Unite: New payday loan rules 'do not go far enough'

The Government's new rules do not go far enough to properly regulate payday loans. The toxic combination of shrinking wages and rising costs is drawing more people into the clutches of these legal loan sharks.

The Government must cap the extortionate interest rates that payday lenders charge to help stop desperate borrowers falling into a spiral of debt. There also needs to be new rules to rein in these lenders' aggressive collection methods.

Controlling how much legal loan sharks are allowed to advertise is not good enough. They shouldn't be allowed to advertise on TV at all, nor should they be allowed to sponsor large events or football teams which can end up being associated with companies that exploit local communities.

From April, more people will be likely to turn to payday lenders as the Government scraps the Social Fund which was there to help with living costs for people struggling on benefits.