The Chancellor has reversed plans to cut the annual Cash ISA allowance for people under 65, keeping the £20,000 limit for savers of all ages. The decision will be welcomed by people who value the security of cash savings, although it leaves the Government looking for another way to encourage more investment in British companies.
The Chancellor's Budget promises investment, support for businesses and a renewed effort to spread economic opportunity across Britain. But for communities such as Wick and Thurso, the important question is not how many billions of pounds are announced in Westminster.
The Chancellor has promised families “breathing space for today” and hope for the future. His Budget includes measures on energy bills, fuel duty, wages and housing, but the crucial question for households is how much difference they will make to their finances, and when.
For years, the private rented sector has provided homes for people who cannot afford to buy, need somewhere to live while working away from home, or want the flexibility of renting. But owning a rental property is becoming a more complicated financial calculation, with landlords facing a combination of tax changes, higher running costs, tighter regulation and growing uncertainty about future returns.
The Chancellor has presented his Budget as a way of helping households through a difficult period while keeping control of public finances. But the money for energy support, investment and other commitments has to come from somewhere.
OBR forecasts reveal the pressure of higher energy prices, weak household income growth and the rising cost of government debt. The latest forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) paint a mixed picture of the British economy.
While the headline debates of the Autumn Budget 2026 focused on major tax reforms and infrastructure financing. A series of quieter announcements, early policy leaks, and strategic "everyday fixes" will ultimately dictate the immediate financial health of millions of British households.
New research reveals the scale of renewable energy’s contribution to Scotland’s economy, but the challenge is turning that national success into lasting jobs and prosperity for local communities. Scotland’s renewable energy industry supports almost 50,000 full-time equivalent jobs and generates nearly £15 billion in economic output, according to a new report published on 28 October by the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde.
Ukraine, Russia and the Middle East are attacking energy infrastructure while the prospect of renewed US strikes on Iran adds another layer of uncertainty. The danger is that expensive oil and scarce diesel become a prolonged problem for households and businesses worldwide.
From garages and shops to family businesses built up over a lifetime, a change to Capital Gains Tax relief could leave some owners with less money when they sell up or retire. For many small business owners, selling a business is not simply a commercial transaction.
Frozen personal allowances mean millions of taxpayers face rising bills even when the Chancellor announces no increase in income tax rates. There was no increase in the personal allowance in this week's Budget.
The Budget brings some welcome relief, but a projected January increase could swallow the help and leave households paying considerably more. The Government has announced measures intended to ease pressure on household energy bills.
From food banks and rising sickness claims to struggling young people and unpaid bills, the evidence suggests that financial hardship has become a persistent feature of British life. Poverty is not always easy to see.
Rising benefit costs, growing disability claims and an ageing population mean welfare reform is far from finished. The question is who will bear the cost.
The UK Government is moving towards tighter restrictions on children's use of social media, including a proposed ban for under-16s. The aim is to protect young people from cyberbullying, harmful content and the pressures created by platforms designed to keep users online for as long as possible.
The Chancellor may have managed to satisfy the Government's fiscal rules, but the latest report from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) raises uncomfortable questions about Britain's economic future. Published shortly after the Budget on 28 October, the independent watchdog's assessment provides a sobering backdrop to the Chancellor's announcements.
Scotland is being asked to invest in carbon capture and storage, a technology that could help reduce industrial emissions and create new opportunities for the North Sea economy. But there is a difficult question that deserves much more attention: are governments backing an industry that can become commercially viable, or are they committing taxpayers to decades of subsidies for projects that may never pay their way? Carbon capture and storage, usually known as CCS, involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial processes or power stations, transporting it through pipelines and storing it deep underground.
The Chancellor's latest Budget contains an important assumption about the future of North Sea oil and gas. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the independent watchdog responsible for checking the Government's economic and financial forecasts, has included expected production from the controversial Rosebank oilfield when estimating future tax revenues.
The UK Government says Scotland is receiving hundreds of millions of pounds in additional funding following the Chancellor's Budget. The Scottish Government, meanwhile, warns that its budget is facing a substantial real-terms cut.