{"id":116183,"date":"2025-12-26T09:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T09:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=116183"},"modified":"2025-12-26T09:16:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T09:16:26","slug":"over-a-dozen-new-uk-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/over-a-dozen-new-uk-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Over a Dozen New UK Laws Will Impact Rent, Travel, Pay and More in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As 2026 approaches, the UK is preparing for a range of new laws <\/strong>that will influence daily life for millions. Some of these regulations have already been approved, while others are expected to come into force throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The upcoming legislation <\/strong>spans a broad spectrum: changes to international travel requirements, tighter recycling policies, enhanced workers\u2019 rights, and stricter consumer protections. Several of the rules <\/strong>are part of wider reforms aimed at tackling long-term issues, from obesity and housing insecurity to fraud and environmental waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Border Fees, Recycling Bins, and Workplace Rights among Major Changes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

New travel rules will affect both Britons going abroad and foreign visitors entering the UK. According to the Manchester Evening News<\/em>, British citizens travelling to the EU will soon have to pay a \u00a317<\/strong> fee under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS<\/a>), which is expected to be introduced by the end of 2026. This comes alongside the new Entry Exit System (EES<\/a>), which requires non-EU travellers to scan their passports and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and photographs when entering Schengen countries. The EES rollout began in 2025 and will be fully implemented across EU border points by April 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, visitors to the UK from 85 countries, including the United States, Canada and France, will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA<\/a>) to enter the country from 25 February 2026. The \u00a316 application, which can be made via the official UK ETA app<\/strong>, is already in place for many travellers and will be mandatory for all non-visa nationals. According to the UK government, this move is part of a broader effort to digitise the immigration system and enable contactless border controls in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back home, households <\/a>in England will soon have to separate their waste into four categories under new recycling laws taking effect from 31 March. Known as the \u2018Simpler Recycling<\/strong>\u2019 plan, the scheme requires councils to collect food and garden waste, paper and cardboard, plastic and glass recyclables, and general waste separately. The rules apply to all households, including flats, with additional changes planned for 2027 to include the collection of plastic film packaging and carrier bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Significant changes are also on the way for workers across the UK. The Employment Rights Act<\/strong>, passed at the end of 2025, will be phased in beginning April. Key measures include statutory sick pay from the first day of employment, the abolition of the lower earnings threshold, and new protections for parental leave. From October, employers will no longer be allowed to dismiss workers under \u2018fire and rehire<\/strong>\u2019 arrangements, except under specific conditions. According to government announcements, more than 15 million workers are expected to benefit from the new laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renters\u2019 Protections, Junk Food Ad Ban, and Tougher Fraud Rules to Reshape Public Policy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Renters in England will see one of the most substantial legal shifts from 1 May 2026. The government has confirmed that Section 21<\/strong> \u2018no-fault\u2019 eviction notices will be scrapped, meaning landlords <\/a>must provide valid reasons for ending tenancies. Fixed-term contracts<\/strong> will also be abolished, and all tenancies will continue on a rolling basis. Landlords will be restricted to one rent increase per year, and renters will be able to challenge <\/strong>excessive hikes. Additional regulations will make it illegal to refuse tenants based on having children or receiving benefits, and unreasonable pet bans will also be prohibited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Separately, a ban on advertising foods high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) will come into force in January 2026. HFSS products will no longer be advertised on television between 5.30am and 9pm, and online advertising will be restricted at all times. The government stated the rules cover 13 categories linked to childhood obesity, including sugary drinks, chocolate, and certain breakfast cereals. Outdoor advertising, such as billboards or buses, will not be included in the ban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crackdown on benefit fraud is also set to intensify. Starting in 2026, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP<\/strong>) will gain new powers to collect debts directly from claimants’ bank accounts and suspend driving licences for unpaid welfare debts over \u00a31,000<\/strong>. According to the UK government, the measures are expected to recover overpayments <\/strong>more efficiently and prevent fraudulent claims. The DWP will also receive banking data to identify irregularities, though it will not access individual spending details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taken together, these laws represent one of the most comprehensive shifts in British policy in recent years. From everyday bins to cross-border travel and workplace protections, the UK\u2019s legal landscape is set for widespread transformation in 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From travel authorisations to rental protections and advertising bans, Britain faces sweeping changes next year. New legislation will affect households, travellers, renters, and workers alike.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":116185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116183"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116184,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116183\/revisions\/116184"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}