Responsible Credit

The Centre for Responsible Credit Ltd. (CfRC) is a charity changing credit for good and improving support for people in debt.

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

We have more data about borrowers than ever before.
Yet irresponsible lending has not disappeared.

Following his appointment to the Credit Information Governance Body (CIGB) Consumer Council, our CEO reflects on the direction of travel for creditworthiness and affordability assessments.

The issue isn’t a lack of information. It’s how different datasets are combined, weighted and used by lenders — often in ways that are formally compliant but fail to support real‑world financial resilience.

In his latest blog, Damon Gibbons argues that making lender behaviour visible is now essential to support fair outcomes and prevent foreseeable harm. Complaints data could play a crucial role in this — revealing patterns of harm when affordability decisions are challenged and upheld, and raising questions about how this intelligence can be brought into data‑driven reporting systems.

If data‑driven credit is to work for consumers, accountability for lender behaviour must keep pace with the expansion of data itself.

📖 Read the full blog: https://t.co/wCNpi3kbPB

#ResponsibleCredit #Accountability #Affordability #CreditData #FairOutcomes

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

🚗⚡Electric Vehicle (#EV) adoption remains skewed towards higher‑income households. Could #credit help change that? Our latest blog considers Scotland's Used Electric Vehicle Loan (UEVL) scheme, from @EnergySvgTrust and @transcotland, and explores how well‑designed credit, alongside grants, scrappage and decision‑support tools, could help ensure the EV transition is not only faster, but fairer too - #ResponsibleCredit #JustTransition #NetZero @_F_L_A @UKFtweets @Fair4AllFinance 👉 https://t.co/LvIqtok8pX

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

Out today: our Chief Exec's new book: Trust and Power in Consumer Credit Relationships: Rethinking Creditworthiness in the Data Driven Age
Consumer credit relationships are built on a broken dynamic: lenders wield immense power, while borrowers are required to offer near-total trust.
This book introduces 'trust intelligence'—a framework to rebalance this relationship by shifting from one-sided surveillance to genuine engagement and mutual accountability.

https://t.co/wha9blkBrJ

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

Efforts to tackle the harms caused by financial abuse have exposed the need for credit reporting to evolve. Context, fairness and accountability can’t be optional.
Read more in our latest blog: https://t.co/lw2NxWkVvJ

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

Credit-score company encouraged me to borrow again when I was nearly debt-free' - 'Amanda' was bombarded by ads encouraging her to 'check her credit score'. "What Amanda didn't know was that agencies like @Experian are paid commission by lenders to promote their credit card debt”. BBC financial journalist, Iona Bain is on the money with how credit score providers can cause harmful debts. ➡️ https://t.co/lLuIZVPKfT

[BBC News (UK) @BBCNews]

'Credit-score company encouraged me to borrow again when I was nearly debt-free' https://t.co/n3ii4wbzNd

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

Our report says @theFCA should work with the #creditscore industry, the CIGB +consumer groups to:
✔️Protect vulnerable borrowers via robust new marketing controls
✔️Deliver a revamp of credit score dashboards & notifications
✔️Proactively link struggling borrowers to debt help

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

📢 Today, we’ve published new research showing a strong link between #creditscore providers and harmful debts. Almost half of low-income borrowers act on credit offers made via score providers, yet within months, 1 in 5 experiences financial distress ➡️https://t.co/HjCbfXNe1h

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

We found messaging about credit scores drives financial hardship: a third (32%)of low-to-middle income borrowers are going without essentials like food and heat specifically to preserve their credit score @Clearscore @CreditKarma @Experian @Equifax @TransUnion

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

If the Chancellor is serious about going for growth, measures will need to include a debt write-off for lower-income households. The Budget is a critical moment to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and lay new foundations for those struggling the most. https://t.co/g3GXK7n19f

[Impact on Urban Health @ImpUrbanHealth]

❤️‍🩹If the government wants growth, it must start with the nation’s health.

Today, our Executive Director @peterbabudu writes for @BigIssue about how in the forthcoming Budget, the Government must see improving health as a precondition for prosperity. https://t.co/QqyneaZQmK

[Fair for You @FairforYouCIC]

For our 10th anniversary, we commissioned an impact report from @responsiblecred.

It shows customers improving their finances, feeling less anxious and depressed, and better able to afford healthy food and essentials.

Watch the video or read more: https://t.co/XdzhbNoVXa

[Responsible Credit @responsiblecred]

How can we better support people with long-term health conditions who are pushed into financial hardship? Over the past five years, in partnership with @ImpUrbanHealth we've been delivering the Financial Shield project in South London — a practical test of how to do just that. Read more about the impact and insights from the Financial Shield project in our new report at https://t.co/7p1cdJAfWr