Government Financial Inclusion Strategy Unveils £30m Credit Union Investment and Common Bond Reforms

Wednesday 5 November 2025

The Government has published its new Financial Inclusion Strategy on Wednesday 05 November 2025, which includes two landmark commitments for the credit union sector: a major £30 million investment from Fair4All Finance to support credit union transformation alongside common bond reforms to enable the credit union sector’s growth in Great Britain.

ABCUL Chief Executive, Matt Bland welcomed the announcement, describing it as “a significant milestone in the Government’s continued recognition of the vital role credit unions play in building financial resilience and inclusion across the country.”

This announcement marks a significant milestone for Government policy on credit unions and underlines its recognition of the vital role credit unions play in building financial resilience and inclusion across the country. ABCUL has led a process to build consensus across the sector around an ambitious Credit Union Growth Plan which, while yet to be finalised, has informed the thinking behind these commitments.

A key focus of the Financial Inclusion Strategy is helping people across the country to begin and maintain regular savings habits. The Strategy highlights the importance of a cross-sector approach – with banks, building societies, and credit unions all playing a vital role in supporting people to build financial resilience – and places particular emphasis on expanding access to payroll savings through credit union partnerships with employers.

Matt added: “We are delighted that our engagement with Government, Fair4All Finance and the wider stakeholder community on the potential for credit unions to make a significant contribution to the Financial Inclusion Strategy has been heard.  This investment represents an historic opportunity to strengthen and modernise the sector, deliver on credit unions’ internationally-proven potential and transform the financial resilience of millions more Britons.”

“ABCUL looks forward to playing a leading role in shaping and supporting the delivery of this initiative. We have worked hard to ensure the role of credit unions is a key part of the Financial Inclusion Strategy and as we move into the delivery phase we will work with our members, the wider credit union sector, our community of stakeholders and, most importantly, credit union members to ensure that this historic investment has the maximum impact on delivering real financial inclusion.”