Glasgow families helped by new scheme to buy household appliances

Victoria, who cares for her autistic son, has bought a cooker and fridge-freezer despite her poor credit rating with the aid of Fair for You.

The charity-owned lender is helping up to 1000 households in the G postcode area afford items such as cookers, fridges, and washing machines.

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The single mother from Kilsyth said: "I've bought a cooker, fridge freezer, and other items through Fair for You - the customer service is always great, you can pick when and how often payments are made, and people are always there to help.

"I have two kids, one of them has a disability, and with my finances, it's not possible to pay large amounts upfront to buy things we need to make our house feel comfortable and make sure we've got the essentials we need.

"I've not got a good credit rating and so honestly, I'd be lost without Fair for You, I don't know what I'd do."

Established in 2016, Fair For You aims to provide an alternative to high-cost lending and offers flexible, affordable credit terms. 

The programme comes as the Glasgow Times raises awareness of the cost-of-living crisis in our Beat the Squeeze campaign. 

Last year, they received nearly 10,000 credit applications, with almost half looking for help in purchasing household appliances.

Emma Goodwin, deputy CEO and CFO of Fair for You, said: “Scotland has a complex and expensive debt recovery system which can create real headaches for families struggling to make ends meet, and make them ineligible for further credit from other lenders.

"If someone’s fridge or washing machine packs in, we want to help them to solve that problem, rather than seeing them go without fresh food or clean clothes.

"High-cost, predatory lenders shouldn’t be the only option available to families in need and we know that ethical, affordable credit can have a big impact in the community."

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Fair for You has received a £350,000 funding package from Social Investment Scotland (SIS) to carry out the scheme. 

The initiative is currently aimed at families with young children, dependents, and those with other caring responsibilities.

The scheme is currently aimed at families with young children

Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis using a combination of open banking and credit checks.

Open banking allows the lender to get a broader view of the affordability of a loan and allows them to accept applications from people who are declined elsewhere.

Ms Goodwin added: “We’re kicking off the new pilot scheme with support from SIS and hope it will make a real difference to Glasgow families while the costs of essentials like food, fuel and energy continue to rise.”

The programme is being trialled in the Glasgow area before being potentially rolled out to other areas in Scotland. 

Chris Jamieson, head of investments at SIS, added: “Fair for You plays an important role in helping low-income families access the funding they need for essential household items, without having to turn to high-cost loans.

"Fair for You has identified significant demand for its products in Scotland and we’re pleased to support this pilot programme in Glasgow, which will hopefully lead to further support for families in other towns and cities too.”

For more information, visit www.fairforyou.co.uk.