Our data shows the number of new whistleblowing reports we received between January and March 2026, and existing reports closed during this period.
The data shows:
- how we received the report
- what the report was about
- what level of action we have taken
We assess every whistleblowing report we receive that falls within our remit, to inform our work and help us identify actual or potential harm. This could be harm to consumers, to markets, to the UK economy or to wider society.
What we can share
We know that greater transparency about the whistleblowing reports we receive is important and we are constantly trying to improve the information we make public.
However, our reviews will usually involve confidential information restricted by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), including that relating to our supervision and enforcement work. This restriction may limit the information we can share with whistleblowers.
Whistleblowing reports
Our whistleblowing team receives reports by telephone, email, our online reporting form and post.
In this quarter (Q1 2026, January to March), we received 355 new whistleblowing reports.
For the same period in 2025 the team received 281 reports.
In Q4 2025 (October to December), we received 281 reports.
Chart
Data table
Figure 1 shows that we received the biggest proportion of our new reports in 2026 Q1 via our online reporting form.
Contact details for whistleblowers
Protecting the identities of the whistleblowers who contact us is vital. We understand individuals may be hesitant to share their personal information with us when making a disclosure.
It is helpful when whistleblowers provide us with an ongoing contact option such as a phone number and/or email address. This allows us to:
- re-engage and develop on disclosures
- ask further questions
- keep individuals informed on how we can protect their identity whilst we carry out our work
Our whistleblowing team reviews all reports to make sure we manage information from whistleblowers appropriately. We will redirect any information we get from consumers or firms to other relevant teams to consider, such as our Supervision Hub.
Chart
Data table
Figure 2 shows that in most of the reports we received in 2026 Q1, whistleblowers provided us with their contact details.
Whistleblowing allegations
In January 2026 we refined our reportable allegation subject headings. The intention of the refinements is to improve clarity and be more informative with the detail we can provide.
Every report we receive will contain one or more allegations of wrongdoing. The 355 reports we received this quarter contained 906 allegations in total, with the following top 10:
Chart
Data table
In Figure 3 we list the top 10 allegations made in whistleblowing reports between January and March 2026.
Closed whistleblowing reports
We closed 265 whistleblowing reports between January and March 2026.
- Significant action to manage harm in 23 reports (9%) - this may include enforcement action, a section 166 skilled person report, or restricting a firm’s permissions or an individual’s approval.
- Action to reduce harm in 80 reports (30%) - this may include writing to or visiting a firm, asking a firm for information, or asking a firm to attest to complying with our rules.
- 135 reports (51%) informing our work, including harm prevention, but no direct action.
- 5 reports (2%) not considered indicative of harm, but the information was recorded and will be available for future reference.
- 22 reports classified as other (8%).
Other whistleblowing activity
In March, the FCA was invited to attend and speak at the International Whistleblower Roundtable, hosted by the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). We shared knowledge and good practice on whistleblower programmes across different jurisdictions. IOSCO is the global body for securities regulators and sets international standards for financial markets regulation.
More than 50 regulators attended. Discussions covered legal and policy frameworks, whistleblower protections, and how regulators structure their whistleblowing programmes.
There was strong interest in our approach, including how we assess and act on disclosures. It was also clear that we receive a much higher volume of whistleblower disclosures each year than many other regulators. We welcome the opportunity to take part and look forward to future IOSCO events.