Register a Vulnerability

Who is the Vulnerability Register Service?

The Vulnerability Registration Service gives vulnerable people a single place to register their status, helping them avoid repeating the same difficult conversations every time they engage with organisations like lenders and creditors. It is a “Not for Profit Company Limited by Guarantee” whose aim is to help vulnerable consumers protect themselves against the financial, social and very personal hardship suffered as a result of debt and financial problems.

The collaboration between the UK Debt Service and the Vulnerability Register Service

UK Debt service are proud members of the Vulnerability Register Service. This allows us to be alerted to someone’s situation and vulnerabilities which needs to be taken into consideration- whether they are contacting us for the first time or where an existing relationship is already formed with us. The Vulnerability Register Service provides any of our vulnerable customers a single place to register their status and a way of sharing information on their circumstances with other companies (like lenders and creditors) without having to repeat the same difficult conversations every time.

Many forms of vulnerability can affect a person’s ability to manage their financial responsibilities when their circumstances are particularly difficult. For example, a quarter of all people with mental health issues also have problem debts. Our company ethos at UK Debt Service is that vulnerable people are often the best experts in their own vulnerability, and therefore we aim to empower them with a tool to protect themselves from problem debt.

How does the system define ‘vulnerability’?

The Vulnerability Register Service does not define what a ‘vulnerable’ person is because there are so many different instances where this may apply, and different situations mean that people need to be dealt with in different ways. However, the system does have some more specific ‘sub-flags’ which we can select if you wish to provide more information on your situation such as ‘mental health’ or ‘financial difficulty’.

The system can provide more detail about why somebody is in a vulnerable situation, should we have the consent from you to do so and, again, this gives us and other companies the chance to treat you ethically and in the right the way.

Customers can also contact the Vulnerability Register Service and provide further context and information about the factors which have contributed towards their vulnerability, such as:

• Mental or physical disability
• Mental capacity issues
• Cognitive disorder
• Where a lifestyle even such as a bereavement or relationship breakdown has occurred,
• Where there is serious financial hardship or capacity,
• If there is a gambling addiction,
• Accessibility limitations of where the pandemic had an impact.

As we are members of the Vulnerability Register Service this then gives us the opportunity to speak with the person who registered the information to understand the reasons why somebody has registered, and to speak with them appropriately and sympathetically.

Is it free for me to register myself on the Vulnerability Register Service?

There is no cost to our customers who registers. Our specialist debt agents at UK Debt Service will use the Vulnerability Register Service system to check your details and make sure that you are authorised to be added to the database. This will then be made available to other organisations or creditors who are members of and use the Vulnerability Register Service.

What is the benefit of registering on the Vulnerability Register Service?

Declaring certain vulnerabilities and allowing organisations, like us and your creditors, access to this information may act as a layer of protection should you be turned down for financial or related services, or if you feel that you can’t make decisions which are in your best interest.

How does the Vulnerability Register Service protect my information?

The VRS holds details of name, addresses and date of birth together with some contact details. Where vulnerability no longer exists, the record can be removed from Vulnerability Register Service.

The information stored on the database is not used for anything other than running the Vulnerability Register Service for the benefit of those people who register on it. Organisations who are a member of the Vulnerability Register Service are regularly audited to ensure that the service is used properly and in the best interests of the people registering.

How long is the information stored on the VRS?

The details supplied to the Vulnerability Register Service will be shown on the register for three months, after which customers can contact the Vulnerability Register Service and ask for them to be removed should they feel their circumstances have sufficiently improved. Once the information is removed, no organisation is able to see that the individual was ever registered on the Vulnerability Register Service. The sole purpose of the Vulnerability Register Service is to provide a snapshot of an individual’s circumstances at a given point in time – a person’s prior history on the VRS is nobody’s business but their own.

How does the Vulnerability Register Service work along side your companies existing regulatory frameworks?

The Vulnerability Register Service does not replace any ethical or statutory obligations that we have at UK Debt Service to identify and make adjustments for vulnerable people. Instead, we have invested further in newer systems which help us to deal with vulnerable consumers, and allow us to have a single point of reference to ensure all parties have the information they need without the customer having to repeat the same difficult conversations over and over again.

Location: Coventry
Charity number: 11840085

Website: www.vulnerabilityregistrationservice.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 024 7767 3992

Social profiles: Facebook YouTube Twitter  LinkedIn

There are 3 steps to register with the VRS:

• You can register on the Vulnerability Register Service website 
• You can ask one of our specialist debt agents to register you whilst you are speaking to them on the phone or during Live Chat.
• You can register here using the form provided below

Your Details

Please start your registration by adding your contact details.

Title *TitleMrMrsMissMsDrProfRevSirMx

Firstname *

Lastname *

Date of Birth *

Email Address *

Phone *

Please do not fill in this field.