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The VulnerabilityVulnerability, Toolkit and the Economic Abuse Toolkitand Communications Toolkits have been designed to help public sector creditors identify and support their vulnerable customers experiencing a range of difficulties. They may also be useful to other organisations and businesses.

These have been collaboratively developed by the government’s Debt Fairness Group, a partnership between central and local government, the debt advice sector, and the debt collection industry. The Government Debt Management Functional Centre established the Fairness Group in 2016, to recommend evidence based improvements to government’s debt management practices.

The Debt Management Vulnerability Toolkit is designed to help public sector creditors support their vulnerable customers. It provides front line staff with best-practice tools to identify and assist people facing physical and mental challenges, so recovery can focus on those who are deliberately trying to avoid repaying their debts.

The Economic Abuse Toolkit aims to help creditors whohelp creditors who are recovering debt to understand, identify and support people who may have experienced or may be experiencing economic abuse. The interactive version of the toolkit must only beonly be used by thoseby those trained in handling economic abuse calls incalls in the public sector, organisations, and businesses to identify cases of economic abuse. Noticing the signs and acting on them can have a huge impact on someone’s safety and economic stability.

The Communications Toolkit is published to help public sector bodies recovering debt to understand and implement effective debt communications. Effective communication can build trust and provide reassurance, encouraging people in need to seek support and facilitating debt repayment from those who can. The toolkit is the first comprehensive guide on debt communications for government and will provide a single point of access to the latest research in the sector.