Islington Council teams up with Debt Hacker to help people take on payday loan firms in UK first

PUBLISHED: 10:07 22 January 2019 | UPDATED: 15:24 22 January 2019

Sam Gelder

The Debt Hacker team with Cllr Andy Hull, right, in Finsbury Park. Picture: Islington Council

Archant

Founder of Debt Hacker Alan Campbell leafleting around Finsbury Park. Picture: Islington Council

To launch the campaign and let people know where they can get help, town hall finance chief Cllr Andy Hull joined workers and volunteers from Debt Hacker in Finsbury Park on Monday.

Debt Hacker allows people who have taken out a high-interest payday loan to find out if they are entitled to compensation, recouping unfair or unaffordable charges and interest.

Similar campaigns by profit-making claims management firms brought down payday loan giant Wonga, but this collaboration between a council, a non-profit and local voluntary sector organisations is the first of its kind.

It’s part of a wider effort to help people in Islington struggling with the cost of living. The council promotes affordable alternatives to payday lenders, such as London Capital Credit Union, as well as providing advice and information on managing money, budgeting and debt.

The Debt Hackney team with Cllr Andy Hull, right, in Finsbury Park. Picture: Islington Council

Cllr Hull said the payday loan industry does “a lot of harm”.

He said: “This joint initiative is an important step, holding payday lenders to account and helping people deal with problem debt. Alongside Debt Hacker, we are supporting residents to reclaim money from firms which ripped them off and giving them information about alternative, responsible lenders.”

Visit debthacker.co.uk/get-money-back to see if you are entitled to compensation.