Britain freezes government credit cards in spending-cutting drive

The British government said that thousands of credit cards it issued, representing hundreds of millions of pounds in spending, will be frozen this week in an effort to repair strained public finances.

The Cabinet Office said in a statement issued late Monday that the decision to freeze nearly 20,000 “government purchasing cards” is part of efforts to curb wasteful spending.

The Cabinet Office indicated that spending on government credit cards has more than quadrupled since the 2020-21 financial year, to more than £675 million ($876.83 million) in 2024-25, up from around £155 million.

Only a small number of employees will be exempt from this decision, and the measure aims to reduce the number of cards in circulation by at least 50%.