and how being in debt can worsen your mental health. Minara Meghna Uddin shared her experience of domestic and economic abuse, which impacted her mental health where seeking to go for support and speaking out was not an option. Whilst coming out of her marriage with children to look after and the anxiety of getting letters from debt collectors and visits from bailiffs. After having made several visits by a bailiff, he encouraged her to represent herself to go to court to deal with her debts. Dr Thomas Richardson from the University of Southampton, spoke about how he lives with bipolar disorder. In his research work as an academic, he explored developing work for communities struggling with mental health and debt. He highlighted different types of mental health treatment available and how poverty makes it hard to overcome some of the strains in life. Steven Coppard FCICM of Arum spoke about the taboo around discussing debt compared to mental health. He also explored the government regulatory breathing space regulations when someone struggles with mental health. The panellists also provided top tips to Debt Talk listeners to support them in their journey out of mental and health debt. In the next Debt Talk podcast in June, Ripon Ray will cover: ‘Welfare state, deficit budget & debt’.

In this month’s episode on the Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored: ‘Debt advice, MaPs and advisers’. During the pandemic, free advice charities noticed a demand for debt advice. This demand had substantially increased during the cost of living crisis due to high inflation and people’s income not increasing simultaneously. Many debt advisers left the sector to join other sectors, such as the National Health Service or local councils. Their move from the industry was mainly connected to high-stress levels, targets and audits. Save Debt Advice Campaign was launched to respond to the impact in the debt advice sector. Tanis Belsham Wray, a former debt adviser, shared her experience at Step Change during the pandemic when many unresolvable cases due to clients having a deficit budget and complex priority debts. After returning from maternity, she fainted twice due to stress whilst giving advice. Tamra Mannin - Co - CEO of Talking Money - an advice charity based in Bristol. The Money Advice & Pension Service (MaPs) funded its debt advice service to deliver debt advice work. They decided not to renew their contract with MaP's due to the bureaucracy involved in audit, targets, management of the service and supervision of debt advice work compared to other projects it delivers. Michael Agboh- Davison, Unite the Union representative, who has been leading the campaign in the sector, explained some of the challenges faced by the industry and the need for an increase in funding from companies profiting from consumers. He emphasised non-FCA regulated providers such as fuel companies to contribute to funding debt advice. He also explained that some issues impacting debt clients are interlinked with national policies. Debt Talk also approached MaPS to participate in the podcast and Ripon Ray read MaPS’s statement on the issue. The panellist also provided top tips near the end of the podcast. In the next episode, Ripon Ray will speak about "Mental health & debt' during the cost of living crisis. If you want to listen to a particular debt-related topic or you want to share your experience on the Debt Talk podcast, you can get in touch with Ripon Ray on Twitter: @yourdoctordebt.com or email: ripon.ray@yourdoctordebt.cm

During the cost of living crisis, the need for insolvency advice has been far greater than in the previous years as shown by Government’s data due to a rise in high inflation and change in consumer behaviour. In 2022 there has been a 56% increase in the number of companies going insolvent compared to 2021. In this episode of the Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored the financial challenges faced by small businesses and the inevitable advice needed from insolvency practitioners to save them. Robert Tame ran a catering business. During the financial crisis, his business began to have a cash flow problem. But not every part of his business was struggling; so he had to prioritise his profit-making part of the business and make the inevitable decision to make his staff redundant. He was able to pull through due to meticulous financial planning and advice from an insolvency practitioner. He later sold his company with profit to a global company. Anita Pickersgill spoke about how small businesses need to be clear with their terms and conditions. When a small business faces a financial challenge, directors of the business are also responsible if they do not take reasonable care and skill and seek advice if they are not sure about their business. It is crucial that small business owners act prudently. Kate Ellis explained the types of insolvency options there are for businesses when it comes to insolvency: voluntary and compulsory. She emphasised the importance of getting advice early. Creditors can be sympathetic to your cash flow problems but it is essential that you let your creditors know sooner rather than later. You can also find the top tips they offered to Debt Talk Listeners on running a small business, how to address cash flow problems and ways to deal with your creditors. The next podcast will explore: ‘Debt Advice, MaPS and advisers’ during the cost of living crisis. There has been a change of plan due to technical issues. We initially stated that it was to be: Funeral and debt'. If you want to share your experience or expertise on the Debt Talk podcast, you can get in touch with Your Doctor Debt, Ripon Ray: ripon.ray@yourdoctordebt.com

In this month’s podcast on Debt Talk, Ripon Ray explored the current landscape for councils to recover council tax. Since the introduction of welfare reform over ten years ago, nearly every council in the UK expects some form of contribution from households regardless of whether many families were deemed too poor to pay prior to the introduction of the reform. At the same time, Britain has seen an increase in the recovery of council tax through the Magistrate's Courts. While the number of households in arrears has increased throughout the country, there has been a surge in the use of civil enforcement agents to recover the council tax debt. Ripon Ray spoke with panelists from the debt enforcement and debt advice sector to explore the current framework in which councils work and ways council tax has been recovering the debt. Samantha Nurse - Founder and CEO of Money Advice Hub spoke about the way councils throughout the UK charge council tax and the way they work out what support low-income households can get along with challenges debt advice services face during the cost of living crisis. Russell Hamblin -Boone - Chief Executive Officer of Civil Enforcement Association Limited - explored how contracts between councils and civil enforcement companies work, and the way civil enforcement officers' actions are monitored and scrutinised for the benefit of vulnerable residents who are in debt. Also what role does the newly formed Enforcement Conduct Board play a part to support vulnerable communities during the cost of living crisis? From his point of the complaint process needs to be transparent and robust. Both of my panelists provided some tips to ease the pressure during such a difficult time. The next podcast will explore: ‘Small businesses and insolvency’ during the cost of living crisis.