The Financial Abuse Code implemented by UK Finance, the trade association for the UK banking and financial services sector, has been adopted by almost 90% of the UK’s mortgage providers.
Yesterday, eight more institutions signed the code: Coventry Building Society, Cumberland Building Society, Fleet Mortgages, Ikano Bank, Monzo, Principality Building Society, Progressive Building Society, and Shawbrook (which includes The Mortgage Lender and Bluestone Mortgages Ltd). The total number of signatories now stands at 33, encompassing 49 financial services brands.
Economic abuse impacts 4.2 million women in the UK, according to the charity Surviving Economic Abuse. UK Finance launched the third iteration of its Financial Abuse Code in April 2025 to support customers affected by economic abuse, fully aligning it with the Financial Conduct Authority’s Consumer Duty. The code strengthens industry support for victim‑survivors and ensures greater consistency across firms, UK Finance said.
“Financial abuse can happen to anyone,” Eric Leenders, managing director of personal finance at UK Finance said.
“With more lenders joining the code, coverage across the mortgage market has been strengthened significantly. By working with specialist charities and our members, we are helping victim-survivors to receive consistent and empathetic support whilst regaining independence and control of their money.”
Mortgage‑related economic abuse can involve one partner restricting access to payments, forcing borrowing in their name, or sabotaging a household’s ability to meet payment obligations. The code helps victim‑survivors by requiring signatories to identify such situations, offers practical interventions like restructuring or freezing accounts, and ensures customers are treated with empathy and consistency.
All new signatories have committed to being fully compliant with the code by 1 November 2026. By signing up, lenders commit to embedding a series of practical measures across their operations to better support victim‑survivors, including training colleagues to identify signs of abuse and response empathetically, helping customers regain control of their finances, and providing clear signposting and referrals to specialist charities and support services.
“Economic abuse causes devastation in the lives of far too many, said economic secretary Lucy Rigby.
“As city minister, I am grateful to UK Finance for their work to develop and promote the Financial Abuse Code in recognition of the key role financial services firms have in supporting victim-survivors. I look forward to the further progress government and industry will make to tackle this issue together through the Financial Inclusion Strategy.”
Sam Smethers, CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse, said:
“For some years now, UK Finance has led the way in supporting the financial services sector to transform its response to economic abuse by establishing a comprehensive standard for firms through the Financial Abuse Code.
“The fact that another eight firms have signed up to the Code means that 90% of the mortgage market is now covered – a significant milestone. This is particularly important given that around 750,000 women in the UK have experienced a current or ex-partner economically abusing them through joint mortgages, plunging them into debt and ever closer to homelessness.
“At SEA, we are proud to have worked closely with UK Finance to support the development of the code. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the months and years ahead as we tackle joint mortgage abuse, support credit restoration, and ensure survivors have access to the financial protections and support they need to rebuild their lives free from economic abuse.”
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Who are all the signatories