People seeking debt help being harassed

A third (31 per cent) of people seeking statutory debt solutions are still getting harassed by creditors, even though there are procedures in place to prevent that happening.

Of this number, nearly a half (44 per cent) have filed for bankruptcy, whilst a quarter are in an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA).

The figures from R3, the insolvency trade body, also show that a similarly high number (44 per cent) of people in more informal Debt Management Plans (DMPs) are still being chased by the people they owe.

Steven Law, the president of R3, says it is “astounding” that people are still being harassed, even though they should be protected.

He remarked: “The decision to file for bankruptcy is a difficult one that, once taken, is meant to stop the endless contact from creditors. That such a large proportion of bankrupts are not afforded the peace of mind they are entitled to is of grave concern."

Kevin Still, director of Atlantic Financial Management, says: "One of the fundamental roles of a Debt Management Company, like Atlantic Financial Management, is to protect their client from on-going creditor collection activity once they start their Debt Management Plan (DMP).

"The OFT Debt Collection Guidance provides clarity on what a lender or their debt recovery agent can do once a debt advisor is appointed."

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