Financial Inclusion (Exclusion)

This briefing paper is not up-to-date. Please see: Financial inclusion for a more recent briefing paper on this topic.

This note outlines the development of government efforts to combat financial exclusion and to promote inclusion.

Financial inclusion has been linked to various policy strands including improving financial literacy, reducing the influence of ‘loan sharks’ and payday lenders and supporting credit unions and the Post Office.  Recently attention has widened on the impact of an ageing population and the increased role that digital delivery of services plays in both improving and worsening inclusion. A variety of policy strands have been tried with some notable successes.  The policy is broadly supported by all parties.

An independent Financial Inclusion Commission was set up before the 2015 General Election.

There is an excellent House of Lords Committee Report into financial exclusion, published in March 2017.