Ghiles Slamani
UK Prices Cool as London Records a Tenth Straight Month of Declines
Average UK house prices rose by 2.0% in the year to June 2026, taking the typical property value to £272,000. The annual rate slowed from 3.0% in May, while London…
Millions Face Welfare Changes as PIP Cash Payments Could Be Replaced
Reform’s welfare proposals could see cash payments for some Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit health claimants replaced by council-run accounts that reimburse approved expenses. The plan forms part of…
UK Inflation Takes an Unexpected Turn as Energy Costs Push Prices Higher
UK inflation rose to 2.9% in July after higher gas and electricity costs pushed the annual rate up from 2.6% in June. The increase takes inflation further above the Bank…
Pet Food Recall Issued After Dozens of Dogs Develop Troubling Eye Symptoms
Premium dog food company Years has recalled its fresh meals after receiving dozens of reports of suspected eye problems in dogs. The subscription-based business said it had identified a “potential…
DWP Confirms New School Meals System With Annual Eligibility Rechecks From September
Children in households receiving Universal Credit will become entitled to free school meals from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year under new rules confirmed by the Government.…
Student Bank Account Perks Look Tempting, but the Real Value May Be Elsewhere
Choosing a student bank account can easily become another item on a long university checklist. Banks are competing for new customers with cash payments, restaurant vouchers, rail discounts and prize…
UK Pay Squeeze Returns as Private Sector Wage Growth Hits Near Six-Year Low
Britain’s labour market lost further momentum in the second quarter of 2026, with private sector wage growth slowing and vacancies falling to their lowest level in more than five years.…
Ministers Retreat on Housing Reform After Warnings Over Affordable Homes
The government has abandoned plans to let developers in England replace on-site affordable housing requirements with cash payments on medium-sized schemes, following widespread opposition during its consultation on planning reform.
PIP Benefits Face Major Overhaul as Claimants Fear Losing Vital Financial Support
Reform UK has set out plans to abolish Personal Independence Payment and replace existing health-related benefits with a new means-tested system. The party says the changes form part of an…
A Big Bus Pass Shake-up Is Coming for Disabled People in England
Disabled people across England will be able to use concessionary bus passes at any time of day from 1 April 2027, under a government change removing the existing weekday limits.…
Thousands of Bikes Seized as Tougher Rules Come Into Force Under Andy Burnham
Police seizures of electric bikes have risen sharply across the UK, increasing pressure on the Government to address the sale and use of machines that fall outside existing legal limits.…
Nearly 3 Million Disability Claimants Could Face Major PIP Changes Under New Crackdown
Reform is preparing proposals that could remove or alter Personal Independence Payment for almost three million working-age claimants as part of a wider plan to reduce disability benefit spending. According…
UK Heatwave Costs Reach Billions While Unexpected Businesses Enjoy a Sales Boom
Britain’s repeated heatwaves are leaving a growing economic bill, with workers, farmers and businesses feeling the strain. Yet the same extreme weather is reshaping how households spend their money. From…
UK Store That Survived More Than a Century Shuts Its Doors for the Final Time
Hancock & Wood, the family-run department store that served Warrington for 112 years, has closed its doors for the final time. The Bridge Street business ceased trading on Saturday, 15…
London Price Slump Wipes Nearly £100,000 off Homes in Britain’s Wealthiest Borough
The average asking price of a newly listed home in Kensington and Chelsea has fallen by more than £95,000 in a month, reflecting a wider slowdown across the British housing…
Why 4 Million Workers Could Be Caught in a Legal Grey Area Over Employment Rights
Andy Burnham’s government is facing calls to strengthen protections for millions of gig economy workers while a separate dispute over extreme heat has highlighted wider concerns about working conditions across…
London’s Heatwave Is About to Break as Rain Returns on These Six Dates
London is forecast to see six days of rain before the end of August, bringing a marked change after the capital’s fifth heatwave of the summer. Temperatures are expected to…
Inflation Pressure Returns as UK Families Face Sharply Higher Energy Bills
UK inflation set to rise as higher energy bills renew pressure on household budgets. A sharp increase in regulated household energy costs is expected to push the July rate close…
Major Recall Warning as Everyday Food and Household Items Are Pulled From Shelves
Several food and household products have been recalled across the UK after safety concerns involving bacteria, undeclared allergens, electrical faults and potentially harmful chemicals.Â
Nearly 3 Million Could Be Affected by Reform’s £50bn Welfare Plan
Reform UK has proposed cutting around £50 billion a year from Britain’s welfare bill through an overhaul that would abolish Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the health element of Universal…
One Savings Switch Could Leave Brits £138 Better off Every Year
Millions of British savers could be paying tax on interest unnecessarily as higher savings rates push more accounts beyond the Personal Savings Allowance. Moving money into a Cash ISA could…
Millions on PIP Could See Higher Payments after Key October Update
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) rates are expected to rise from April 2027, while the Department for Work and Pensions prepares a series of workshops across the UK as part of…
Octopus Reveals £244 Household Payments as Nearly £100 Million Is Handed Back
Octopus Energy households receive average £244 for exporting solar power. More than 400,000 homes have earned nearly £100 million by selling surplus solar electricity back to the grid over the…
Tesco Drivers Could Cut Their Fuel Bill by 5% if They Act Before This Date
Tesco is offering customers 5% off diesel and unleaded petrol when they spend £60 in a single in-store transaction before Sunday, 16 August. The offer gives qualifying shoppers a paper…
Pension Tax Changes under Andy Burnham and John Healey Will Remove Three Reliefs
Unused pensions are due to come within the scope of inheritance tax from April 2027, while several forms of relief available to other assets will not apply when those assets…
