Our approach
With regard to debt collection, we will:
- issue requests for payment promptly and accurately.
- start action to recover unpaid amounts promptly to help prevent customers building up excessive arrears and to maximise collection.
- ensure there are clear, written guidelines for all staff involved in recovery action.
- ensure we provide clear information about our recovery procedures to people who owe us money and advice agencies.
- provide information in different formats on request to meet individual needs of a person.
- regularly monitor the level and age of debt and take appropriate action.
We aim to:
- treat all customers consistently, fairly and with respect at all stages of the debt recovery process.
- work with customers to ensure they are receiving all the discounts, reliefs and exemptions they are entitled to which may help to reduce or eliminate their debts.
- carry out a full appraisal of customers’ circumstances to agree a fair, affordable and sensible arrangement for repayment of debts.
- effectively distinguish between those who cannot pay and those who will not pay, and where customers have the means, ensure they pay their debts and do not avoid their obligations.
- provide effective signposting to support networks to help customers address wider debt problem.
- collect the amounts due fairly and efficiently and promote efficient collection methods.
- accept that for some customers no repayment scheme is affordable and have a fair and robust write-off procedure.
- where we pass debts to third parties to collect on our behalf, monitor their processes, procedures and customer feedback to ensure they operate with fairness and respect.
- be open to working with our customers at any stage of the debt recovery process to positively to help them address their debts.
Our approach is to ensure that each customer is treated as an individual - those who can't pay are treated with sensitivity and those who won't pay are treated with reasoned determination.
Above all our emphasis is a fair, sympathetic, clear and firm approach to debt collection.