Financial news

• Grant Shapps banned energy ministers from taking foreign trips

  07-03-2023 20:34
  
  Exclusive: energy secretary issued edict to deal with ‘outrageous’ backlog of support for paying billsMinisters in the newly formed energy department faced a ban on foreign trips due to a mounting backlog of issues raised with them by MPs, the Guardian can reveal.Grant Shapps issued the edict last month in a bid to speed up the “outrageously” slow response to cases raised on behalf of constituents, some of whom were struggling to claim support with their energy bills duri
  
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• UK gender pay gap for higher-educated parents has grown since 1970s – study

  07-03-2023 19:21
  
  Research finds ‘motherhood penalty’ is greater than 40 years ago, with mothers making 69% of fathers’ wagesThe pay gap between mothers and fathers with post-school education has increased since the late 1970s in the UK, according to research.As the world marks International Women’s Day on Wednesday, research from the University of Kent has found that the gap in pay between higher-educated mothers and fathers – the “motherhood penalty” – is greater
  
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• UK childminders: share what it’s been like to work in your profession

  07-03-2023 18:45
  
  We’d like to hear about people’s experiences of being a childminder in the UK, whether they intend to stay in the profession, and whyWe’re interested to hear how childminders in the UK have been experiencing their industry in recent years.We would like to hear from childminders who are currently in the profession and those who have left recently, or are thinking about leaving, and what their motivations are. Continue reading...
  
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• Labour’s messaging on business tax is right. Just don’t leave a long-term plan until the last minute | Nils Pratley

  07-03-2023 18:33
  
  The shadow chancellor has read the room on the need for a stable tax regime, but the ‘to-be-decided’ list is longIt was easy to spot the gaps that Labour needs to fill in the review of business taxation announced by the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves. On the rate of corporation tax, Labour wants to be “in lockstep with the G7”, which is a terribly vague formulation. On long-term tax breaks to boost investment, Reeves is enthusiastic but has committed to nothing specific
  
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• UK millennials: how much are you paying into a private pension?

  07-03-2023 13:16
  
  We’re interested to hear how millennials in the UK are preparing themselves for retirement: whether they’re already paying into a pension, how much, and whether it’ll be enoughThe current average pension pot in the UK is much lower than it should be for a comfortable retirement. People between 35-44, for instance, are recommended to have £30,000 in a private pension, but according to ONS, half of the people in this age group have less in their pots.The Pensions and Lifeti
  
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• UK renters: are you living with someone you’ve fallen out with?

  07-03-2023 12:15
  
  We would like to speak to tenants in the UK who are stuck living with former friends, badly mismatched flatmates or ex-partners, amid the country’s renting crisisAs tenants in the UK face rent hikes and difficulties securing housing, we would like to speak to renters in flatshares and other cohabiting situations.Are you living with friends – or a partner – that you have fallen out with? Have you been unable to move due to costs or inability to find alternative housing? What are
  
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• Why this town wants its coal mine back amidst the climate crisis – video

  07-03-2023 12:13
  
  The controversial decision to approve a new coalmine in Cumbria was met with dismay by UK environmental groups, with many wondering what it meant for a country that has pitched itself as a leader in the green energy revolution. But in the town of Whitehaven where the mine is to be situated, the feeling is very different, with vast support across the political spectrum. The Guardian's Richard Sprenger travels to the Mirehouse estate, a short distance from the Woodhouse Colliery site, to find out
  
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• Woman, 91, loses account and pension after Barclays declares her dead

  07-03-2023 11:14
  
  Bank apologises after error results in elderly woman having account closed and phone and energy cut offAn elderly woman was cut off from her money for three months and lost her phone line and energy supply when a banking error by Barclays marked her as deceased.Ninety-one-year-old Marjorie Roper* discovered that her pension and benefits payments had been stopped and her direct debits cancelled after a Barclays agent recorded that she had died and closed her account. Continue reading...
  
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• UK house prices rise as mortgage rate cuts lift confidence

  07-03-2023 09:26
  
  Average monthly increase of 1.1% to £285,476 in February, after falls in previous two months, says HalifaxUK house prices picked up in February from the previous month as recent reductions in mortgage rates helped to stabilise the market, according to the lender Halifax.The average house price rose 1.1% to £285,476 last month compared with January, in a sign of resilience amid hopes the broader economic downturn will not be as severe as previously feared. Continue reading...
  
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• I missed Abba Voyage but I can’t make an insurance claim

  07-03-2023 08:24
  
  After paying £384 for tickets, including cover, we were unable to go because we had CovidAt the end of last year I bought five tickets to see Abba Voyage in London on 5 January from Ticketmaster. At the checkout it offered “missed event insurance” through Allianz Assistance. On reading that it covered ill health, including Covid, I paid £3.83 a ticket.Unfortunately, I tested positive for Covid just before Christmas, and my friend (whose birthday treat the outing was for)
  
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• UK shoppers slash spending as price rises and energy bills bite

  07-03-2023 01:01
  
  February figures from BRC highlight impact of cost of living crisis on British economy before budgetUK consumers sharply cut back their spending in February as soaring living costs damaged household finances, retailers have warned, despite strong sales of jewellery and fragrances for Valentine’s Day.Highlighting the impact of the cost of living crisis on the economy before Jeremy Hunt’s budget next week, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said sky-high energy bills and the rising co
  
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