THE fight against payday loans is continuing, the Archbishop of Canterbury confirmed this week.

An article in the Church Times this week surveys the outcome of the Archbishop’s so-called “War on Wonga” (News, 2 August 2013), which culminated in the creation of the Just Finance Foundation in 2016. It finds that many parishes, inspired by the Archbishop’s intervention, have provided debt advice and run credit unions, although not all initiatives have stood the test of time.

Archbishop Welby said this week: “The Church of England runs 33,000 social projects, including debt and financial-advice centres, across the country. We do not do this to be nice — we do this because Jesus calls us to care for those who are vulnerable and uplift those who are struggling.

“The Church has been a pioneer of alternative methods of lending through credit unions and other innovative, people-centred models; Christians have campaigned for fairer financial systems; and Christian charities work to educate and empower people facing real financial problems.

“The Bible speaks powerfully about debt slavery, money, and fairness. I am determined that we will continue answering God’s call to respond with compassion and courage to the injustices of usury and poverty.”

Comment: What became of the war on Wonga