Fair By Design
@fairbydesign.bsky.social
Ending the #PovertyPremium: the extra costs people on low incomes pay for essential products & services.
Six months ago, the FCA's Premium Finance Market Study confirmed what we already knew: charges are significant, the market is highly profitable, and low-income customers pay the most. Read our latest blog from Rebecca, our Director, on what must happen next 🔗 fairbydesign.com/fca-premium-...
FCA's premium finance approach: progress or drift? A blog from Rebecca, our Director.
FCA's premium finance approach: progress or drift? A blog from Rebecca, our Director.
fairbydesign.com
The Treasury Committee has published its inquiry into the Financial Inclusion Strategy. Our verdict echoes theirs: a welcome first step, but not yet a complete plan. fairbydesign.com/response-tsc...
Treasury Committee report on Financial Inclusion Strategy: a welcome step, but gaps remain
Read our response to the TSC's inquiry into the Financial Inclusion Strategy.
fairbydesign.com
In the latest episode of the Vulnerability Matters Podcast our Director Rebecca Deegan discusses our new research on the poverty premium. Thank you to Money Advice Trust and Chris for having us on, it was a pleasure. 🎧 Listen to the episode: open.spotify.com/show/2oI3irS...
Money Advice Trust
Podcast · Money Advice Trust · Welcome to the Vulnerability Matters podcast from the Money Advice Trust. A series that examines from a range of perspectives how firms are supporting consumers in vulne...
open.spotify.com
Today we've launched new research Paying More for Less: The Poverty Premium in 2026. To mark the launch our Director, Rebecca Deegan, has written an article in The New Statesman on what a bolder approach to the poverty premium could look like. www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/ec...
Andy Burnham must redress the balance between markets, fairness and poverty
Tackling the "poverty premium" - the extra charges incurred by those on lower incomes - could help millions with the cost-of-living
newstatesman.com
Premium finance is still a poverty premium. New Which? research shows APRs close to 30% for those paying car insurance monthly, hitting lower income households hardest. uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/motoris...
Some motorists who pay monthly for insurance ‘charged annual rates close to 30%’
Paying monthly is often the only realistic option for households facing financial pressure, creating a ‘poverty premium’, Which? said.
uk.finance.yahoo.com
We set up our Lived Experience Panel so people facing the poverty premium shape our strategy, not just comment on it. As Sam steps down after a year, she reflects on the panel and her own story where she was refused credit when she needed it most. Read it here: fairbydesign.com/sam-reflecti...
What being on a low income really feels like: Sam’s reflections on her time as a Lived Experience Panel Member.
Sam was part of our Lived Experience Advisory Panel during its first year. In this blog, she shares her personal experience of living on a low income and what the panel meant to her.
fairbydesign.com
"Sometimes the issue isn't the person, it's the system they're stuck in." In our latest blog Charlotte, a member of our Lived Experience Panel, and Barbara Hughes from the FCA reflect on what it means to bring lived experience into regulatory policy. fairbydesign.com/why-regulato...
"There is a person at the end of the process": A joint blog by Barbara Hughes, Financial Conduct Authority, and Charlotte, a member of Fair By Design's Lived Experience Advisory Panel.
In May Charlotte, one of Fair By Design's lived experience advisory panel members, spoke at the FCA internal event: Understanding the Power of Lived Experience. This blog is a reflection from Charlott...
fairbydesign.com
Thanks @lbc.co.uk for letting me have my say on the price cap rise today. The next energy bill crisis starts on 1 July and households need short and long-term support to be ready. www.lbc.co.uk/article/ener...
This is why your energy bill just went up – and why Government needs to act now | LBC
Waiting until September to confirm support promises a summer of suspense that vulnerable households cannot afford, writes fuel poverty campaigner Simon Francis
lbc.co.uk
We’re delighted to welcome Yvonne Fovargue CBE as Chair of our steering group. To mark her arrival in LabourList, Yvonne reflects on her 14 years as an MP fighting the poverty premium, and why tackling it is essential to rebuilding trust and securing public support for the Government.
'If Labour wants to take on populism, it must start with the cost of living' - LabourList
Politicians with divisive rhetoric come and go but to voters, putting money in their pockets determines if they feel Labour is on their side
labourlist.org
It's been a year since @mchshe.bsky.social's documentary was shown - find out what has happened in the #FairBankingForAll campaign since then.
The Fair Banking for All Campaign@fbfacampaign.bsky.social · 4mo ago1 year ago @mchshe.bsky.social paid off the debts of hundreds of people. So what’s happened since then? fairbankingforall.org #FairBankingForAll
Ending the poverty premium isn’t niche, it’s a popular idea with the public. Our latest blog turns our polling with YouGov into a set of data visualisations to tell the story of political attitudes on the poverty premium. Read the article 👉 fairbydesign.com/public-attit...
While global shocks push prices up, they aren’t the only reason for the cost of living crisis. We rely on poorly regulated markets for essentials, driving a poverty premium. From loyalty premiums to higher monthly charges, millions overpay. Ben Cooper on why Gov must step in @labourlist.bsky.social.
Ben Cooper@bencooper1995.bsky.social · 4mo agoGreat to see action on “subscription traps” today, which cost the average consumer around £170 a year Labour has a long history of taking on businesses that exploit vulnerable consumers for profit They should go further, as my @labourlist.bsky.social column argues labourlist.org/2026/04/ben-...
