The researchers estimate that disabled people hold approximately £274 billion in annual spending power, and that a more inclusive financial services market could generate at least £6.4 billion in additional annual economic output. The headline number signals this is not purely a social argument: it is a commercial one.

The findings arrive in a regulatory environment that is pushing financial services firms toward evidenced, not aspirational, inclusion. The FCA‘s Consumer Duty, in force since July 2023, requires firms to demonstrate good outcomes for all retail customers, including those with characteristics of vulnerability. The Duty puts the burden of proof on providers rather than consumers, and disability sits squarely within the vulnerability definitions the regulator uses. Firms that cannot show outcome monitoring across disabled customer segments face increasing supervisory risk.

Fair4All Finance’s chief executive, Kate Pender, made the commercial case plainly: “Designing an inclusive financial system is not just a social obligation, it is an untapped commercial opportunity that could deliver at least an additional £6.4bn annual boost to the UK economy.”

The report recommends expanding the voluntary Disability Finance Code into retail financial services, piloting supported access mechanisms that protect against fraud without removing consumer autonomy, embedding lived experience in product development governance, and reviewing how automated decisioning and benefit income treatment affect disabled applicants for credit and insurance.

Howard Taylor , director at PwC UK, noted the compound pressures: “Disabled people frequently face higher day-to-day costs and lower average incomes, contributing to lower financial resilience, while also encountering barriers when accessing the products, services and support they need.”

Source link