Britain discusses rewards for fraud and bribery whistleblowers — TimesLIVE

The United Kingdom has launched a public consultation on a plan to reward whistleblowers for economic crimes, including fraud and bribery. Under the new proposals, rewards could be granted to people who provide significant and original information leading to a conviction or other enforcement action.

A model based on the United States

As TimesLIVE reports, the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is developing a reward mechanism for people who report economic offences. The initiative brings the country closer to the US model, where financial incentives are used to encourage whistleblowers to provide evidence of violations.

The government proposes funding the payments from fines imposed on companies. The amount of the reward is planned to be determined as a share of the sum that can be recovered. The SFO said it supports the consultation, as it has long called for the introduction of a whistleblower incentive scheme.

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Tax precedent and critics’ warnings

Last year, HM Revenue & Customs launched the country’s first US-style reward system. It provides for payments to informants of up to 30% of taxes recovered in major tax cases.

The results of foreign programmes, primarily the US Securities and Exchange Commission scheme, prompted the change in approach. According to the government, UK citizens are the second-largest group of overseas users of this US programme. A July 2026 review led by Jonathan Fisher KC stated that Britain is losing valuable information because whistleblowers turn to US authorities, where they can receive financial rewards.

At the same time, critics believe that payments may encourage reports driven by personal gain rather than the public interest. Jo Mackie, a partner at the law firm Michelmores, said such incentives create a moral hazard and may weaken internal corporate governance.