📉Today's price cap news: “Brief relief for some. A real worry for millions.” For households already in energy debt, April's fall offers little comfort. [1/4]
“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞.” Our Director, Rebecca Deegan, has a new article in the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ Think series, looking at whether pricing models should reflect the world as it is, or help to build a fairer one. actuaries.org.uk/think-editio...
‘think’ edition 17: Unfair by design: Should pricing models reflect the world as it is, or contribute to a more equitable society? | Institute and Faculty of Actuaries
Why recent initiatives have failed to improve motor insurance affordability, and reimagining a transport and insurance system designed around social equity.
actuaries.org.uk
💥 Today we’re joining forces with 50+ orgs who’ve signed our open letter You can tell the government to stop July bill hikes and give us our fair share of cheap, clean energy #MakeGreenFair 🖊️ Sign the petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/ma...
The Government has announced support for heating oil to help vulnerable households, delivered through the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) from April, this is a welcome and necessary intervention. Our response 📷
Yesterday’s report by @thecccuk.bsky.social shows that the journey to net zero is an opportunity to reduce energy costs for everyone. We need to unite behind this and make sure it works for people on low incomes.
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 5mo agoReaching net zero by 2050 ‘cheaper for UK than one fossil fuel crisis’
Our Director, Rebecca Deegan’s, latest article in The Actuary looks at the poverty premium in car insurance - and why actuaries have a key role in making motor cover more inclusive. www.theactuary.com/2026/03/10/r...
Road worthy: insurers must make motor cover more inclusive
For those on low incomes, having a car can be a vital resource – but they’re often priced out when it comes to insurance.
theactuary.com
Too many people on low incomes continue to face a postcode lottery when it comes to getting help with their water bills, forcing them into potential water cutbacks. We're calling for a national social tariff for water in England and Wales to fix this unfair system. Sign the petition ⬇️
Independent Age@independentage.bsky.social · 5mo agoAcross England and Wales, too many older people are struggling to afford their water bills. We're calling for a national social tariff for water in England and Wales to fix this unfair system. Sign our petition: campaigns.independentage.org/page/187255/...
Today’s energy price cap announcement is welcome news, with the typical annual bill dropping by £117 a year. However, the ‘standard credit premium’, the added cost for paying your bill when it arrives, is still £131 a year. Watch @mariacbooker.bsky.social explain the issue.
We commissioned YouGov to produce nationally representative polling on the British public’s attitudes to the poverty premium and solutions to it. The answers were emphatic: people from across political parties, and regardless of their income, wanted action to end the poverty premium.
Great article from our Director, Rebecca Deegan, in @newstatesman1913.bsky.social today. It covers our new polling with YouGov, which shows the public backs action on the poverty premium. www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/ec...
It's official: Labour voters want Starmer to go further on the cost of living
New polling shows that the Labour 2024 voter base want action on the cost of living. Starmer shouldn’t U-turn on this.
newstatesman.com
Some ICYMI Friday reading for your feeds, our recent blog on what ‘lived experience’ really means and why creating spaces for people to be genuinely valued matters.” Blog: fairbydesign.com/blog-what-li...
We’re always keen to highlight local initiatives that successfully tackle the poverty premium, which is why we’ve written a blog about the Soundpound scheme in Greater Manchester. fairbydesign.com/soundpound-r...
Blog: How Soundpound's Partnership is Making Transport Affordable in Greater Manchester
Read our blog which shares good practice on reducing the poverty premium in Manchester.
fairbydesign.com
Our Head of Policy, @mariacbooker.bsky.social, responds to the continuation of the Warm Home Discount, and other recent energy announcements the Warm Homes Plan & Fuel Poverty Strategy. Full response: fairbydesign.com/our-response...
Our latest blog, written by members of our Lived Experience Panel, explores the language we use and asks 'What Does Lived Experience Really Mean?' fairbydesign.com/blog-what-li...
What Does ‘Lived Experience’ Really Mean? Our Panel’s Perspective
Our Lived Experience Panel shares what the term ‘lived experience’ means to them, why language matters, and how genuine inclusion shapes real policy change.
fairbydesign.com
Some words from our Head of Policy, @mariacbooker.bsky.social, looking back at our Give Me Some Credit exhibition. The article is a deep dive on the process we followed and looks at the value of involving people with lived experience in our work. www.civilsociety.co.uk/governance/g...
Fair By Design: Give me some credit
Fair By Design teamed up with the Poverty Alliance to document through photography the real-life stories of 14 people who had been denied affordable credit. Maria Booker reports...
civilsociety.co.uk
The Govt’s newly announced Warm Homes Plan sets out a new approach to fixing Britain’s coldest homes. With £15 bn committed, the plan focuses on helping households cut energy waste and reduce their reliance on expensive gas, through a mix of insulation, clean heating and home-grown power. [1/3]
Disappointed to see that the Government White Paper on water does not include proposals for a national water social tariff. This means people on low incomes will continue to face a postcode lottery when it comes to getting help with their water bills, forcing them into potential water cutbacks.
Independent Age@independentage.bsky.social · 7mo agoWithout urgent action, almost one million pensioner households will be in water poverty by 2029–30. The UK Govt has missed a major opportunity to tackle this crisis. No one should be forced to ration their water use. We need a national water social tariff. www.independentage.org/news-media/p...
