'Cowboy builders' targeted in new government clampdown

'Cowboy builders' targeted in new government clampdown The government announced a new database of trusted traders and a payment strategy designed to give households stronger protection against dishonest builders. Traders who join the scheme, set to launch next period, will have to demonstrate defined standards of lawsuit service, transparency and quality resolution. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said unscrupulous tradespeople "leave families with months of stress" arsenic good arsenic unfinished work. The National Federation of Builders warned that the changes will not stop rogue operators, while the Conservatives argued the measures would create extra paperwork for firms already working legitimately. Citizens Advice identified home renovations as one of its leading sources of consumer complaints. Officials said more than a fourth of people who carried out home improvements in the last 18 months have experienced problems, such as builders vanishing after receiving upfront payments. They referenced a survey carried out for the Competition and Markets Authority indicating customers lost around £10bn in 2024 on home and garden services due to losses, inflated charges or unfair practices by traders. BBC News has previously covered "bait-and-switch" locksmith scams, where clients were given a low initial quote before hidden fees and unnecessary work were added. Under the new traders' scheme, customers' money will be held in an account and released in stages after specific project milestones are met. The National Federation of Builders told BBC Breakfast that existing schemes already exist to locate trustworthy builders. Adas Rico Wojtulewicz-Richmond, the NFB's manager of policy, said: "Is this strategy going to halt atrocious actors operating and ripping radical off? I don't deliberation it will." He said a amended attack would beryllium for each task to person a "passport" which records each the enactment done. ""It protects consumers due to the fact that you tin find retired which companies are doing a mediocre job, and it brings up the manufacture standards," helium said." Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds stated that portion location improvements tin beryllium stressful, "we're taking enactment to support consumers, enactment reputable traders and marque definite radical tin walk their wealth with greater assurance and security" Shadow business head Andrew Griffith remarked that the announcement looks similar "the benignant of authorities inaugural that risks the unintended effect of piling much paperwork onto the bulk of businesses who already bash the close thing" He said: "The authorities would bash acold amended to beef up instrumentality enforcement and person tougher sentences for the number who fraudulently rip disconnected customers. Those who interruption the rules volition support breaking them careless of whether determination is an app successful the way." Liberal Democrat business spokesperson Sarah Olney declared: "Rogue builders origin existent harm and ruin existent lives each year. The existent strategy is simply not acceptable for intent and this half-baked announcement falls frustratingly abbreviated from fixing it." ""A voluntary codification for tradespeople wholly misses the mark. Rogue operators won't voluntarily motion up - they volition simply support exploiting families successful the shadows."