Submitted by Mr Jonathan Farley on Wednesday 7th January 2026
Published on Wednesday 18th February 2026
Current status: Open
Open until: Tuesday 18th August 2026
Current Signatures: 34
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Relevant Departments
Tagged with
Approved ~ Banks ~ Cancel ~ Direct ~ Energy ~ minimal ~ Payment ~ Protecting ~ Regulations
Require banks to allow customers to set maximum caps on Direct Debit payments
Amend the Payment Services Regulations 2017 to require banks to provide a "Customer-Defined Cap" for Direct Debits. If a withdrawal attempt exceeds this cap, the bank must automatically block payment and notify the customer. Payment should only proceed when authorised and a new cap is set.
Current rules allow organisations to vary Direct Debit amounts with minimal notice, often too late for customers to act. For services like energy and water, estimated increases can often be overcalculated, causing financial hardship.
We believe this proposal ensures:
Protection: Customers are shielded from large or erroneous withdrawals.
Transparency: Organisations must provide clear calculations for any increase.
Control: Customers must approve increases or cancel before funds leave their account.
If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.
216.73.217.179 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:12:54 +0100