With 14.2m people financially vulnerable, the work of the little-known responsible lending programme is more vital than ever
Kathryn Smart was struggling to make ends meet at the start of England’s latest lockdown. The 45-year-old usually earns £1,100 a month working at a debt collection agency in Sunderland, but reduced her hours to help home-school her six-year-old son.
Smart needed money to tide her family over, but knew she would not qualify for a mainstream loan. A bad experience with payday lenders several years ago left her with £3,000 worth of debt and a poor credit score.
