ROAR Newsletter Summaries

What you need to know this week Affordability remains a defining issue in 2026 as firms face rising household cost pressures, growing debt stress and closer regulatory scrutiny ahead of the Affordability Summit on 14/4/2026 in Manchester.MaPS’ latest update highlights the updated Standards, the new MaPS Standards Portal and the upcoming FCA review, with Daniel Kelly presenting on the SFS and new innovations at the Affordability Summit.Firms are being pushed to improve affordability journeys so customers can disclose income and… Read more

What you need to know this week The two-child benefit cap has been scrapped, with around 480,000 families with three or more children set to receive an average rise of £4,100 a year, while 2.7m people are also due a pay rise through minimum wage increases.Energy affordability remains under acute pressure, with Ofgem reporting £3.17 billion in domestic credit balances for fixed direct debit customers and total domestic customer debt and arrears of £4.55 billion.Average energy debt continues to rise,… Read more

What you need to know this week FCA-approved MaPS Standards and supporting toolkits take effect on 1 April 2026, with new SFS figures also taking effect shortly after.Community Money Advice and Christians Against Poverty will come together under a newly formed CAP Group, creating a larger specialist community-based debt advice network across the UK.Ofgem states that households on standard variable tariffs remain protected by the energy price cap until the end of June 2026 despite Middle East-related pressure on wholesale… Read more

What you need to know this week The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% unanimously, while signalling readiness to act if inflationary pressures persist.Labour market pressure remains evident, with pay growth slowing to 3.8% and unemployment holding at 5.2%.Gambling-related debt pressures have intensified, with more than 21,000 people seeking support in January 2026 and disclosed debt exceeding £7.2m in 2025.National debt advice demand has accelerated, with National Debtline recording its busiest ever start to a year in January… Read more

What you need to know this week UK households seeking debt advice are increasingly working, renting and operating with very limited monthly financial surplus.Average client income of around £2,400 per month against £2,195 expenditure leaves a median surplus of only £145.Many households delay seeking debt support, often disclosing only around 60% of their total debt at first contact.Sustained higher interest rates are causing repayment stagnation where balances are not materially reducing despite ongoing payments.Housing costs remain a dominant priority for… Read more

What you need to know this week The February 2026 Regulatory Update has been issued to subscribers, with vulnerability management positioned as entering a tooling phase.The bulletin says Middle East conflict is feeding through into essentials, inflation expectations and mortgage repricing.The FCA says firms have strengthened earlier harm identification, governance and support for customers in vulnerable circumstances under FG21/1 and Consumer Duty.Inclusive Outcomes says firms should test whether lived experience, proposition capability and governance are delivering meaningful inclusion under PRIN… Read more