Debt

Debt People with experience of mental health problems are 3.5 times more likely to be in problem debt, which in turn can make it harder to recover from poor mental health. We're here to break that vicious cycle.

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Time to regulate the bailiff industry

 

Aggressive behaviour by bailiffs destroys lives, and the lack of an independent regulator allows them to act with impunity.

Councils in England instructed bailiffs for council tax collection in 1.7 million cases in 2024/25. Our own research found that 73% of people in council tax debt receiving a bailiff visit had a mental health problem.

The regulator for the enforcement industry, the Enforcement Conduct Board, currently has no statutory underpinning, and therefore remains reliant on voluntary financial support from the enforcement industry, as well as requiring voluntary engagement in order to raise standards across industry as a whole.

We believe it’s essential that the regulator is granted statutory footing – to help ensure that standards can be raised and are enforced without requiring consent from industry.

Read more about our call here.

woman answering the door

“I wasn’t initially aware of the debt and the arrogance of the company involved was horrible. I wasn’t allowed to explain anything and was bullied into making an immediate payment which not only sent my mental health spiralling but obviously had knock-on consequences to my immediate and short term finances.”

– Expert by experience

LatestBest practiceEventsNewsBlogsPublicationsPress Releases
Press Releases

People with mental health problems back banks using financial data to offer earlier support

November 04, 2026

Debt

More guardian angel than big brother? Our new research on transactions data analysis

November 04, 2026

Publications

When transactions speak louder than words

Exploring the potential of transaction data analysis to support people with mental health problems.

November 04, 2026
In the news

BBC News

BBC News reports on the experience of people struggling with impulse spending, and how mental health problems can affect people’s spending.

August 28, 2026
Debt

Money and Mental Health’s submission to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s technical consultation on improving the enforcement of council tax

Our response informing the practical implementation of welcome reforms to improve council tax debt collection, following our campaign win to reduce the psychological harm caused by current council tax collection practices.

July 30, 2026
Best practice

Debt collection: A best practice guide for telecoms suppliers

How telecoms suppliers can support their customers with money and mental health problems.

April 02, 2025

Latest publications

When transactions speak louder than words

Exploring the potential of transaction data analysis to support people with mental health problems.

One size doesn’t fit all

Designing customer-centred gambling harms engagement strategies.

Open to everyone?

Ensuring the next phase of financial data sharing works for people with mental health problems.

We can work it out

Getting employment support right for people with mental health problems.

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