Regulation news: page 6
- June 2025
Government response to Warm Home Discount expansion consultation published
The Government has confirmed changes to the Warm Home Discount for winter 2025/26, removing the high cost to heat threshold in England and Wales and increasing spending in Scotland.
Government to exempt domestic premises suppliers from BNPL credit broking permissions
The government has decided to exempt businesses that sell goods and services in people's homes from needing credit broking permissions to offer buy now pay later as a payment option.
Chancellor announces £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme
The Chancellor announced £39 billion for a new ten-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review on 11 June 2025, with the government saying it could deliver around 300,000 affordable homes.
Pension Schemes Bill 2024-25 introduced in Parliament
The Pension Schemes Bill 2024-25 was introduced in Parliament on 5 June 2025, with 12 policies covering local government funds, defined benefit and defined contribution schemes, and the Pensions Ombudsman.
Amending regulations laid for 2025 to 2026 Warm Home Discount expansion
Amending regulations laid in June 2025 remove the high-cost-to-heat threshold for Warm Home Discount Core Group 2 in England and Wales and raise Broader Group funding in Scotland, with around 6 million households expected to receive the £150 rebate.
Guidance updated for DMCCA unfair trading provisions
Trading standards guidance pages for England, Scotland and Wales have been updated to reflect the coming into force of Part 4, Chapter 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
- May 2025
CP25/1 remedies consultation closes
The Payment Systems Regulator's consultation on remedies for the card scheme and processing fees market review closed on 28 May 2025, after findings that Mastercard and Visa raised core fees by at least 25% since 2017.
Ofgem announces new energy price cap with standard credit premium unchanged
Ofgem has announced a new energy price cap under which households that pay after receiving their bill will still pay £135 a year more than those paying by direct debit.
Government lays BNPL legislation and commits to reviewing approach to domestic premises suppliers
The government laid secondary legislation on 19 May 2025 to regulate interest-free buy now pay later products from July 2026, while committing to review how the rules treat businesses selling in customers' homes.
Government publishes BNPL consultation response and confirms it will bring BNPL into regulation
HM Treasury has published its response to the October 2024 consultation on draft BNPL legislation and confirmed it will lay the draft statutory instrument to bring buy now pay later products into regulation.
Equity Release Council launches Standards 2.0
The Equity Release Council launched Standards 2.0 in May 2025, adding a Consumer Charter and a product standard that waives early repayment charges for customers moving permanently into long-term care.
Government lays secondary legislation to bring BNPL under FCA regulation
The Government laid secondary legislation on 19 May 2025 to bring buy now pay later credit under Financial Conduct Authority regulation, with the regime due to start twelve months and one day after the legislation is made.
- April 2025
Minister signs off final stage Impact Assessment for BNPL regulation
The responsible minister signed the final stage impact assessment for buy now, pay later regulation on 28 April 2025, setting out costs to firms and planned consumer protections.
Deadline for PSPs to amend consumer terms and conditions to reflect reimbursement rights
The Payment Systems Regulator has confirmed that payment firms had until 9 April 2025 to update consumer contracts to reflect authorised push payment scam reimbursement rights introduced in October 2024.
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.
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.
CMA gains direct consumer enforcement powers
The CMA has opened an investigation into Microsoft 365 subscription changes, using consumer enforcement powers it has held since April 2025 to decide whether consumer law was breached.
Energy price cap rises to £1,849 for typical dual-fuel consumer
Ofgem's energy price cap rose 6.4% on 1 April 2025, taking the typical dual-fuel bill to £1,849 a year, as water, council tax and rail costs also increased.
- 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.
OBR to publish updated economic and fiscal forecasts
The Office for Budget Responsibility was due to publish updated economic and fiscal forecasts on 26 March 2025, with attention on the Chancellor's fiscal rule and planned cuts to disability benefits.
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.
Stage 3 public consultation opens on proposals to reshape the regime
The independent Stage 3 review of Scotland's statutory debt solutions has published its final report, setting out 52 recommendations for Scottish Ministers after a consultation that ran from 12 March to 4 June 2025.
Final report of card scheme and processing fees market review published
The Payment Systems Regulator has published the final report of its market review into card scheme and processing fees, finding Mastercard and Visa raised core fees by at least 25% since 2017.
2025 Spring Statement balances the books largely through social security cuts
The Chancellor closed a £4.1 billion shortfall in the 2025 Spring Statement mainly through social security cuts, with no fresh tax rises, according to Resolution Foundation analysis.
Consultation on statutory debt solutions held
An independent review of Scotland's statutory debt solutions has published 52 recommendations after a March 2025 consultation, with the Scottish Government to respond after the Parliamentary Election.
Government confirms DRD restart in Spring Statement
The government confirmed in the Spring Statement that HMRC will restart its Direct Recovery of Debts power, taking unpaid tax directly from bank accounts and cash Isas.
PRA consults on proposed increase to deposit compensation limit
The Prudential Regulation Authority consulted in March 2025 on raising the deposit compensation limit, and the FSCS now confirms the limit rose to £120,000 on 1 December 2025.
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.
Treasury Committee finds nine top banks had at least 33 days of outages over two years
The Treasury Committee has written to Lloyds Banking Group over an IT glitch that let some customers see other people's account information, and has restated its earlier finding on bank outages.
- February 2025
Government consults on removing the high cost to heat threshold for the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales
The government is consulting on removing the high cost to heat threshold for the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales, which would make all households on means-tested benefits eligible for the £150 rebate.