11 Aug 2026 | Posted In Debt / Money Advice Sector News
UK-based consumer loan provider and certified B Corp Plend has published its Financial Inclusion Report 2026, marking five years of tracking financial exclusion in the UK. The findings show a crisis that is worsening for millions.
Despite small improvements in headline access metrics, the lived experience of exclusion is deteriorating: 35% of adults are now borrowing to cover essentials like groceries and heating, 21% cannot afford a £300 emergency expense (including many earning above the median salary), and an estimated two million people turned to a loan shark in the past year.
The report highlights widening inequality driven by the cost of living crisis, with young people, ethnic minorities and those on unstable incomes disproportionately affected. According to the research, trust in lenders remains low, and affordable credit is increasingly out of reach, even for people who consistently meet repayments.
Plend, alongside contributors including Nationwide Building Society, StepChange, PFRC Bristol University, the Green Finance Institute and Fair By Design, calls for urgent industry and regulatory action. Key recommendations include adopting open banking for fairer credit assessment, greater transparency on interest rates, and expanding safe, affordable alternatives to high‑cost and illegal lending.
For MALG members, the report reinforces the growing importance of cross‑sector collaboration, early intervention, and accessible support, especially as exclusion moves further up the income scale and more households face acute financial pressure.