Latest News

Today

Pension Dashboard: The New Service That Could Help Millions Find Lost Pensions

Millions of people could find it easier to keep track of their retirement savings when the Government's new Pensions Dashboard becomes available to the public.  The service is designed to bring information about State Pensions, workplace pensions and private pension pots together in one place, potentially making it easier to understand what income people can expect in retirement.  

Today

First-Time Buyers Beware: A Small Deposit Can Leave You Exposed When Mortgage Rates Rise

For many young people, buying a first home is a long-held ambition.  Years of saving, help from family and careful budgeting may finally make it possible to get onto the property ladder.  

Today

Women pay a price for caring. The pension gap is the bill that arrives decades later

I make no apologies for making this article one of the longer ones.  A campaign about pensions for women should be something we all care about so women should read it and men who have a wife, mother or daughter - it concerns us all.  

Yesterday

Oil $116.7: Are Markets Bracing for Another Crisis? Update 12.20pm Today

Oil prices climbing above $116 a barrel are a warning that markets remain deeply nervous about the outlook.  The question is whether investors are simply pricing in the risk of renewed conflict, or whether several international pressures are combining to push prices higher.  

Yesterday

The Simmering Fuse: Why the US-Israel War With Iran Never Ended—and Why Oil Markets Are Panicking

The headline of April 2026 promised an end to a terrifying chapter in modern history.  Following a high-intensity, devastating military campaign in February that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and obliterated key segments of the country’s defense infrastructure, US President Donald Trump announced a formal ceasefire.  

Yesterday

Be Ready for What? Britain Quietly Prepares for a More Dangerous World

The Government is telling households to prepare for three days of disruption, while military chiefs warn that the public must face up to the possibility of war.  Is Britain being given the full picture?.  

Yesterday

HMRC Has Recovered Billions in Tax Debt, But £43.8 Billion Remains Outstanding

National Audit Office warns that older debts are becoming harder to collect, despite improvements in HMRC’s performance HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has reduced tax debt as a proportion of tax receipts for three consecutive years, despite dealing with significantly more new debt than before the pandemic.  However, around half of the outstanding balance is now more than a year old, making it harder and less likely to be recovered.  

Yesterday : Local Authority

 
Libraries, Leisure Centres and Local Culture Face Growing Pressure as Council Charges Rise

Audit Scotland warns that cuts to community services could deepen inequalities, while councils lack the evidence to measure the full consequences.   Scotland’s councils are spending less on culture and leisure services while asking the public to pay more to use them, raising questions about the future of libraries, swimming pools, sports facilities, museums and other important parts of community life.  

Yesterday

Self Assessment deadline incoming – 100 days to go

Self Assessment customers have just 100 days to file their tax return for the 2025 to 2026 tax year and pay any tax owed.   The Self Assessment tax return deadline for 2025 to 2026 tax year is 31 January 2027.  

Yesterday : Other Services

 
Wick Finds a New Purpose for an Old Church

A historic Wick church that could have become another empty building on the edge of the town centre is being given a new future in community ownership.   Wick Development Trust completed the purchase of St Fergus Church on 8 October, securing the 196-year-old building for £80,000.  

Yesterday

Christmas Tech Shopping: Should You Buy Phones and Laptops Before Prices Rise?

With Christmas still two months away, shoppers might be wise to start looking at phones, tablets and laptops sooner rather than later.  The cost of memory chips is rising sharply, and there are growing concerns that higher manufacturing costs could feed through to the prices consumers pay for electronic goods.  

Yesterday

The Hidden Cost of Fuel: How War, Shipping and Insurance Push Up Energy Bills

When motorists see petrol and diesel prices rising, or households face higher heating and electricity costs, attention usually turns to the price of crude oil.  But there is another important factor that receives less attention: the cost of transporting energy around the world.  

Yesterday

A crackdown on online shopping tricks is welcome, but doesn’t go far enough

Hurry! Only two left! Fourteen people bought this in the last hour! Fifty people are looking at this item!.   Anyone who shops online will be familiar with these kinds of messages popping up on their screen.  

Yesterday

HMRC Could Take Tax Directly From Bank Accounts More Easily: What Would Change?

The Chancellor wants to make it easier for HMRC to recover unpaid tax through automatic bank-account deductions.  The proposals raise questions about debt collection, taxpayers' rights and protection for people who are struggling financially.  

Yesterday

Chancellor unveils Britain’s ambitious plan for AI

Major package to unlock the opportunities of AI in every postcode, scale up home grown AI firms, and keep UK safe from threats announced by the Chancellor.   A major package of investment to unlock the opportunities of AI in every postcode, scale up home grown AI firms, and keep the country safe from hostile threats will be announced by the Chancellor next week.  

Yesterday

Caithness's Energy Boom: How Many Lasting Jobs Will It Create?

Caithness is becoming an increasingly important location for the infrastructure needed to move electricity around Scotland.  Major transmission projects are bringing investment, construction activity and opportunities for local contractors.  

Yesterday

UK-France deepen nuclear defence ties in first joint exercise

UK deepens nuclear defence ties with France in historic first joint air exercise as RAF Typhoon fighters join French Rafale jets in a French nuclear exercise.   For the first time, RAF Typhoon fighters have taken part in a French nuclear air exercise, flying alongside French Rafale in a show of allied strength.  

Yesterday

Introducing the AI Biosecurity Lab

Backed by up to £300mn of government funding and company commitments, the AI Biosecurity Lab will use AI to strengthen UK resilience to biological threats.   Advances in AI are creating unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery, but they are also changing the biological risk landscape.  

Yesterday

Holidays in an Uncertain World: Is It Time to Think Twice Before Travelling Abroad?

International tensions are rising, oil prices are volatile and governments are increasingly concerned about security.  Against this background, should British holidaymakers be thinking more carefully before booking a trip abroad? The answer is yes, but that does not mean cancelling every holiday or treating the world as too dangerous to visit.  

Yesterday

Companies House update to accounts filing from April 2028

Companies House will pause the introduction of small companies and micro-entities filing profit and loss accounts while the government considers alternative options to simplify filing processes.  The government reconfirms its commitment to mandatory software filing of accounts and other planned reforms for April 2028.