Appendix 3: Abbreviations used in the notes
AC | Appeal Cases |
Admin All ER | Administrative Court All England Reports |
Art(s) | Article(s) |
BPIR | Bankruptcy and Personal Insolvency Reports |
CA | Court of Appeal |
CCR | County Court Rules |
CCLR | Consumer Credit Law Reports |
Ch | Chancery Division |
ChD | Chancery Division |
Civ Comm | Civil Division Commercial Court |
CPR | Civil Procedure Rules |
ChD | Chancery Division |
Cr App R | Criminal Appeal Reports |
EG | Estates Gazette |
EWCA | England and Wales Court of Appeal |
EWHC | England and Wales High Court |
FCA | Financial Conduct Authority |
FLR | Family Law Reports |
FOS | Financial Ombudsman Service |
HC | High Court |
HL | House of Lords |
HLR | Housing Law Reports |
IMA | Institute of Money Advisers |
IP-PD | Insolvency Proceedings Practice Direction |
JP | Justice of the Peace |
KB | King’s Bench Reports |
para(s) | paragraph(s) |
PD | Practice Direction |
QB | Queen’s Bench Reports |
QBD | Queen’s Bench Division |
r(r) | rule(s) |
reg(s) | regulation(s) |
s(s) | section(s) |
SC | sheriff court |
Sch(s) | Schedule(s) |
UKHL | United Kingdom House of Lords |
UKSC | United Kingdom Supreme Court |
WLR | Weekly Law Reports |
WLR(D) | Weekly Law Reports Daily |
Acts of Parliament
AEA 1971 | Attachment of Earnings Act 1971 |
AJA 1970 | Administration of Justice Act 1970 |
AJA 1973 | Administration of Justice Act 1973 |
CA 2003 | Courts Act 2003 |
CAA 1995 | Criminal Appeal Act 1995 |
CCA 1974 | Consumer Credit Act 1974 |
CCA 2006 | Consumer Credit Act 2006 |
CCA 1984 | County Courts Act 1984 |
CJA 1982 | Criminal Justice Act 1982 |
CLSA 1990 | Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 |
COA 1979 | Charging Orders Act 1979 |
EA 1989 | Electricity Act 1989 |
EA 2002 | Enterprise Act 2002 |
FSMA 2000 | Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 |
GA 1986 | Gas Act 1986 |
IA 1986 | Insolvency Act 1986 |
JA 1838 | Judgments Act 1838 |
LA 1980 | Limitation Act 1980 |
LGFA 1988 | Local Government Finance Act 1988 |
LGFA 1992 | Local Government and Finance Act 1992 |
LPA 1925 | Law of Property Act 1925 |
MCA 1980 | Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 |
MOA 1958 | Maintenance Orders Act 1958 |
RA 1977 | Rent Act 1977 |
SCA 1981 | Senior Courts Act 1981 |
SGA 1979 | Sale of Goods Act 1979 |
SGSA 1982 | Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 |
SSAA 1992 | Social Security Administration Act 1992 |
SSCBA 1992 | Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 |
SSLA 2008 | Sale of Student Loans Act 2008 |
TCA 2002 | Tax Credits Act 2002 |
TCEA 2007 | Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 |
TLATA 1996 | Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 |
TMA 1970 | Taxes Management Act 1970 |
UA 2000 | Utilities Act 2000 |
Regulations and other statutory instruments
Each set of regulations or order has a statutory instrument (SI) number and a date. Ask for them by giving that date and number.
