News

VRS Webinar – One Stop Shop.

If you missed the webinar this week, you can catch up here. Excellent presentations from IncomeMax, Healthy Home Solutions, Data on Demand and the VRS. https://youtu.be/uV8hdKbiZdI AGENDA 09:15 - 09:30 Registration Arrival/Networking 09:30 - 09:40 Welcome and House-Keeping - Kirstie Gatter, VRS Client and Partnership Liaison Manager & Chair/Heidi Oliver,…
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How do we find and engage with the most in need?

“14.6 million people in the UK (27% of people) consider themselves vulnerable, with 24.5 million adults (45% of the population) affected by circumstances that the FCA defines as key drivers for vulnerability.” We've worked together with Healthy Homes Solutions to produce this 'How can we help the Vulnerable' Interim Insights…
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Why is it Hard to Make Ends Meet? Blog by Helen Pettifer

Price increases are impacting us from all angles; food, fuel, childcare, broadband, council tax and more. Each month our bills are increasing and there is no sign of things easing up. It is no longer just those with weak budgeting skills that are living beyond their means. For a growing…
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80% of UK adults have never heard of the Priority Services Register, new research reveals

Millions of vulnerable people are missing out on free support and protection, despite Ofgem telling energy providers that they need to be better at identifying customers in need and adding them to the Priority Services Register. Energy firms simply do not know who their vulnerable customers are, says Vulnerability Registration…
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Vulnerable people more likely to have been pressured to take out credit for someone else

11% of vulnerable people, compared to 5% of the general population, have been pressured into taking out credit in their name for someone else Rising cost of living becoming a significant barrier to escape for many in abusive relationships UK, 11 January 2023 – New research has revealed that 1.6…
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New report reveals ongoing and serious failings toward vulnerable people across all sectors

Report reveals widespread unfair treatment of the vulnerable continues with more than two in five feeling they’ve been failed by their service providers.13% of vulnerable customers have been evicted, subject to repossession or put at risk of homelessnessRegulators and service providers must stop placing the onus on society’s most vulnerable…
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From crisis to emergency: businesses must
step up to support vulnerable customers.

Our Vulnerable Customer Exclusion report presents the findings of our latest independent research into the treatment of vulnerable customers in the UK.
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Consumer understanding – why we can’t keep ignoring poor numeracy. Guest blog by Ben Perkins, Head of Partnerships & Services at Plain Numbers.

Getting our heads around the numbers we’re sent by firms is often tricky. This can leave people confused, anxious and struggling. Changing the way numbers are communicated can change the customer experience for the better and Plain Numbers is working with firms to do exactly that. Poor Numeracy as a…
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Energy Suppliers Failing Vulnerable Customers

In response to the recent Ofgem review of how energy suppliers are helping their customers, the Vulnerability Registration Service has released this statement: “Ofgem has delivered a harsh verdict. Energy suppliers are failing their vulnerable customers. But this failure isn’t new. “Discussions have been going on for years in this sector, and…
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Supporting Vulnerable Customers
“The problem is…”

By Helen Lord, CEO, Vulnerability Registration Service“We already know who our vulnerable customers are.”“Some people don’t want to say they are vulnerable.”“We don’t know what to do when we’ve identified vulnerabilityin our customers.” These are probably the main sticking points I’ve seen in terms of getting on and sharing data…
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