Rising fuel costs are often discussed as a problem for motorists, but their true impact runs far deeper. For many businesses—particularly those reliant on transport such as taxis, delivery services, and bus operators fuel is not just an expense but a core operating cost.
CPI inflation held steady at 3.0 per cent in February, but with soaring oil prices prompting the Bank of England to revise up its inflation forecast, this may be the last bit of good news on the cost of living for some time, the Resolution Foundation said (Wednesday25 March 2026). Beneath the headline figure for last month, the picture is mixed.
The Resolution Foundation's proposed deposit loan scheme shares structural similarities with student loans—delaying repayment until later in life but they warn this could create long-term debt burdens if not carefully designed. Like student loans, it risks becoming a deferred cost that weighs on future budgets, especially if interest rates rise or wages stagnate.
Two poverty statistics publications were released by the Scottish Government today. Poverty and income inequality in Scotland 2022-25 covers the period up to March 2025, presenting poverty rates for children, working-age adults and pensioners.
In recent years, energy costs have become an increasingly significant concern for businesses across the United Kingdom. While much attention has been paid to the dramatic price spikes during the energy crisis of 2022-2023, a quieter but equally important issue is now unfolding: the renewal of fixed energy contracts.
Farm incomes rose in 2024-25, after sharp declines in 2023-24. Increases in income are largely driven by high livestock prices, while total input costs remained stable.
The Chancellor is right to say that support for families struggling with high energy bills will be targeted at ‘those who need it the most', rather than repeat the universal blank cheque approach of the past, the Resolution Foundation said (Tuesday) in response to the Chancellor’s statement on energy bills. Recent Resolution Foundation research has found that a targeted scheme would deliver far greater support for families most impacted by an energy price shock than a universal one.
More than a million people including the elderly, unemployed, and people living in rural communities have benefited from the combined efforts of government, industry and charities to boost digital inclusion and help more people get online. First ever government Digital Inclusion Action Plan has already helped more than 1 million people get connected in its first year.
Government departments have, for the first time, set individual spending targets for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to deliver over £7.4 billion a year to small businesses by 2028. Small businesses across the country are set to benefit from over £7.4 billion of Government money a year by 2028.
Sellafield Ltd and Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) are making preparations for the third and final return of high level waste (HLW), in the form of vitrified residue, to Germany. Seven flasks will be transported from Sellafield to the Brokdorf interim storage facility later in 2026.
The average house price in Highland was £213,000 in January 2026 (provisional), up 3.0% from January 2025. This was higher than the rise in Scotland (1.3%) over the same period.
Producer input prices rose by 0.5% in the year to February 2026, up from a revised fall of 0.4% in the year to January. Producer output (factory gate) prices rose by 1.7% in the year to February 2026, down from a rise of 2.5% in the year to January.
In the same month that Clynelish at Brora/Golspie falls silent, Highlands and Islands Enterprise proudly announces a £1.57 million award for a new "net‑zero" whisky distillery at Dornoch. On one stretch of the A9, a major Diageo site—an anchor employer, a pillar of Sutherland's modern history—has closed its doors.
14 veteran support centres across the UK to receive up to £1m each to act as a single point of contact for local veterans. Thousands of ex-forces personnel will soon be able to visit the UK's first ever network of government-backed veteran support centres and gain easier access to local services across health, housing, employment and more.
Households across Britain set to benefit as Chancellor acts on food prices, energy bills and profiteering - taking action on cost of living pressures while securing Britain's long-term energy independence. New measures to protect working people through anti-profiteering framework to ensure the CMA and other regulators can clamp down on price gouging if it takes place.
Tens of thousands of sick or disabled people are closer to work following a landmark programme introduced by this government, as part of its efforts to fix the broken welfare system it inherited. More than 65,000 sick and disabled people given free, tailored employment support - reaching target set in March 2025.
If you've taken your pet to the vet recently and felt a jolt at the bill, you’re not alone—and, as it turns out, you’re not imagining things either. A major investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has just confirmed what many pet owners have quietly suspected for years: the veterinary sector isn’t working as it should.
A graduate who grew up in deep poverty will earn 5 per cent less - over £2,800 a year - than a more privileged peer working at the same firm with an equivalent degree a decade after graduation, highlighting the scarring effect of childhood poverty, according to new research published (Tuesday 24 March 2026) by the Resolution Foundation. The long shadow - funded by the Nuffield Foundation - uses comprehensive data which tracks the educational pathways and earnings of over half a million graduates in England, including 35,000 who grew up in deep poverty, measured by eligibility for Free School Meals (FSM) aged 16.
The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH) rose by 3.2% in the 12 months to February 2026, unchanged from the 12 months to January. On a monthly basis, CPIH rose by 0.4% in February 2026, the same rate as in February 2025.
£1 billion boost for British businesses to roll out clean trucks and vans and install new EV chargers at depots - helping to build resilience against fuel price uncertainty. companies will save up to £81,000 off the heaviest zero emission trucks - covering up to 40% of the cost – and up to £5,000 off new zero emission vans, cutting costs, supporting jobs, and slashing emissions.