Summary
We sat down with Dr Christopher Fitch, Vulnerability Lead at the Money Advice Trust, Research Fellow at the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol, and co-author of the Tell Us Twenty report from Money Advice Trust report, to get his perspective on the current TUO landscape in the UK.
Drawing on his long-standing work across vulnerability, guidance, research and training, Chris shares his thoughts on what greater alignment could mean for consumers, where the industry still has work to do, and why connected support services could play such an important role in reducing repeat disclosure and improving outcomes.
What was the biggest insight or surprise from reviewing the current TUO landscape in the UK?
Just how much activity there is going on. And, heartbreakingly, just how fragmented and disconnected this activity is. We identified at least 20 TUO initiatives in the UK. These spanned sectors from energy to education, and circumstances from death to direct debits. But these were all working on ‘their own’ TUO challenges. With no connecting bridges, no common language, and no real way for consumers to ‘tell it once’.
What do you see as the most important first step towards greater alignment across TUO platforms, particularly when it comes to consumer trust, adoption and data sharing?
At the outset, I should say that we don’t think a single central Government database that holds every consumer’s support needs is feasible. This ‘one ring to rule them all’ model isn’t going to work like that. Individuals could create this themselves using smart data options though (but more on that later).
But to answer your question, I think the most important step towards greater alignment is simply for each TUO platform to pop its head above its battlements and just look around. If they do that, they’d see there are other TUO platforms out there they could at least signpost to, and perhaps even collaborate with.
And after that basic step, I’d say a common language in how we describe different support needs would be key. It would help different TUO systems to talk to one another. And it would also make it easier for consumers to understand what different TUO platforms and organisations are offering in terms of support.
What do you think the industry still underestimates or misunderstands about consumer needs when it comes to TUO?
I think the industry fears that consumer needs are endless and infinite, and that if they start on this ‘project’, it will never end for them. However, I think the opposite is true. There are some very common support needs that every firm should meet, like giving people a choice of communication channel, or extra time to get to the door or answer the phone, or for staff to take more time to clearly explain things. And there are some support needs that are specifically relevant to an industry or sector, like with gas companies who need to know about consumers who don’t have a sense of smell (which is clearly critical).
So, what organisations need to do is map out their ‘internal menu of support’, work out what support needs they need to consistently meet, and put it into practice. We’ve tried to help a little with this, with our ‘Help!’ guide that lists some of the most common support needs. But firms need to think about what is reasonable, relevant, realistic, and required for them to do regarding providing support to consumers.
If you could unlock one breakthrough that would meaningfully improve outcomes for consumers over the next 12 months, what would it be?
In terms of Tell Us Once, it would be for different TUO platforms to see one another and collaborate; to look up from their own challenge and think about the consumer. The consumer that has relationships with banks, gas companies, broadband providers, delivery firms, and so on. The consumer that doesn’t want to have to use 20 different TUO platforms to share their support needs or reasonable adjustments to just get on with their everyday life.
And in the UK, where there is currently a big push to connect consumers to digital services, we need to make sure the services we are connecting consumers to are themselves connected. Otherwise, we’re starting everyone off with a huge disadvantage and life admin burden.
What gives you the most optimism about the future of TUO in the UK?
That we’ve solved similar problems before. Such as the electrification of the UK with the birth of the National Grid back in the 1920s was ultimately about connecting different systems and approaches. And the creation of the 999-telephone system from 1937 onwards, which gave us a national emergency response services. And, of course, the creation of the World Wide Web in the 1980s.
These innovations all seemed difficult, if not impossible, at the time, but we now take them for granted and consider them mundane. And whatever form TUO takes—and I think Support Hub has a key role to play here, as well as smart data—I think we’ll do it, because there is a human need at the centre that affects all of us, and it is a problem that we can solve.
Ready to help make support easier to access?
Here at Experian, we believe that the Tell Us Twenty report has the potential to reduce repeat disclosure, remove unnecessary life admin, and help organisations respond more consistently to people’s support needs. But progress depends on connection: shared language, joined-up thinking, and services that are easier for consumers to navigate.
Support Hub is one way organisations can start building that connection today, helping people share their support needs with multiple organisations in a simpler, more secure way.
To explore how your organisation can play a role, visit the Support Hub website. You can also read the full Tell Us Twenty report to learn more about the current landscape, the opportunities for collaboration, and the practical steps needed to improve outcomes for consumers.
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