HSBC Changes Savings Rates from Today, And One Option Is Guaranteed for Two Years
HSBC UK has increased the interest rates offered on its Fixed Rate Saver from August 14, giving eligible customers a higher guaranteed return when they agree to leave their money…
Met Office Forecast Maps Reveal Where Heavy Rain Will Hit Britain on Monday
Heavy rain is forecast to affect 25 areas of the UK on Monday as bands of wet weather move across northern and western regions. Southern and south-east England are expected…
B&M and Savers Issue Urgent Recall as Shoppers Warned to Stop Using Popular Product
Shoppers who bought certain bottles of Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water from retailers including B&M and Savers have been told to stop using them after a limited product…
State Pension Campaign Demands Major Age Change That Could Affect Millions
A petition calling for the UK State Pension to be made available from the age of 60 closed on 10 August 2026 after attracting 7,792 signatures. The proposal also called…
Tesco Shoppers Warned They Could Lose Out as £11M in Clubcard Vouchers near Expiry
Tesco Clubcard members have until 11.59pm on 31 August to use £11 million worth of vouchers that are due to expire. More than half a million shoppers are holding over…
PIP Recipients Could Face Tax Rules over New One-off DWP Payments
DWP confirms new PIP workshop payments must be declared as assessment recording rules change. Claimants taking part in the Timms Review workshops may receive one-off payments, while disability benefit assessments…
Extreme Heat Warning Issued as Temperatures Soar across Parts of North West England
Parts of north-west England are under an amber heat warning as temperatures climb into the mid-30s Celsius, with some areas expected to reach 38C. Health authorities are also warning that…
Higher Bills Are Coming for Millions after Ofwat Approves £3.4bn in Extra Spending
Millions of households in England and Wales face further increases in water bills after the regulator provisionally allowed companies to spend an additional £3.4bn on infrastructure, water quality and projects…
DWP Confirms Who Will Be Exempt When New Driving Licence Powers Take Effect
People currently receiving specified benefits will not face driving licence cancellation under new Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) debt-recovery powers due to take effect in October. The measures can…
New Winter Fuel Payment Rules Mean Some Pensioners Will Receive £300 This Winter
Older state pensioners are expected to receive a higher Winter Fuel Payment this winter after the existing payment rules continue under the new government led by Andy Burnham. The increase…
DWP Reveals Services Improvements After Reviewing Universal Credit and PIP Complaints
The DWP has confirmed that changes are being made to its services after examining cases involving Universal Credit and PIP claimants, with internal reviews identifying where customer experiences fell below…
Burnham Hints at More Help for Households in Major October Move
Burnham signals more cost-of-living support as October Budget approaches. The prime minister says further measures are being considered for households and high street businesses, but warns that the government has…
HMRC Deadline Has Passed, and Affected Taxpayers Are Being Told to Act Now
HMRC deadline passes as Making Tax Digital rules take effect for sole traders and landlords. Taxpayers earning more than £50,000 from self-employment and property have been told to act after…
Electric Cars Surge 67% as Petrol and Diesel Drivers Feel the Squeeze
Sales of used electric cars rose sharply across the UK during the second quarter of 2026, as higher petrol and diesel prices coincided with a wider supply of newer second-hand…
Millions of Households Could Get £150 off Energy Bills This Winter
Millions of households receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance could qualify for a £150 reduction on their electricity bills this winter. The Warm…
Pension Holders Urged to Act as HMRC Changes Threaten Huge Tax Bills
Pension holders with substantial retirement savings are being warned that unused pension funds could face combined tax exposure of up to 67% when passed on after death from April 2027.…
Inheritance Tax Changes Could Add £34,000 to the Average Bill for Thousands of Families
Thousands of families face the prospect of much higher inheritance tax bills when pension rules change from April 2027, with advisers warning that a long-standing retirement strategy may no longer…
Octopus Issues Wednesday Warning as Customers Face 6PM Deadline
Octopus Energy is asking participating households to reduce their electricity use between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday, 12 August, as a solar eclipse temporarily reduces Britain’s solar generation. Customers who…
One Date on Your Licence Could Leave You Facing a £1,000 Fine, Drivers Warned
Around 2.7 million UK photocard driving licences are due to expire this year, prompting motorists to check the expiry date printed on the front of their licence. Martin Lewis has…
HMRC Confirms Tax Change That Could Wipe Out Pensioners’ Winter Fuel Payment
HM Revenue & Customs is recovering Winter Fuel Payments from pensioners whose personal income exceeds £35,000, with many repayments being collected through changes to PAYE tax codes. The system affects…
State Pension Payments Worth £1,930 Could Arrive Twice before August Ends
Some state pensioners could receive two Department for Work and Pensions payments during August 2026, bringing their total basic state pension income for the month to as much as £1,930.40.
Why Mortgage Costs Are Leaving Thousands of Flats in England Stuck on the Market
Britain’s housing market lost momentum in July as mortgage rates moved higher and affordability remained stretched. Prices were broadly unchanged, while flats and expensive homes in parts of London continued…
DWP Hospital Rule Could Affect Payments for Thousands of Pensioners on 3 Benefits
State pensioners receiving certain benefits must tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when they enter hospital, with some payments potentially reduced or stopped depending on the length and…
Inheritance Tax Warning as Pension Beneficiaries Could Lose up to 91% to Tax
Unused pension funds will be brought into estates for inheritance tax purposes from April 2027, exposing some beneficiaries to significantly higher tax bills. The change will also mean that families…
HMRC Issues State Pension Tax Clarification Ahead of 2027 Change
HMRC has clarified how tax is applied to the State Pension, explaining that the benefit has always been taxable even though the Department for Work and Pensions does not deduct…
