The fight against plans to axe the edited Electoral Register has stepped up a gear with the Institute of Fundraising lobbying members of the House of Lords ahead of a crucial debate on Thursday next week (January 20).
The move, which it is feared could spark an increase in poorly-targeted direct mail – especially from charities – has already been rubber-stamped by MPs sitting on the Select Committee for Political & Constitutional Reform. It also has the support of the Electoral Commission and the Association of Electoral Administrators.
Although the DM industry’s reliance on the edited ER has waned since its height in the Eighties and Nineties, many businesses – including credit firms – still rely on it to identify and access customers, as well as verify addresses.
And Louise Richards, director of policy and campaigns at the IoF, is lobbying a number of peers in advance of the debate. The charity body is strongly against abolition of the register and has been warning for some time that the Ministry of Justice is likely to abolish it.
Meanwhile, the Credit Services Association, which also incorporates the Debt Buyers & Sellers Group (DBSG), believes that use of the full ER should be made available to debt collection agencies, as “not all financial crime occurs at the point credit is granted, use of the register should be permitted throughout the lifetime of the agreement”.
In a letter to peers, Richards said: “We strongly believe that the edited register should not be abolished. This data enables charities to fundraise more effectively and can help to reduce junk mail.
“The accuracy facilitated by the Electoral Register helps charities to fundraise more effectively in terms of stewardship. If charities are unable to verify the address accurately, there is more chance of mail being addressed wrongly, which can reduce potential donors’ inclination to donate.”
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