FCA has proposed further reliefs for consumers facing payment difficulties due to coronavirus, including:
- 3-month payment freeze for motor finance customers;
- 1 month interest-free payment freeze for high-cost short-term finance (including payday loans) customers;
- 3-month payment freeze to rent to own (RTO), buy-now pay-later (BNPL), or pawnbroking customers;
- pawnbrokers and BNPL lenders to extend the redemption period and promotional period, respectively, for the 3-month freeze period;
- Repossession not to take place during the 3-month freeze period for RTO customers; and
- No additional charges/fees from customers if pawnbrokers and RTO firms are unable to redeem, collect or repossess goods due to social-distancing measures.
Except in the case of high-cost short-term credit, firms will be able to continue to charge interest during the payment freeze.
