The just-published survey by the national forum for financial inclusion, transact, found that social housing tenants were by far the greatest users of the services provided by its members and identified their major concerns.

The survey of transact's 1,300 organisations in membership was conducted between May and June this year using an online survey asking members to identify which financial exclusion issues were most important to them, how the credit crunch was affecting the people they worked with and how transact could better support their work.

Access to banking was the biggest financial exclusion issue identified with other top concerns being budgeting and door step lending.

The survey found since the credit crunch began:

• 75% of transact's members noted a rise in demand for debt advice services;
• 70% have seen lenders become more aggressive in pursuing debts;
• 61% have noted that more people are struggling to get access to a bank account;
• 58% believe that mortgage lenders are moving to repossess more quickly.

The change that members most wanted to see in the law was an interest rate cap on high interest lenders and tougher rules to combat irresponsible lending.

The nine page report can be read by clicking this link.