Lead consumer policy at @CitizensAdvice. Used to do policy @TheFCA. Born in West Midlands, live in West Yorkshire. "Optimist" Views my own.
Joined June 2022
- Tweets999
- Following710
- Followers585
- Likes836
Pinned Tweet
🧵Essential Services, Essential Oversight
New blog from me looking at how a focus on outcomes, rather than an ever increasing list of rules, can change the culture of regulators and businesses and place consumers at the heart of the market.
wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/e…
Dave Mendes da Costa retweeted
📢 Very pleased to see the government's new consultation on council tax administration.
This is only the start of a process - but a a big opportunity to make council tax collection fairer and bring it into line with other types of debt collection. tinyurl.com/24m2xnms
Great to see the ban on drip pricing kick in today. We @CitizensAdvice have been pushing for this for years as part of our work to tackle 'deceptive design' practices online.
We're in the middle of some really exciting work atm in this space.
theguardian.com/money/2025/a…
More on our recent work with the Behavioural Insights Team here looking at links between online design and vulnerability.
Linking these ideas together is so important so we're exciting to have the next phase of this work will out soon.
citizensadvice.org.uk/policy…
With essential bills shooting up today we have published three reports by @CitizensAdvice, @IPPR and @policy_practice looking at how support for low income customers can be effectively targeted and automatically delivered to those most in need.
We've summarised them in 7 pics:
Read more here and check out the three reports:
citizensadvice.org.uk/policy…
Dave Mendes da Costa retweeted
Everyone agrees the welfare system needs reform, and the government’s commitment to improving employment support is welcome. But reaching for a quick fix of restricting eligibility and reducing people’s incomes is not the way to make lasting change happen
theguardian.com/society/2025…
Another reminder of how the poor design of the care workers visa led - predictably - to exploitation.
This is something our advisors see sadly all too often @CitizensAdvice. We need to see changes to the visa and an effective Fair Work Agency asap.
theguardian.com/world/2025/m…
More on what our advisors see in this excellent report
citizensadvice.org.uk/policy…
And this report on how the Fair Work Agency needs to be designed to tackle issues like this
citizensadvice.org.uk/policy…
Dave Mendes da Costa retweeted
Last year for @CitizensAdvice we asked our Research Community about their expeirences of trying to haggle with their telecoms provider. We found that the toxic combination of a tricky process and common symptoms of mental health problems can make this nearly impossible
This Post is from an account that no longer exists. Learn more
Dave Mendes da Costa retweeted
New research from @mmhpi & @CitizensAdvice on unequal access in the telecoms market.
This is a clear example of people with mental health problems paying more for the same essential service. #povertypremium
This Post is from an account that no longer exists. Learn more
If you want the best price for mobile or broadband you have to ring up and haggle - but not everyone is as confident or able to do this.
It's time for a rethink about how this works. Our report today hopes to get this conversation started - get involved!
citizensadvice.org.uk/policy…
This Post is from an account that no longer exists. Learn more
Surely the film industry instinct of signing of sequels has now gone too far.
Does this episode follow our plucky bank manager as he navigates the FCA's new growth agenda while considering the impact of the Consumer Duty on CDFIs?
👀 I actually might watch that 👀
Ofcom's ban on inflation linked mid contract price rises is finally here.
But in falling short of the full ban on these rises which we @CitizensAdvice
called for, Ofcom's new system will see many customers worse off.
A personal example...(1/4)
bbc.com/news/articles/c8j89z…
In the new world, the price goes up by a fixed pounds and pence amount. For my supplier it's £3.50.
But that's a 14.5% rise.
RPI is currently around 3.5% so with the old system my bill would rise by 7.4% - essentially half as much as the rise I'm actually going to see. (3/4)