With all the hustle and bustle going on with the Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) fiasco lately, you know, the one that robs consumers of access to good solutions to bad debt problems and castrates Insolvency Practitioners, a noticeable hush has been present from our old friends.

Historically, both Payplan, a commercial company, and Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS), a charity, of the UK have been regarded as champions of the consumer and vigorously defended by many in the press and on online debt forums as protectors of the masses.

I’m curious why they have been deadly quiet on the issues surrounding the exclusion to consumers that will be created by the recent IVA actions of HSBC, Halifax / Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, Marks & Spencer Money and First Direct, of the Insolvency Exchange fame.  If CCCS truly is “...the leading debt management charity in the UK”, as they proclaim, then don’t they, as a leader and a charity, have a duty to speak up and protect the vulnerable members of our society that are being forced into bankruptcy or debt slavery by major creditors in the UK?

Payplan also makes the public claim that they are “…one of the leading free debt management companies”  in the UK.  I don’t want to be cynical but when Payplan states on their Website that “Major banks and credit card companies refer clients to us for help, including Marks & Spencer Financial Services, HBOS and other lenders who recognize the need for Payplan’s practical and impartial advice backed by many years of specialist debt help.”, I can’t help but wonder if the commercial side of the business is holding them back from offering consumers an “impartial” defense in these matters. You see, it is HBOS and Marks & Spencer that are at the heart of the exclusion of the IVA from needy consumers in trouble.

I realize that I often have more questions than answers to these types of situations and I don’t want to make any assumptions why they have not rallied the troops to protect people from harm. I’m just hoping that John Fairhurst of Payplan and Malcolm Hurlston of CCCS will ride in soon to save the villagers before the castle is stormed and everyone is slaughtered.

"Has anybody here seen my old friend John, can you tell me where he's gone?" - from the song "Abraham, Martin & John"

And while I’m making wishes and hoping that my sometime lunch companions, John and Malcolm, do the right thing, I’d also like for them to use their charitable clout and free debt management powers to persuade the banks to actually honour the Banking Code and to treat consumers fairly and reasonable, as the banks have promised to do.

In lieu of that, I’d welcome seeing their signatures and those of every member of their two organisations on the Mike Reeves petition for 10 Downing Street to take action and “bring about a fair balance between the rights and responsibilities of consumer debtors and their bank and financial institution creditors, and enable as many people in debt as reasonably possible to have fair access to the full benefits of insolvency legislation.” Guys, I looked but could not find your signatures on this petition in support of consumers.  I'm sure it is just an oversight but you can sign the petition now.

Malcolm and John, it is time to stand and be counted. You either support creditor exclusion and limitation of debt solutions to consumers or you are ready to do the right thing and become outspoken about these issues.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King