Not upheld: Debt collection practices complaint against Intrum Mortgages UK Finance Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-5668175 of 2025-09-16T00:00:00+00:00. Debt collection practices complaint against Intrum Mortgages UK Finance Limited. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-5668175 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2025-09-16T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Intrum Mortgages UK Finance Limited |
| Product | Mortgage |
| Claim type | Debt collection practices |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | None. The complaint was not upheld. The ombudsman declined Ms S's request to facilitate future contact between her and Intrum, stating this is not the FOS's role. |
Summary
Ms S complained that Intrum treated her unfairly after her six-month payment holiday ended, claiming excessive contact, unfair interest rates, and demanding repayments despite her maintaining regular payments. The ombudsman limited the complaint to the level of contact from July to November 2024. The ombudsman found that Intrum's requests for updated financial information in July 2024, after Ms S started a new job in September, and when her benefits changed in November were all reasonable steps for a lender managing an arrears situation. Although Ms S felt the contact was excessive and intrusive, the ombudsman determined it was not unusual or out of line with good practice and therefore not upheld the complaint.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman reasoned that when a mortgage is in arrears, it is reasonable for a lender to gather information about a borrower's income, expenditure and circumstances to determine what help can be offered. Intrum's requests for updated financial information in July 2024, after Ms S started her new job, and when her benefit entitlements changed in November were all reasonable steps. While Ms S felt the contact was excessive and intrusive, the ombudsman found this was not unusual or out of line with good practice for a lender dealing with an arrears situation.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Intrum Mortgages UK Finance Limited, all decisions | 10 | 20% |
| Debt collection practices, all decisions | 4,798 | 26% |
| Mortgage, all decisions | 24,740 | 22% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website