“Tackling Over-indebtedness – Action Plan 2004”, launched on 20 July 2004, sets out how Government and partners in the independent regulators, credit industry, voluntary sector and consumer groups are addressing the issue of problem debt.

The partners seek to “minimise the number of consumers who become over-indebted; and improve the support and processes for those who have fallen into debt”. The document presents the full range of initiatives currently underway and describes the mechanisms which have been put in place to co-ordinate implementation, monitor and evaluate impact, and assess what new and further work is required. We will review our approach and progress on an annual basis.

Tackling Over-indebtedness – Action Plan 2004.

The Task Force on Overindebtedness was set up in October 2000 to address concerns about consumer debt in the UK by considering ways of achieving more responsible lending and borrowing. The Task Force’s second and final report was published in January 2003.

Full Report (includes Executive Summary).

The Minister for Consumers published a response to the Second Report of the Task Force on Tackling Overindebtedness.

Ministerial response.

The Task Force on Tackling Over-indebtedness identified the need for up-to-date statistical information on the distribution of consumer borrowing across households, and the extent of financial difficulties being experienced. Responding to this, the Department of Trade and Industry commissioned MORI – who worked in partnership with Bristol University’s Personal Finance Research Centre (PFRC) – to conduct a national research survey.

November 2002 - Household Survey on the Cause, Extent and Effects of Overindebtedness.
Contents	Summary
Chapter 1	Chapter 2
Chapter 3	Chapter 4
References	Appendix

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