Why Regulators Say “Not Our Remit” — and How to Counter It

A Get SAFE guide for people who feel shut out, dismissed, or passed around the system

If you have ever reported financial harm and been told:

• “This is not something we can help with”

• “We have no jurisdiction”

• “That falls outside our remit”

you are not imagining things.

This response is not a mistake. It is how the system is designed to protect itself.

This article explains, in plain English:

• Why regulators use “not our remit”

• How that harms ordinary people

• What you can do instead

You are not powerless. But you do need a different strategy.

1. “Not our remit” is a design feature — not an answer

Regulators are not courts. They do not exist to resolve your individual case.

Most regulators are designed to:

• Set standards

• Maintain confidence

• Protect the system as a whole

When harm appears, their first instinct is often to ask:

“Is this something we must deal with — or something we can decline?”

That is why so many complaints end with a polite refusal.

This is common across bodies such as:

• Financial Conduct Authority

• The Pensions Regulator

• Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Each has limits, exclusions, and escape clauses.

2. Voluntary schemes create false reassurance

One of the most dangerous traps is voluntary accreditation.

A firm displays a logo. The public assumes regulation. But in reality:

• The scheme is voluntary

• There is no complaints process

• There is no duty to report wrongdoing

• There is no enforcement power

This creates false reassurance.

From the outside, it looks safe. On paper, no one is responsible.

When things go wrong, the answer becomes:

“We don’t regulate that.”

3. Victims are pushed into exhaustion, not resolution

Most people respond by writing longer and longer emails.

They:

• Explain everything

• Copy in senior names

• Prove they are reasonable

• Show they are right

This feels logical.

But it rarely works.

Why? Because volume of correspondence is not leverage.

The system waits. People tire. Cases fade.

This is not your failure. It is a predictable outcome.

4. “Jurisdiction gaps” are where harm hides

Many cases fall into gaps between regulators.

For example:

• A professional body says it has no complaints role

• A regulator assumes the professional body will report

• A tax authority relies on others to flag abuse

The result?

No reporting. No investigation. No accountability.

Meanwhile:

• Public money can be lost

• Pension funds can be misused

• Ordinary people carry the damage

5. The key mistake: asking for help instead of exposing risk

Most complaints are framed like this:

“Please help me. I have been harmed.”

Regulators can decline that.

A stronger frame is:

“This system is unsafe, and here is the evidence.”

That changes everything.

Because regulators may ignore individuals —but they cannot easily ignore systemic risk, public harm, or institutional failure.

6. How to counter “not our remit” — the Get SAFE approach

At Get SAFE, we teach a different method.

Step 1: Stop arguing the whole story

Focus on one clear failure at a time.

Step 2: Identify the accountability gap

Who assumed someone else would act?

Step 3: Show the public risk

Not just your loss — but why this matters to:

• Other people

• Public funds

• Trust in the system

Step 4: Escalate sideways, not upwards

If a regulator refuses:

• MPs

• Journalists

• Oversight bodies

• Parliamentary processes

Silence is harder to maintain when light is applied from the side.

7. You are not “difficult” — you are early

People who challenge these gaps are often labelled:

• Persistent

• Emotional

• Unrealistic

In reality, they are often first witnesses to structural failure.

Every major scandal began this way.

Final reassurance

If you have been told “not our remit”:

• You were not stupid

• You were not wrong

• You were simply speaking to the wrong mechanism

Get SAFE exists to help you:

• Understand the system

• Regain clarity

• Build leverage

• Protect your wellbeing while doing so

You do not need to fight harder. You need to fight smarter.

Need support?

If you’ve reached a dead end with regulators, you are not alone.

Get SAFE provides:

• Free tools

• Clear guidance

• A structured path forward

• A community that understands what you are facing

You deserve answers. You deserve dignity. And you deserve a system that works — not one that hides.

Get SAFE — Support After Financial Exploitation