The OBR’s forecast relies on households saving less so they can keep spending, but with little in the bank, most will have to borrow instead. Our measure of household debt burdens shows that this leaves households little to spare. Plausible shocks could push debt stress back to the levels seen before the financial crisis.

The FCA’s affordability rules have been in force since 2018. So why are lenders still lending to households who can’t afford the essentials?

‘Financial inclusion’ should help people withstand financial shocks, not deepen them. Yet the current agenda focuses overwhelmingly on increasing access to credit per se, rather than on credit that people can genuinely afford.

Dr Ana Rita Pena looks at the emerging direction of the Warm Homes Fund following the Government’s recent call for evidence. To work for lower-to-middle income households, Innovative Finance models need to reduce risk, build in trusted advice, and connect to wider delivery models such as property-linked finance and neighbourhood-based schemes.

In recent weeks, Ministers have set out new measures to help people struggling with the cost of living – including free bus travel for children and targeted reductions in food tariffs. But the Financial Services and Markets Bill that has recently been laid before Parliament points in a very different, and concerning, direction. Clause 8 of the Bill would upend vital protections for borrowers, and we call for it to be scrapped.

Following his recent appointment to the Credit Information Governance Body (CIGB) Consumer Council, CfRC's Chief Executive, Damon Gibbons, reflects on why increasingly data‑driven credit decisions remain opaque — and why stronger accountability is now essential if affordability is to protect consumers in practice.

Could credit play a role in helping low-to-middle income drivers transition to electric vehicles? CfRC Researcher, Dr. Ana Rita Pena looks at the challenges involved.

Next week’s Budget will take place in the context of an urgent need to boost economic growth. If we are serious about this, we need to tackle household debt and restore the safety net.