Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

CFA Joins Coalition in Urging CFPB to Address Limited-English Proficient Access in Online Complaint System

CFA joined civil rights, consumer, and housing organizations in a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) urging them to address an equal access issue regarding the CFPB’s online complaint system. The CFPB complaint system does not allow for complaints from limited-English proficient (LEP) consumers to be submitted in-language online, creating barriers to equitable access for the many LEP consumers needing the Bureau’s assistance and impeding the CFPB’s ability to carry out its fair lending and consumer protection obligations effectively. Disparate treatment regarding the complaint process prevents effective enforcement of CFPB regulations within Latinx and other communities with LEP consumers, making it easier for abuses and legal violations to remain unaddressed in the communities with great need of the Bureau’s assistance. The groups urgently requested that the CFPB provide access to the online complaint system in Spanish and other languages commonly spoken by LEP individuals across the country.