Vulnerability Matters

Each year, around 16,000 young people in the UK leave the care system as they turn 18. But what does the transition to independent living look like when you don’t have a family safety net? In this episode, Humerah and Bailey tell Michael Hilton (Three Hands) about the realities of managing bills, problems with essential services, and handling the hurdles of everyday life for the first time.

We all know that life ‘events’ can make us vulnerable. But what actually counts as a ‘life event’? Is it really true that half of all UK adults have experienced one in the last 1000 days? And why are some people able to cope with their impact, while others struggle to weather the often significant personal and financial consequences they can have? Sharon Collard and Ed Ware talk about new research on life events that tackles these questions, and explain what the University of Bristol and Money Advice Trust think can be done to improve the safety nets protecting us from them.

12.5 million people in the UK have a criminal record – representing almost one in four working age adults. However, while these are not small numbers, navigating essential services like banking, energy, or telecommunications are often a minefield of exclusion for those individuals who serve a prison sentence. Chris Fitch speaks with Debbie Sadler from Unlock about the lived reality of financial exclusion for prisoners and their families, and how essential services can build more flexible systems to help support them.

Across the UK today, over 2 million people are estimated to be borrowing from illegal lenders. But what happens when what starts as a friendly offer of help then spirals into extortion, physical threats, and cuckooing? Michael Hilton from Three Hands Insight speaks with Andrew and Steve about their lived experiences, and how essential services can spot the warning signs of loan sharks and protect people before crisis hits.

We focus on protecting customers from harm, but what about our colleagues? Paul and Andy share with Michael Hilton from Three Hands Insight how gambling addiction gripped their working lives, from hidden tactics during office hours to the spiralling crisis of workplace fraud, and what their colleagues and employers could have been done to help them.

Episode 69 - The More Poor Law - Rebecca Deegan (Fair By Design) by Money Advice Trust

Episode 68 - When English is a barrier with Louise Allemagne, Credit Services Association by Money Advice Trust

Episode 67 - The Ethnicity Premium - Jerry During (Money A+E) by Money Advice Trust

Every day, 1500 people in the UK die. But given this is a daily certainty, many organisations and businesses still appear under-prepared for the multiple challenges that death can bring to their customers.  In this episode, Deborah and Jamesey share their experiences of navigating personal grief at the same time as often difficult organisational processes. Michael Hilton from Three Hands Insight hosts.

Is a vulnerability flag just a piece of data in a company system, or a lifeline that could change a customer’s world? As Sarah Liddon from Nationwide explains, behind every vulnerability flag lies a delicate balance of precision and compassion, reflected in Nationwide’s redesigned approach to ensure that every digital marker can lead to an effective and empathetic response.