Addressing the challenges of post-pandemic debt management in the consumer and SME sectors: a proposal for the roles of UK financial regulators

Iris H.-Y. Chiu (), Andreas Kokkinis () and Andrea Miglionico ()
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Iris H.-Y. Chiu: University College London
Andreas Kokkinis: University of Birmingham
Andrea Miglionico: University of Reading

Journal of Banking Regulation, 2022, vol. 23, issue 4, No 6, 439-457

Abstract: Abstract Regulatory actions for short-term debt-relief during the Covid-19 pandemic are facilitating a significant level of indebtedness. We argue that regulators, in leaving the banking sector to manage small business and consumer debtors in ‘tailored arrangements’, risk allowing financial welfare goals to be unmet. Financial welfare goals are important to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) consumer protection objective and give substantive meaning to the long-term financial stability objective of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). Although the struggles with debt on the part of small and medium-sized businesses and households are not capable of complete resolution by financial regulators, who are constrained by their statutory mandates, we argue that the PRA and FCA should establish a coordinated supervisory framework of ‘tailored supervision’ for banks’ ‘tailored arrangements’ with their debtors. This proposal allows both regulators to address to an extent the needs of unsophisticated post-pandemic debtors and meet their objectives in a joined-up and holistic manner.

Keywords: Bank regulation; Prudential regulation; Consumer debt; Covid-19 pandemic; Consumer protection; Tailored arrangements (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1057/s41261-021-00180-2

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