The number of county court judgments (CCJs) against consumers in England and Wales rose to the highest level in over a decade during the first quarter of the year, according to figures released today by Registry Trust. A judgment is incontrovertible proof that debt has not been managed.
In Q1 2017, there were 298,901 debt judgments registered against consumers in England and Wales. Rising 35 percent on the same period last year, it is the highest figure for a single quarter in over a decade.
For every 1,000 people in England and Wales, 5.16 received a judgment, compared with 3.85 the year before.
The average value of a consumer CCJ fell for the eighth consecutive year, decreasing 17 percent on Q1 2016 to a historic low of £1,495. By comparison the average value of a judgment in Q1 2008 stood at £3,662.
The number of judgments marked as satisfied during the first three months of 2017 was 11.83 percent. This contrasts with the 13.33 percent satisfied in the first quarter of 2016.
In the High Court, only 35 judgments were registered against consumers in Q1 2017, the lowest total number for a single quarter on record. The average value of a consumer judgment in the High Court fell 44 percent year on year to £446,308.
The total value of debt judgments against consumers in all courts in England and Wales during the first quarter of 2017 was £462.5m.