The monthly round-up of news, guidance, legislation, and case law from Shelter's Specialist Debt Advice Service.
News and legal updates
This month's legal round up includes details on the DWP Crisis and Resilience Fund, DRO fee refunds and several newly published reports.
DWP Crisis and Resilience Fund
The Crisis and Resilience Fund will replace the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments from April 2026. The purpose of the Fund is to focus on immediate crisis support to support low-income households. Support includes crisis payments and housing payments. The DWP has produced guidance for local authorities.
Debt relief order refunds still available
As advisers will know, the £90 fee for a DRO was scrapped in April 2024. The Insolvency Service had written to 5,000 people that started a DRO application before April 2024 but did not submit it.
The Insolvency Service is still trying to refund the DRO fee and is encouraging individuals to submit their claims before the end of March 2026.
If your client believes they are owed a refund after making a payment but did not submit a DRO application, they should contact dro.preorder@insolvency.gov.uk.
Breathing Space report published
Citizens Advice has published a new report that reviews the Breathing Space scheme since its inception in 2021. The report notes that the Breathing Space regulations include a commitment to review the scheme no later than 4 May 2026.
The report goes on to make several recommendations, which include:
granting more than 60 days breathing space
allowing repeat access within 12 months where circumstances change significantly
strengthening creditor compliance
More room to breathe: Building on five years of Breathing Space report
New IMA research on debt adviser workloads and wellbeing
The IMA has published the latest instalment of its longitudinal research into workloads and wellbeing in the debt advice sector.
The research shows some improvements in working conditions since its last publication in 2024. However, there are still areas of concern, such as increased workloads.
Casework requirements and workloads in the money advice sector
New Enforcement Conduct Board Insight Report
The Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) has published its new Insight Report setting out data on enforcement industry practices. The report confirms that enforcement industry is handling close to 8 million cases a year. It also collects over £1 billion a year – the majority of which is money owed to public bodies from unpaid parking and traffic fines and council tax arrears.
The ECB states that whilst the majority of enforcement action complies with ECB Standards, the report identifies some concerning behaviour including:
threatening behaviour
failing to support vulnerable people
threatening to remove exempt goods
The ECB continues to call on the government to grant the ECB new legal powers to strengthen its oversight of the enforcement industry.
Case law
Find debt case law summaries by topic on Shelter Legal.
Stacks Living Ltd v The Official Receiver
The court can allow an interim charging order to be made final despite an existing bankruptcy order.
Read the summary of Stacks Living Ltd v The Official Receiver on Shelter Legal.
Spotlight
This month's article from Shelter's Specialist Debt Advice Service.
Discretionary reductions of council tax
A local authority can grant a discretionary reduction on a council tax bill if the taxpayer is in financial hardship. Our new Shelter Legal page explains when a local authority can apply a reduction and how applications and appeals are made.
Read about Discretionary reductions of council tax on Shelter Legal.