CC(AE) Regs | The Community Charges (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1989 No.438 |
CC(DI) Regs | The Consumer Credit (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2010 No.1013 |
CC(IJD)O | The County Courts (Interest on Judgment Debts) Order 1991 No.1184 |
CC(IR) Regs | The Consumer Credit (Information Requirements and Duration of Licences and Charges) Regulations 2007 No.1167 |
CT(AE) Regs | The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 No.613 |
CT(AE)(A) Regs | The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) (Amendment) Regulations 1992 No.3008 |
E(SS) Regs | The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2008 No.529 |
E(SS)(W) Regs | The Education (Student Support) (Wales) Regulations 2013 No.3177 |
FS(DM) Regs | The Financial Services (Distance Marketing) Regulations 2004 No.2095 |
HCCCJO 1991 | The High Court and County Courts Jurisdiction Order 1991 No.724 |
I(E&W)R 2016 | The Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 No.1024 |
MCDO | Mortgage Credit Directive Order 2015 No.910 |
RAO | The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2013 No.1881 |
SS(C&P) Regs | The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 No.1968 |
TC(PC) Regs | The Tax Credits (Payments by the Board) Regulations 2002 No.2173 |
TCG Regs | The Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 No.1894 |
TCG(F) Regs | The Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 No.1 |
UC,PIP,JSA&ESA(C&P) Regs | The Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013 No.380 |
Other information
CONC | Consumer Credit Sourcebook |
DISP | Dispute Resolution: Complaints |
PERG | Perimeter Guidance Manual |
PD | Practice Direction |
MCOB | Mortgages and Home Finance: conduct of business sourcebook |
TM | Technical Manual |
Since the last edition of this Handbook in 2015, there has been little sign of economic recovery to improve the lives of the many people suffering with problem debt. Indeed, with living costs currently increasing more quickly than most people’s incomes and consumer borrowing at its highest since the financial crisis of 2008, the only likely growth on the horizon is in the number of people with unmanageable debt.
For many of us working in the free debt advice sector, the number of people seeking help with consumer debt has recently been overtaken by those struggling to meet essential household costs such as food, rent, fuel and other priority expenditure items.
Unfortunately, many features of welfare reform exacerbate, rather than alleviate, debt problems. For example, when someone first claims universal credit, it will be five to six weeks before they receive their first payment. It is welcome that, from 2018, the advance payment available to new claimants during this period will be increased to 100 per cent of their expected monthly universal credit. However, this will result in many people owing a significant debt to the Department for Work and Pensions, to be recovered from their monthly benefit over 12 months, thereby reducing the money they have available for rent, essential living expenses and any debts.
With personal budgets for many people also squeezed due to increased living costs, stagnant wages and benefit rates being frozen, I welcome the full roll-out of the standard financial statement during 2018. It offers the prospect of greater consistency across the debt advice sector and increased acceptance by a broader range of creditors. The introduction of a savings element within the standard financial statement may also build financial resilience to help some people meet unexpected costs.
Yet the experience of many advisers in the free debt advice sector suggests that saving is an unattainable aspiration for many people. The recent phenomenon of deficit financial statements highlights why: not only do many people have no disposable income to offer creditors, but their essential needs are often being met only with the support of food banks and charitable grants.
With such an uncertain economic outlook, there is a greater need than ever before for sufficient and sustainable funding of the debt advice sector. At the time of writing, fundamental reviews of the funding and commissioning of debt advice services are being undertaken, which appear to afford the opportunity to properly support and strengthen the provision of free debt advice.
When this Handbook was first published in 1993, debt advice was largely provided face-to-face and this continues to be the most appropriate channel for many of the most vulnerable people in debt. To meet the increasing need for debt advice, services are now also delivered by telephone, email, webchat, webcam and using a range of digital innovations.
Whatever the means of providing services, high-quality debt advice must be underpinned by employing and investing in competent advisers, with up-to-date knowledge and expertise, and access to reliable information. I congratulate the authors of the Debt Advice Handbook; it is an indispensable resource for all debt advisers and recommended reading for everyone studying for the Certificate in Money Advice Practice, the sector’s foremost specialist qualification, delivered by the Institute of Money Advisers in partnership with Staffordshire University.
Robert Wilson
Chief Executive, Institute of Money Advisers