Prime Minister Andy Burnham has today announced a new scheme which will allow consumers to hold funds in a secure account until renovation or construction work is properly completed, in an effort to combat so-called “cowboy tradespeople”.
It is hoped that the new system will help people protect their money during projects, with the release of funds payments being directly linked to the completion of key project milestones.
The government says the scheme will reinforce the work of the majority of tradespeople across the UK who work professionally and honourably, and “prevent them being undercut by rogue operators”.
To help support this, Downing Street also says it is launching a new government supported Approved Code scheme to help people identify and hire trusted traders with confidence.
Back in 2024, the British Institute of Fitted Furniture (BIFIS) launched a similar accreditation scheme for tradespeople, called the Accredited Installation Methods programme. However, where BIFIS’ scheme was targeted specifically towards installation professionals across the fitted furniture sector, the government’s new accreditation scheme sounds like it will cover the broader construction and renovation industries.
The government said that it believes one in four UK adults who have carried out home improvement works in the last 18 months have experienced problems, such as abandoned projects or undue pressure to overpay for “shoddy work”.
“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,” commented Prime Minister Andy Burnham. “Not only that, but they give the vast majority of decent, hardworking tradespeople a bad name.
“So we’re putting the cowboys out of business. These changes mean you’ll now have the option to make sure your money is held safely and released bit by bit as the work gets done.
“It’s the latest in our series of everyday fixes to give people room to breathe and make Britain fairer. We’ve taken on subscription traps, fake discounts, and now we’re coming for the cowboy builders. Enough is enough.”
The UK’s business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, added: “Your home is the biggest investment you make. While improving it can be stressful; we are helping families to avoid it turning into a nightmare. We’re taking action to protect consumers, support reputable traders and make sure people can spend their money with greater confidence and security.”