Non-bank lenders provided £45.5bn of new finance during the first eight months of 2026 as lending across Finance & Leasing Association markets continued to grow.
New figures from the FLA show its members provided £110.8bn of finance between January and August, up 4% compared with the same period last year.
Of the total, £27.5bn was provided to businesses to fund investment in machinery, equipment and vehicles, including £17.2bn advanced to SMEs.
A further £83.3bn was provided to households, including £28.9bn used to finance new and used car purchases.
BUSINESS FINANCE GROWS
The latest monthly figures show business asset finance volumes reached £2.97bn during August, 10% higher than a year earlier.
Over the three months to August, business finance totalled £10.34bn, representing annual growth of 9%.
The longer-term figures also point to continued expansion, with £41.93bn of business asset finance written during the 12 months to August, 6% more than during the previous 12-month period.
Across all FLA markets, members provided £167.95bn of new finance during the latest 12 months, an increase of 5%.
‘CONFIDENCE REMAINS THE KEY’
Shanika Amarasekara (main picture), CEO of the FLA, says: “The latest FLA lending figures show that businesses and consumers continue to invest in their future despite ongoing uncertainty, demonstrating the resilience of the UK economy.
“Finance is available to support investment and spending, but confidence remains the key to unlocking faster growth.
“The Autumn Budget is an opportunity to give businesses and households the confidence to look ahead and make long-term decisions.
“Measures that boost business investment, improve access to finance for SMEs, reduce energy costs and protect lenders’ ability to fund growth would help unlock private sector investment, raise productivity and strengthen the foundations for sustainable economic growth.”
