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What’s Really Changing in 2026? Here’s Everything UK Businesses Need to Know Now
The UK government has announced that there will be major changes to the transparency in supply chains requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 from early 2026. Here are the largest changes from the original law, and they will touch nearly all commercial organization that has a turnover in the UK of more than £36 million.
Fines are leaping from discretionary civil penalties to infinity, new mandatory reporting matters are surfacing and statements must be approved by the board before being communicated or published in an official government registry. In other words: you ignore these changes at your peril.
Key Changes Coming in 2026
- Six Mandatory Reporting Areas From 2026, a modern slavery statement will need to report on six specific areas:
- Organisational structure and supply chains
- Policies on modern slavery
- Due diligence processes
- Risk assessment and management
- Training provided
- Key performance indicators and efficacy 1)Statements that miss out any domain will be rejected.
- Board Approval & Director Sign-Off A statement must now be signed and approved by a director on a personal level. A simple “reviewed by the board” is no longer sufficient.
- Single Government Registry & Filing Deadline All statements will need to be submitted to 11 a new central government website on time (expected deadline of 30 September each year for most financial years). No more hiding the statement on page 47 of your website.
- Fines Unlimited There is no maximum limit to the fines that the Secretary of State can impose for failure to publish, publication of an insufficient statement or a false declaration.
- Public “Name and Shame” List Companies that don’t rise to the demands of compliance will be put on a government list that’s public — an optics nightmare many boards are view very seriously.
Who Must Comply and When?
- Turnover Not less than £36m (not UK only)
- Body corporate or partnership trading in the UK
- Financial year ending on or after 31 March 2026 → first statement under new rules required in 2026/2027
Practical Steps to Get Your Statement Approved First Time
- Begin working now on mapping your tier-1 and high-risk tier-2 suppliers
- Update policy and risk assessment to include all six compulsory areas.
- Get board approval far in advance of your deadline
- Draft using the template (anticipated Q1 2026) from government
- Allocate budget for external assurance – more and more companies are opting go for voluntary independent verification to manage risk
FAQs About the Modern Slavery Act 2026 Changes
Q: Is the £36m limit being reduced?
A: No, it remains £36 million total annual turnover.
Q: Will charities and public bodies be hit?
A: If they continue a commercial activity, from which a turnover of ≥ £36m is achieved.
Q: What can we look forward to soon?
A: Unrestricted fines and your name being listed to the public non-compliance roster.
Q: Can we still post news on our site?
A: Yes, but you must also put the example on the government registry and have a clear link from your homepage.
Q: Are the new rules now law?
A: They got Royal Assent in 2025; the secondary legislation and registry go up early 2026.
Final Word: Act Now or Pay Later
These revised Modern Slavery Act rules are more than a mere compliance tick list – they represent both a new way of accounting for our actions, and increase responsibility.
With unlimited fines, compulsory subjects, board sign-off and public naming and shaming at stake, the price of getting it wrong has never been higher.
Companies that use the 2026 statement as an authentic opportunity to improve supply chain due diligence will not only address this new enforcement action but also gain a competitive edge with customers, investors and talent who are increasingly insisting on ethical practice.