On 27 March 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued Handbook Notice 139.

This Handbook Notice describes the changes to the FCA Handbook and other material made by the FCA Board and the Executive Regulation and Policy Committee under their legislative statutory powers on 26 February, 23 and 26 March 2026.

The changes relate to:

  • Redress reforms: Following the FCA’s publication of CP25/22, the Redress Reforms Instrument 2026 made changes to the FCA Handbook (the Handbook), which includes inserting a new Compensation Sourcebook (COMP) chapter (COMP 4A), changes to the Supervision Manual (SUP)15.3, Dispute Resolution Sourcebook (DISP 1.1, 1.4 and 1.6) and the deletion of COMP 12.A.1-COMP12.A.5. The Handbook Notice mentions that these amendments are intended to clarify when firms should report emerging issues to the FCA and to improve the operational efficiency of the Financial Ombudsman and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme by streamlining processes and reducing the operational costs ultimately met by levy-paying firms. Part 1 of Annex C and D of this instrument came into force on 17 March 2026 whereas Annex A, Annex B and Part 2 of Annex C of this instrument come into force on 1 June 2026.
  • Notification of third party arrangements and operational incident reporting: Following the FCA’s publication of CP24/28 and its subsequent policy statement, the Notification of Third Party Arrangements and Operational Incident Reporting Instrument 2026 makes changes to SUP and the Systems and Controls Sourcebook (SYSC), including the insertion of SUP 15.18. 15.19 and annexes and the deletion of SUP 15 Annex 11 D. This instrument makes changes to the Handbook to enhance incident and third-party risk management, strengthen firms’ operational resilience and minimise harm. This instrument comes into force on 18 March 2027.
  • Perimeter Guidance: Following CP25/24, the Perimeter Guidance Manual (Transfer of MiFID Organisational Regulation) Instrument 2026 makes changes to the FCA Handbook to update the Perimeter Guidance manual (PERG), the Conduct of Business Sourcebook (COBS), the Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (PROD) and SUP following the making of the Markets in Financial Instruments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2025, which restates the Markets In Financial Instruments Directive Organisational Regulation (MiFIR) into the FCA Handbook. This instrument comes into force on 27 March 2026.
  • Prospectus rules: Following consultation in CP25/35, the Prospectus Rules (Miscellaneous Amendments) Instrument 2026 makes changes to the Prospectus Rules: Admission to Trading on a Regulated Market Sourcebook (PRM) and the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules Sourcebook (DTRs) in order to give proper effect to aspects of the Public Offers & Admissions to Trading Regime (POTARs), which came into force on 19 January 2026. This instrument comes into force on 27 March 2026.
  • Application and periodic fees: Following CP25/33, the Application, Periodic and Other Fees (2026/27) Instrument 2026, which comes into force on 1 April 2026, makes changes FEES Sourcebook Manual (FEES) in order to:
    • Introduce a new fee structure for firms operating a private intermittent capital exchange system.
    • Introduce deferred payment credit periodic fees.
    • Remove the £3 registration fee for payment institutions, registered account information service providers and electronic money institutions.
    • Amend the due dates for on account payments.
    • Retain the current relevant business definition in FEES 5.
    • Make minor clarifications to FEES 3 and FEES 4 to remove out of date references and improve readability.
  • Complaints reporting: Following CP25/13, the Complaints Reporting Instrument 2026 makes changes to the Handbook under DISP 1.10 to extend the requirement to provide vulnerable customer complaints data to all firms reporting complaints using the new consolidated complaints return from 1 January 2027. This instrument comes into force on 31 December 2026.
  • Administrative fees: Following consultation in CP25/35, the Reporting (Administrative Fees) Instrument 2026 makes changes to the Handbook to reduce the administrative fee for late regulatory returns. This includes changes to the Handbook sections SUP 16.3, DISP 1.10 and 10.10B, and MIFIDPRU 9.1 which aligns the fee more closely with FCA processing costs. This instrument comes into force on 1 April 2026.
  • Data decommissioning: Following CP25/35, the Data Decommissioning Instrument 2026 makes changes to the Handbook under SUP 16.30 and SUP 16 Annex 49 to remove the REP021a, REP021b and REP021d reporting requirements as the data is no longer needed. This includes other changes to reduce FIN073 reporting to an annual cycle for firms that also submit RMA0A and meet the revenue threshold to ease unnecessary burden. This instrument comes into force on 1 April 2026.
  • Concentration limits: Following CP25/37, the Collective Investment Schemes Sourcebook (Concentration Limits) (No 2) Instrument 2026 makes changes to the Handbook to remove the parts of the Collective Investment Schemes Sourcebook (COLL) concentration rules (COLL 5.2.29R) that relate to the UK Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities schemes’ (UCITS) investment in units of other collective investment schemes. This instrument comes into force on 27 March 2026.
  • Handbook administration: Following CP25/29, the Handbook Administration (No 77) Instrument 2026 amends the transitional provision rules in the Product Disclosure Sourcebook (DISC) to correct an existing provision (DISC TP 2) to ensure that closed ended investment companies that are listed in the UK can, as intended, benefit from a transition period not only for the DISC rules but also in relation to rules in other sourcebooks that have been consequentially amended to reflect DISC requirements. The change is not intended to represent any change in FCA policy. This instrument comes into force on 6 April 2026, immediately after the changes made to DISC by the Consumer Composite Investments Instrument 2025.

The next FCA board meeting is scheduled for 23 April 2026.