Overview
- The prime minister began a nationwide cost-of-living listening tour on Monday and announced that rules to curb subscription traps will be brought forward to take effect in January.
- New subscription rules will require clearer up-front pricing, easier cancellation, regular reminders and a 14-day cooling-off period for renewals or trial rollovers.
- Downing Street also launched a consultation to add deceptive discounting practices to the Competition and Markets Authority’s list of banned conduct so regulators can more easily punish fake or inflated price claims.
- The government says the subscription changes could save households about £14 a month, consumer groups such as Citizens Advice welcomed the steps, and campaigners say the moves target widespread everyday rip-offs.
- Opposition parties and independent analysts have questioned how the package will be funded, pointed to costs such as the roughly £100m-a-year pub business-rates cut, and said the measures will face Office for Budget Responsibility scrutiny ahead of the Autumn Budget.