Not upheld: failure to make reasonable adjustments for vulnerable customer; alleged breach of Equality Act 2010 complaint against Inclusive Finance Limited, trading as Creditspring

Decision detail

Summary

Mr P complained that Creditspring treated him unfairly as a vulnerable customer by refusing to write off his £500 loan debt without requesting additional financial information. Mr P had submitted a Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form detailing diagnoses of PTSD, anxiety and depression that affected his ability to manage finances. Creditspring recognised his vulnerability and waived all fees but requested income and expenditure details to assess the write-off request. The ombudsman found this approach reasonable, noting that while Mr P's vulnerability was genuine, a write-off is a commercial decision requiring proper financial assessment, and Creditspring was entitled to request the information it did.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman determined that while Mr P is vulnerable, Creditspring acted reasonably in requesting additional financial information to assess whether a write-off was appropriate. The firm had already demonstrated care by recognising vulnerability and waiving all fees. A write-off is a commercial decision that requires proper financial assessment, and Creditspring was entitled to request income and expenditure details. The ombudsman noted that having a health condition and being susceptible to stress about debt can make someone vulnerable, but this does not automatically entitle them to debt write-off without evidence of inability to pay.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website