By Ben Kerrigan-
New measures aim to protect households from rogue tradespeople, strengthen bailiff regulation and overhaul the UK’s wider consumer protection system.
The Brirish government has announced a major crackdown on so-called “cowboy builders” and aggressive bailiffs, promising stronger protections for households facing costly home improvement work or struggling with debt.
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham (pictured)said the measures would help “put cowboy builders out of business” while giving families greater protection and more confidence when spending their money.
Under a new government-backed scheme due to launch in September, consumers will be able to identify trusted home improvement businesses that meet higher standards for customer service, transparency and dispute resolution.
A new payment protection system will also allow customers to link payments to key milestones during a building project, rather than handing over large sums of money upfront.
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The government says the measures are intended not only to protect consumers but also to support reputable tradespeople who are currently being undercut by rogue operators. The government says more than one in four UK adults who had home improvement work carried out during the past 18 months experienced problems.
Reported issues include unfinished projects, pressure on elderly customers to pay excessive amounts for poor-quality work and builders disappearing after receiving upfront payments.
More than one in three people who encountered problems faced additional costs, with the average loss standing at around £750.
The government estimates that in 2024 people lost more than £10.3 billion through losses, excessive costs and unfair practices associated with home and garden maintenance.
Ministers warned that the financial consequences can be accompanied by significant stress, particularly when projects are left unfinished and costs continue to rise.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said rogue builders not only cause financial damage but can leave families facing months of disruption and anxiety.
“Cowboy builders don’t just rip people off. They leave families with months of stress, the disruption of unfinished work, and that horrible feeling of being taken advantage of.”
He added that the new protections would give customers the option of having their money “held safely and released bit by bit as the work gets done”.
The Prime Minister described the announcement as part of a wider programme of “everyday fixes” designed to ease pressure on households and make Britain fairer.
Bailiffs To face Tougher Oversight
The government has also announced tougher regulation of private bailiffs in England and Wales.
The reforms will introduce consistent professional standards across the enforcement industry and give people facing enforcement action access to an independent complaints process.
Under the proposed system, private bailiffs will have to be accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board, or work for an enforcement company that is accredited, in order to obtain or renew the certificate required to operate.
Ministers say the changes will provide greater protection for people who are already struggling financially.
Courts and Legal Services Minister Sarah Sackman said bailiffs have an important role but must meet high professional standards.
“When someone is already struggling with debt, the last thing they should face is intimidating behaviour, unfair treatment or being pushed into excessive repayment arrangements they cannot afford.”
She said independent oversight would provide people with “greater protection and somewhere to turn when things go wrong”. The government has also confirmed plans for a longer-term review of the wider consumer protection system. The review will examine how organisations including Citizens Advice and Trading Standards work alongside regulators, enforcement agencies and redress schemes.
The aim is to make the system faster and easier to access, while improving the ability of authorities to identify and tackle consumer harm before it escalates. Ministers cited examples including doorstep scams, disputes with tradespeople and problems encountered when buying used cars. The government said it wants to reduce the likelihood of consumers being passed between different organisations when seeking help.
Consumer and industry organisations have broadly welcomed the announcements.
Judith Turner, Deputy Chief Ombudsman at the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman, said the organisation welcomed government support for an approved code for the home improvement sector. She described the scheme as a “gold standard” designed to build trust and help consumers identify traders committed to resolving disputes fairly.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute also welcomed the government’s action, saying it would continue to push for a consumer protection system that is properly funded and capable of preventing harm before it occurs. Citizens Advice said the measures could provide much-needed change in sectors where rogue behaviour has been a longstanding problem.
Peter Grigg, the organisation’s Executive Director of Partnerships and Advocacy, said people who encounter problems can be left “significantly out of pocket” and sometimes living in unsafe conditions.
Meanwhile, Martin Lewis, speaking as Chair of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, welcomed the move towards mandatory independent regulation of bailiffs.
He said vulnerable people were particularly likely to be affected by debt enforcement and argued that aggressive debt collection could have devastating consequences. “Many bailiffs behave fairly – but some have got away with acting with impunity due to the lack of mandatory independent regulation.”
Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy Rocio Concha described the measures as a “really positive step”, while warning that wider reform of consumer enforcement was urgently needed.
She said consumers should have confidence that they will not be exploited when paying for home improvements, products or services.
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