Politicians keep telling us that benefits are a black hole draining the economy. The truth? They're one of the best ways to grow it.
Organisations that support victims of crime can apply for a share of more than £700,000 from a fund financed by penalties imposed on offenders. More than 5,000 people have benefited from the Victim Surcharge Fund (VSF) since it was set up in 2019, with over £2.4 million awarded to 18 organisations.
Stick with this video and you will learn a lot. Dr.
A Lifetime ISA (LISA) is a UK government-backed Individual Savings Account designed to help people aged 18 and under 40 and save for either their first home or for later life. Government Bonus and Tax Benefits The government adds a 25% bonus on your contributions, up to £1,000 per year.
Scotland's equivalent to England's Best Start Family Hubs is rooted in the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) approach, which aims to provide joined-up, holistic support around each family rather than crisis-only interventions. Under GIRFEC, local Children's Services Planning Partnerships design family support services that address needs as soon as they arise, spanning health, education, social care and community agencies.
Far-right politicians from Trump to Orban to UK ministers are following the same authoritarian script: attack universities, control curricula, ban ideas that challenge power. As a political economist and ex-university professor, I explain why education is at the heart of democracy — and why ignorance is tyranny's greatest ally.
The Employment Rights Bill making its way through Parliament is a big deal for low-paid workers, but will have a negligible impact on the economy, contrary to what its supporters and critics claim, according to new Resolution Foundation research published on Thursday. With the share of (hourly) low paid workers across Britain having fallen from a fifth of the workforce to just 3.5 per cent due to the minimum wage being ramped up in recent decades.
Stealth taxes raise revenue by freezing allowances and thresholds instead of increasing headline rates. As incomes grow with inflation, more earnings become taxable or shift into higher bands without Parliament voting a rate rise.
Maximising Tax-Free Wrappers are just one way to reduce tax liability. Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) allow up to £20,000 per tax year to grow free of Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
Below is a roadmap showing likely tax and benefit tweaks in Rachel Reeves's next Budget and illustrative impacts on different household profiles. These figures assume measures such as an extended freeze on income tax thresholds, tighter pension relief and allowance cuts to dividends, savings interest and capital gains.
The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed she will preserve the overall £20,000 annual ISA allowance but is actively considering reform to how much of that can be held in cash to nudge savers into markets. Industry reports suggest Reeves may ring-fence a portion of the £20,000 limit for stocks and shares ISAs, reducing the cash-only allowance.
Rachel Reeves woke one morning to find herself not in 11 Downing Street but peering into a small, brass-lined hatch beneath her desk. A white rabbit—wearing a waistcoat embroidered with "Fiscal Year 2025/26"—scurried past, muttering about "deadline dips" and "threshold tunnels." Before she could grasp her speech notes, she tumbled headfirst into a labyrinth of shifting ledgers and whispering gold coins.
Many people want to save and help their community by making funds available at good rates from a local entity such as Hi-Scot Credit Union that covers Highland and Islands. Credit Unions encourage savings as well as offering affordable borrowing but lets take a closer look.
The global ecosystem of climate finance is complex, constantly changing and sometimes hard to understand. But understanding it is critical to demanding a green transition that's just and fair.
Scottish shoppers are being urged to stay alert ahead of Amazon Prime Day as fraudsters use artificial intelligence to craft increasingly convincing scams. Advice Direct Scotland, which runs the national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot, says criminals are exploiting AI to create realistic phishing emails and automated calls that make it harder to spot fraud.
Vince Cable, former U.K. business secretary, discusses the outlook for U.K.
Urgent investment is needed to secure the future for the state owned shipyard Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow (FMPG). This conclusion comes in a new report by the Scottish Parliament's Public Audit Committee following the Committee's consideration of the 2023/24 audit of Ferguson Marine by Audit Scotland.
The UK has historically been held up as leading democracy with free and fair elections. However, our new report shows election quality in the UK is now ranked in the bottom half of countries in Europe.
The Strategic Defence Review, launched in July 2024, said it would "put personnel at the heart" of the UK's defence. The House of Commons library has published an update.
Some UK employers are shortening closing dates on job ads in 2025—but it's not universal, and it depends on the sector and urgency of the role. We have noticed this here in Caithness in our jobs and vacancies section.
