What happened
The Disclosure and Barring Service has cut fees across all its products from 5 October 2026: Basic and Standard checks drop from £21.50 to £20.00, Enhanced checks fall from £49.50 to £41.00 — the biggest reduction — and Update Service subscription drops from £16.00 to £15.00 a year. Volunteer checks remain free. The changes, approved by the DBS board, Home Office and HM Treasury and given legal effect through a statutory instrument laid on 9 September, matter for adult social care employers who fund pre-employment and annual renewal checks at scale. Registered Bodies may still add their own administration fee, which DBS does not regulate.
Why it matters
Developments like this shape commissioning, regulation and provider strategy across learning disability services. Members can follow the providers named here, plus the leadership moves and pay benchmarks that follow.