Consumer Protection news: page 2
- October 2025
Consultation on the review of the Financial Ombudsman Service closes
The government's consultation on reforming the Financial Ombudsman Service, including a proposed 10-year absolute time limit for complaints, closed on 8 October 2025.
Consumer Scotland responds to HM Treasury consultation on the review of the Financial Ombudsman Service
Consumer Scotland has told HM Treasury it opposes a 10 year absolute time limit for Financial Ombudsman Service complaints, a merger of the ombudsman with the FCA, and new FCA referrals.
FCA launches consultation on proposed car finance redress scheme
The Financial Conduct Authority has opened a consultation on an industry-wide compensation scheme for motor finance customers overcharged on car finance deals taken out between April 2007 and November 2024.
Guidance updated for Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
Trading standards guidance for England, Scotland and Wales was updated in October 2025 to reflect the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, though its redress provisions are not yet in force.
- September 2025
Treasury answers parliamentary question on mis-sold car finance compensation
The Treasury told Parliament on 8 September 2025 that it is working with the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority on motor finance commission practices, after the Supreme Court clarified the law.
Guide updated for Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 unfair trading provisions
Trading Standards consumer guidance for England, Scotland and Wales has been updated to reflect the unfair trading provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 coming into force.
- August 2025
Consumer Scotland responds to FCA consultation on targeted support for pensions and investment decisions
Consumer Scotland has published its response to the Financial Conduct Authority's consultation on targeted support, setting out evidence on the advice gap in pensions and investments.
Motor finance commission complaints fall to 21,500
New motor finance commission complaints at the Financial Ombudsman Service fell to 21,500 between April and June 2025, down from 36,000 in the final quarter of 2024/25.
Unaffordable lending complaints halve year on year
The Financial Ombudsman Service processed 68,000 new complaints between April and June 2025, with unaffordable lending cases halving to 10,000 from 21,600 a year earlier.
- April 2025
Which? finds potentially unfair storm and flood definitions in home insurance policies
Which? analysis of 133 home insurance policy documents from 67 firms found 32% contained a potentially unfair definition of flood and 20% a potentially unfair definition of storm.
CMA publishes guidance on its approach to direct consumer protection
The Competition and Markets Authority has published a 19-page document setting out how it will approach direct consumer protection under the new consumer protection regime.
Chapter 1 on protection from unfair trading valid from 6 April 2025
Chapter 1 of Part 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which prohibits unfair commercial practices, is valid from 6 April 2025 and replaces the 2008 regulations.
Schedule 20 banned commercial practices come into force
Thirty-two commercial practices listed in Schedule 20 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 became unfair in all circumstances on 6 April 2025, under commencement regulations S.I. 2025/272.
- March 2025
PRA consults on raising FSCS deposit protection limit to £110,000
The Prudential Regulation Authority has proposed raising the FSCS deposit protection limit from £85,000 to £110,000 from 1 December 2025, with a higher limit for temporary high balances.
HM Treasury announces review of the Financial Ombudsman Service
HM Treasury has announced a review of the Financial Ombudsman Service, including its compensation practices, as the service consults on replacing its long-standing 8% interest rate on awards.
PRA consults on raising FSCS deposit protection limit from £85,000 to £110,000 and THB limit from £1 million to £1.4 million
The Prudential Regulation Authority has proposed raising FSCS deposit protection from £85,000 to £110,000 and the temporary high balance limit from £1 million to £1.4 million, both from 1 December 2025.
- January 2025
Nationwide introduces payment queueing system after surge on first working day of 2025
Nationwide introduced a payment queueing system on 4 January 2025 after a surge in payments, with around 20,000 direct debits failing and £60 compensation paid to affected customers.
- December 2024
Nationwide payment outage on 22 December leaves customers waiting for wages
Nationwide customers reported waiting for wages and seeing Direct Debits bounce during a payment outage on 22 December, one of four faster payment problems at the building society in recent months.
FCA announces temporary rules on motor finance commission complaints
The FCA has extended temporary complaint handling rules so firms have longer to answer motor finance commission complaints and consumers have longer to take cases to the ombudsman.
Ombudsman guidance on motor valuations and write-offs updated
The Financial Ombudsman Service has updated its guidance on motor valuations and write-offs, saying it will now typically consider adverts when assessing what a written-off vehicle was worth.
Barclays loses judicial review over FOS car finance ruling
The High Court upheld a Financial Ombudsman complaint against Barclays Partner Finance in December 2024, as the FCA widened its pause on car finance complaint handling.
- November 2024
Barclays takes over Tesco Bank's savings, credit cards and loans
Barclays completed its takeover of Tesco Bank's savings, credit cards and loans on 1 November 2024, meaning the two brands now share a single £120,000 FSCS protection limit.
FCA and FOS publish joint Call for Input on Modernising the Redress System
The Financial Ombudsman Service and the Financial Conduct Authority opened a joint Call for Input in November 2024 on modernising the redress system, closing on 30 January 2025 with over 140 responses.
- October 2024
Court of Appeal rules for borrowers against Close Brothers and FirstRand Bank
The Court of Appeal ruled on 25 October 2024 that car finance companies acted unlawfully by not telling customers about commission earned, in a case brought against Close Brothers and FirstRand Bank.
CMA publishes consumer protection guidance for Will-writing
The Competition and Markets Authority has published consumer protection guidance for unregulated Will-writing providers and the public, following its investigation into unregulated legal services.
PSR introduces APP scam reimbursement rules
The Payment Systems Regulator brought in mandatory reimbursement for victims of authorised push payment scams from 7 October 2024, with firms paying out unless a customer was grossly negligent.
- September 2024
FOS warns of rise in card-based authorised fraud
The Financial Ombudsman Service warned in September 2024 that more people were inadvertently using credit or debit cards to pay fraudsters, a pattern it says has continued to grow.
- August 2024
FOS reports 70% rise in complaints in Q1 2024/25
The Financial Ombudsman Service received 74,645 new complaints in the first quarter of 2024/25, up 70% on the same quarter a year earlier, with credit cards the most complained about product.
FCA launches Pure Protection Market Study
The Financial Conduct Authority launched its Pure Protection Market Study in August 2024 to establish whether the protection market offers fair value to customers, examining four product areas.
- July 2024
Consumer Duty applies to incidents from this date
From 31 July 2024 the Financial Ombudsman Service may consider the Consumer Duty when looking at complaints about incidents that happened on or after that date.