Cameron urges debt protection
Updated on 07 November 2008
The Conservative Party called for greater protection for people in debt who are at risk of losing their home or having bailiffs "steal" their possessions.
Speaking on GMTV, Tory leader David Cameron said no-one with less than £25,000 of unsecured loans or bills should be forced to sell their house in order to make repayments.
He added that in the current economic climate the Government should also scrap plans to allow debt collectors to break into property to reclaim goods.
Mr Cameron said: "The Government are trying to change the law to allow bailiffs to break into your home and take your possessions. We think that is wrong. They should not be allowed to break into your home and effectively steal your possessions."
The Tories are calling for plans to allow debt collectors greater powers enabling them to enter property by smashing windows and doors, to be scrapped.
Mr Cameron also called for a change to the system of charging orders. At present, people or businesses owed money can go through the county courts to get a charging order placed on debtor's property. This in effect gives them a claim on an individual's home and can force the property owner to sell up in order to repay the debt.
Mr Cameron said that people should try to keep up with credit card bills, but acknowledged that "people do get in trouble".
They should be given help to restructure payments, but those struggling "should not lose their homes", he told GMTV.
"We do not want people's homes being taken away, even when they are making payments through the county courts," he said.
Under the Tory plan, anyone with unsecured debts of less than £25,000 should be exempt from having to sell their property.
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