FCA bans incompetent IFA Simon Hughes over British Steel advice

Hughes to pay FSCS £158,000 but lifeboat fund paid out £8.4m to clients

Jenna Brown
clock • 2 min read

Adviser Simon Hughes has been banned by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for "grossly negligent" advice given to British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) members.

Hughes, of S&M Hughes, has been banned from advising customers on pension transfers and pension opt-outs, and from holding any senior management function in a regulated firm. The regulator said Hughes would also pay £158,000 to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) to contribute to redress due to his customers, the majority being members of the BSPS. The figure is dwarfed by the £8.4m already paid out by the lifeboat fund in compensation to his clients for unsuitable advice. The FCA said Hughes was solely responsible for the pension transfer advice provided by the firm ...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Regulation

FCA CEO sets out shift in regulator's approach with 'less rules'

FCA CEO sets out shift in regulator's approach with 'less rules'

Consumer Duty ‘will do a lot of the work for us’

Isabel Baxter
clock 18 February 2026 • 2 min read
Failed financial advice firms tracker

Failed financial advice firms tracker

Firms that the FSCS has confirmed as failed since the start of 2023

Professional Adviser
clock 17 February 2026 • 1 min read
Duty of care: Moving the needle from compliance to strategy

Duty of care: Moving the needle from compliance to strategy

'Prioritising vulnerable customers should no longer be seen as an overhead'

Jonathan Barrett
clock 10 February 2026 • 4 min read