The UK Government has launched what it describes as the most comprehensive assessment of whistleblowing since the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 came into force. The consultation, led by the Department for Business and Trade with the Serious Fraud Office and the Home Office, runs from 12 October 2026 to 8 January 2027.

Alongside proposed reforms to the protections available to workers who report wrongdoing, the consultation seeks views on a new SFO scheme to financially reward people who report economic crime, including fraud and bribery. The proposal follows recommendations by Jonathan Fisher KC in his Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences.

Under the proposed scheme:

• Information must be significant and original, and lead to a successful enforcement outcome against a company, such as a conviction or a Deferred Prosecution Agreement;
• Rewards would be calculated as a percentage of the financial penalty, with no cap, and paid only once all appeal rights are exhausted;
• Individuals could be eligible regardless of where they are based or where the information originates; and
• The consultation also asks whether to create offences for knowingly making false reports and for harassing or intimidating whistleblowers.

The proposal draws on existing reward schemes, including the US SEC programme and HMRC’s Strengthened Reward Scheme, which offers up to 30% of tax collected.

Find out more on the consultation here.