Why Leeds home credit lender International Personal Finance has slumped to loss

The Leeds-based firm reported a statutory pre-tax loss of £40.7m for the period, a sharp contrast to the £114m profit it made the previous year. Revenue was down from £889.1m in 2019 to £661.3m for last year.

IPF said the Covid-19 pandemic posed "significant, unforeseen challenges for many businesses", particularly those that rely on face-to-face interactions with consumers such as its home credit businesses.

Gerard Ryan, CEO of IPF, said: "We have managed the business effectively through this turbulent period and proven the resilience of our international business model.

"We responded quickly to the pandemic, taking the strategic decision to establish three principles to guide our decision-making - to protect our people, prioritise our loyal customers and protect our business.

"This approach, together with the implementation of our return to growth plan and the exceptional dedication of our workforce, allowed us to continue serving our customers safely, deliver an improving operational performance and return the business to profitability in the second half of the year.

"Our business plays a key role in society and we are well-placed to remain at the forefront of lending responsibly to underbanked and underserved consumers and, in turn, deliver long-term growth and value to all our stakeholders."

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Thank you

James Mitchinson