We welcomed the opportunity to respond to the Enforcement Conduct Board’s (ECB) consultation on its draft 2025/26 Business Plan.
Together with our frontline debt advice partners and a wide range of advocates, we called for and subsequently welcomed the creation of the ECB in November 2022. We have been pleased with the progress that the ECB has made so far in working towards its mission to ensure that everyone who experiences enforcement action is treated fairly, including its efforts to drive up standards in the enforcement sector and enhance complaints processes.
We are broadly supportive of the priorities outlined in this ECB consultation. We particularly look forward to working with the ECB as it continues to advocate for much-needed legal powers and moves forward with the second phase of its standards work focusing on vulnerability and ability to pay.
It is also encouraging to see the ECB recognise the importance of embedding the perspective of people with lived experience of enforcement action into its decision-making, including practical application through user testing – for example, on the welcome new workstream to develop an accessible "Know your rights" document.
We note that the year ahead will be significant for the ECB, as it implements full operational oversight of the enforcement sector. We look forward to continuing our positive, constructive engagement on the activities outlined in this draft Business Plan, as we collectively act to raise standards in the enforcement industry and ensure everyone experiencing enforcement action is treated fairly.