Financial news

• Ban on no-fault evictions in England unlikely this year

  17-10-2023 20:23
  
  Government ‘fast running out of time’ to pass bill reforming rental market, a cross-party open letter arguesMichael Gove has won a battle with No 10 to push ahead with a ban on no-fault evictions and other reforms, but renters will not get protection until next year.An overhaul of private renting, first promised in the 2019 Conservative election manifesto, was feared to be in jeopardy amid the threat of a mass rebellion by Tory landlord MPs. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Most libraries to provide ‘warm banks’ again this winter

  17-10-2023 18:16
  
  Library service schemes to offer free, heated space, which began last year in response to the cost of living crisis, will resume at the end of OctoberMost libraries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will again offer “warm banks” this winter as cost of living pressures continue, according to a survey.Of the libraries surveyed, 93% are preparing to offer free, heated spaces for visitors during the cold months as part of a warm spaces scheme. The “warm hubs” initiatives
  
  Read more

• Greta Thunberg arrested after joining hundreds of climate protesters in London – video

  17-10-2023 17:39
  
  The Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested in London after joining hundreds of protesters who gathered at a five-star hotel to denounce a meeting described as 'the Oscars of oil'. The demonstration, organised by Fossil Free London, blocked the entrance to the InterContinental Park Lane, the venue for the Energy Intelligence Forum, which brings together fossil fuel executives and government ministers. The Metropolitan police say five people were arrestedGreta Thunberg arrested at Lo
  
  Read more

• Cash stuffing: savers warned over TikTok trend of keeping money in envelopes

  17-10-2023 14:43
  
  Budgeting hack can lead to large amounts of money being stolen in break-ins, insurer saysA home insurer has issued a warning about the risks of a budgeting trend known as “cash stuffing” after seeing a surge in the number of theft claims.Popular on social media, cash stuffing – also known as the cash envelope system – is a budgeting technique that supposedly helps cash-strapped households keep track of their spending and saving without having to resort to complicated spre
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• UK regular pay rises faster than inflation, easing pressure on living costs

  17-10-2023 13:30
  
  Wages outpace inflation for first time in almost two years, driven by growth in City of LondonTories consider saving £1bn with lower state pension riseAverage wage growth in the UK rose above inflation in August for the first time in almost two years, according to official figures, easing some of the pressure on workers amid the cost of living crisis.The Office for National Statistics said annual growth in regular pay, excluding bonuses, was 7.8% in the three months to August, among the fa
  
  Read more

• Tell us: have you tried different childcare methods to save money?

  17-10-2023 11:19
  
  We would love to hear about different models of childcare that people have experimented withAs childcare costs continue to rise in the UK, people are turning to unconventional methods instead of putting their children into nurseries.Instead of relying on grandparents or nurseries, have you tried out unexpected ways of childcare as a way of saving money? Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Tories consider saving £1bn with lower state pension rise as pay growth cools

  17-10-2023 10:04
  
  Ministers likely to be discussing 7.9% increase rather than 8.5% by choosing triple-lock figures selectivelyUK regular pay rises faster than inflationEarnings growth has peaked. Living standards are rising even though demand for workers is cooling. Ministers have a big decision to make on next year’s state pension uprating.Those were the three main conclusions to be drawn from a more limited report than usual on the state of the UK jobs market provided by the Office for National Statistics
  
  Read more

• UK care homes: how to pay the fees without going broke

  17-10-2023 10:00
  
  Residential care can cost tens of thousands of pounds a year. Here’s how to find a home you can affordJim Kirby was a cautious saver all his life, but now aged 84 he is nearly broke because of £86,400-a-year care home fees and an exhausting battle to get the state to make a contribution.The fees pay for his wife, Maureen, who since September 2021 has been in a £7,200-a-month nursing home. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• ‘Too extreme’: homeowners each face £33,000 council bill to replace communal heating system

  17-10-2023 08:00
  
  Leaseholders say planned work is ‘totally unreasonable’ and could be done for a fraction of the costLast winter was particularly difficult for Joy Bailey. Living in a block of flats where the aged communal heating system had broken down, she contracted shingles and constantly felt a chill. “My hands were cold all the time from using cold water,” she says.Now Bailey and other homeowners in the north London flat complex face the prospect of bills amounting to almost £
  
  Read more

• Smart energy meter seemed to send our bills through the roof

  17-10-2023 08:00
  
  We got charged for the electricity our solar panels were generating rather than being paid for itWe had solar panels installed last autumn at great expense. As winter turned to spring we were pleased to see nearly all our electricity costs were being covered and were smugly looking forward to this increasing in the summer.Unfortunately we were persuaded by our electricity company 100Green to have a smart meter installed at the end of May. We have always had relatively low energy consumption. Our
  
  Read more

• Vodafone-Three merger could add up to £300 a year to mobile bills, says union

  17-10-2023 01:01
  
  Tie-up is a ‘terrible deal for Britain’ that also poses risks for national security, Unite claimsMobile phone bills could rise by as much as £300 a year as a result of the merger of the UK operations of Vodafone and the owner of Three, a trade union has said.Unite has been a vocal critic of the proposed deal, which would create the UK’s largest mobile operator, and said that it is a “terrible” deal that also poses risks for national security. Continue reading.
  
  Read more

Follow @financialnwsUK on Twitter!