east london financial inclusion unit:
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Social Policy

These publications are examples of policy reports that have been produced that you may find of interest.

A Choice of Paths

produced by Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA) in July 2004 and can be downloaded from their website in pdf format at www.dca.gov.uk/consult/debt/position.pdf

The DCA's consultation invited feedback from relevant organisations on options to help people deal with over-indebtedness and multiple debt.

The responses to this consultation informed the later DCA consultation paper - Debt Programme: Position Paper which was published in March 2005. This paper outlines the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA's) Civil Debt Programme.

The overall theme in these papers was advocating earlier and more cost-effective resolution of debt problems by providing better information, advice, appropriate pre-action behaviour, streamlined court processes and procedures.

The DCA website (debt consultation section) is at www.dca.gov.uk/consult/debt/debt.htm

The Exercise of Judicial Discretion in Rent Arrears Cases

produced by the Department of Constitutional Affairs (Sheffield Hallam and Bristol Universities) in November 2005 and can be downloaded from their website at www.dca.gov.uk

This study is concerned with how judges exercise their discretion in cases where social landlords (local authorities and housing associations) seek possession against their secure or assured tenants on the ground of rent arrears.

Would You Credit It?

produced by The Co-operative Bank and Liverpool John Moores University in January 2005 and can be downloaded in pdf format from the following links:

http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/images/pdf/WYCIFinalReport.pdf

This report found that UK consumers on low-incomes often pay in excess of 1,000% APR to gain access to credit facilities - over 30 times more than the most expensive store cards.

The report looks in detail at the lack of information and credit options available in low-income communities and raises questions on the impact and extent of financial illiteracy within these areas. It recommends that financial literacy training at key life stages, such as leaving school and returning to work after an extended break, would help to prevent low-income consumers becoming trapped by expensive forms of borrowing.

Promoting Financial Inclusion

produced by HM Treasury in December 2004 and can be downloaded in pdf format from the following link: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/8F9/37/pbr04profininccomplete394.pdf

This document sets out the establishment of a Financial Inclusion Fund to support initiatives to tackle financial exclusion, and a Financial Inclusion Taskforce to oversee progress.

It also identifies three areas that the Government considers key to tackling financial exclusion, and where it is determined to see significant progress: