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• UK bans £2.2bn ‘sneaky’ fees and fake reviews for online products

  06-04-2025 07:01 via theguardian.com
  
  New law aims to eliminate added costs that can be up to 25% of retail priceSneaky fees that are estimated to cost consumers £2.2bn a year are to be banned from today under new consumer protection laws.Businesses, including travel websites, ticket agencies and food delivery apps, will be required to include any mandatory fees in the headline price. Research has found these fees can be more than 25% of the product price. Continue reading...
  
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• Labour’s great nature sellout is the worst attack on England’s ecosystems I’ve seen in my lifetime | George Monbiot

  24-04-2025 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The horrifying planning bill, which rips up environmental protections, was drafted with CEOs in mind. We know because Keir Starmer told usThose of us who try to defend wildlife are horribly familiar with bad laws. But we’ve never seen anything like this. The government’s planning and infrastructure bill is the worst assault on England’s ecosystems in living memory. It erases decades of environmental protections, including legislation we inherited from the EU, which even the Tor
  
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• Oasis reunion tour ticket scams cost fans more than £2m, Lloyds bank estimates

  24-04-2025 07:06 via theguardian.com
  
  Victims include fans rushing to buy tickets at well over face value, data collected by Lloyds Banking Group suggestsOasis fans have collectively lost more than £2m to scams since tickets for its reunion tour went on sale last year, a major bank has estimated.Lloyds Banking Group based the calculation on the volume of fraud reports made by its own customers. Oasis fans make up more than half (56%) of all reported concert ticket scams so far this year, according to Lloyds’ data, losing
  
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• Ministers braced for showdown over ‘postcode pricing’ in energy market shake-up

  23-04-2025 20:11 via theguardian.com
  Ed Miliband’s looming decision on electricity market changes could mean regional bill disparities for householdsBritain’s most senior government ministers could soon be drawn into a deepening row over plans to charge some households higher electricity bills than others, as Ed Miliband prepares to decide on sweeping energy reforms.The energy secretary is understood to be close to making a decision on whether to move ahead with proposals to replace the country’s single electricit
  
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• DWP: Millions suffering from common health condition could claim £749 benefit

  23-04-2025 19:06 via express.co.uk
  
  If you suffer with this common condition you may be eligible for Personal Independence Payments worth hundreds of pounds a month.
  
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• EOn tells customers not to use washing machine or kettle during these times of day

  23-04-2025 17:51 via express.co.uk
  
  EOn has launched a deal which offers cheaper rates for 21 hours of the day and more expensive rates for the other three for those appliances.
  
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• HMRC warns 'you could be missing out on cash' after threshold change in new alert

  23-04-2025 17:22 via express.co.uk
  
  The policy change means hundreds of thousands more families qualify to claim the money.
  
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• Nationwide Building Society announces huge change to mortgage rates - full details

  23-04-2025 17:20 via express.co.uk
  
  Some brokers believe lower mortgage rates from other banks could follow soon.
  
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• 'Trump tariffs' could actually lower UK inflation, expert says

  23-04-2025 16:44 via express.co.uk
  Markets are betting on a cut to the base rate on May 8
  
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• Surge in pensioners using £10k 'recycling loophole' to avoid tax

  23-04-2025 16:36 via express.co.uk
  One provider is seeing a growing number of retirees apparently paying back into their own pension to save tax.
  
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• What to do if your phone is lost or stolen: practical steps to restore peace of mind

  23-04-2025 16:32 via theguardian.com
  From remotely locking your phone to changing passwords, do this quickly to protect yourself and restore peace of mindSmartphones contain the entirety of our modern lives, from photos, messages and memories to credit cards, bank accounts and all life admin, so when one gets lost or stolen it can be far worse than the cost of the actual handset.Here’s what to do if the worst happens. Quickly taking these steps will help protect yourself against data theft, scams and fraud, and with luck coul
  
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• DWP clarifies Universal Credit eligibility rules as 'claimants need to report this'

  23-04-2025 15:43 via express.co.uk
  Benefit payment rates increased 1.7% this month including for Universal Credit
  
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• People on these benefits ‘twice as likely’ to have serious debt problem, experts warn

  23-04-2025 15:16 via express.co.uk
  These people are also more likely to have a far higher cost of living
  
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• State pensioners could lose £8,000 in DWP payments due to little-known change

  23-04-2025 15:07 via express.co.uk
  The triple lock pledge means the full new state pension could soon become subject to income tax, which could leave pensioners substantially worse off.
  
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• Thousands more driving tests planned to cut waiting times in Britain

  23-04-2025 13:39 via theguardian.com
  More trainers and overtime for examiners but target to cut queue to seven weeks will not be hit until 2026Thousands more driving tests a month have been promised in a government push to tackle a huge backlog of people waiting to take them in Great Britain, as the transport secretary admitted it would not hit its target to reduce waiting times this year.The number of specialist trainers for examiners will be increased and examiners will be offered more overtime, potentially allowing each to do an
  
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• Homes in England and Wales with big gardens ‘should pay more for water’

  23-04-2025 12:36 via theguardian.com
  Trade body calls for compulsory water meters to target high consumers such as households with poolsHomes with big gardens or swimming pools in England and Wales could pay more for their water usage, under proposals set out by providers in their submission to a wider review of the sector.Water UK, an industry body that represents 16 water and sewage companies in England and Wales, will call for water metering to be made compulsory and for an overhaul in how household bills are calculated. Continu
  
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• My renewal quote for Co-op home insurance has almost tripled to £1,353

  23-04-2025 08:00 via theguardian.com
  After previously paying £518, quote comes as shock to loyal customer who has made no claims in many yearsIn February, we received our home insurance renewal quote from Co-op Insurance for the coming year, and were shocked to read it would near-triple from £518 to £1,353.We have had buildings and contents cover with the Co-op since 2012. Our circumstances have not changed and we have not made a claim for many years. Continue reading...
  
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• New flats in England and Wales may soon all be commonhold. But what does it mean?

  23-04-2025 07:00 via theguardian.com
  ‘It’s very hands-on,’ say neighbours in a commonhold Bristol block set up 15 years ago and managed by the flat ownersWhen neighbours Ele Weeks-Bell and Maggie Coles were setting up their commonhold flats 15 years ago, they struggled to find a lawyer who could help them.“We were trying to find solicitors that knew anything about commonhold and getting a blank every time,” said Weeks-Bell. “And most mortgage companies were just like, no one has ever done this be
  
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• Ofcom closes technical loophole used by criminals to intercept mobile calls and texts

  22-04-2025 17:21 via theguardian.com
  Regulator acts on leasing of ‘global title’ numbers after industry efforts to tackle problem were ineffectiveThe UK communications regulator Ofcom is banning mobile operators from leasing numbers that can be used by criminals to intercept and divert calls and messages, including security codes sent by banks to customers.Ofcom said it would stop the leasing of “global titles”, special types of phone numbers used by mobile networks to support services to make sure messages
  
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• Essential women’s underwear: the best knickers, bras and socks for every occasion

  22-04-2025 16:00 via theguardian.com
  From organic cotton to lace, fancy socks to matching sets, our expert untangles the underwear that’s worth your money – and will stand the test of time• The best bras for every situationI don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the right underwear can mean the difference between a good and bad day. Get it wrong and your day will involve retrieving fallen bra straps, pulling up socks or retrieving knickers sliding towards an uncomfortable spot.My evidence? The mo
  
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• M&S apologises after ‘cyber incident’ hits contactless payments and online orders

  22-04-2025 15:57 via theguardian.com
  Retailer reports issue to National Cyber Security Centre after tills stopped working Marks & Spencer has apologised to customers after a “cyber incident” affected contactless payments and the pick up of online orders in it stores in recent days.The retailer told shoppers that delays to click and collect orders have continued but it was “working hard to resolve” the issue. Continue reading...
  
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• Older workers: would you be able and willing to stay in work until you’re 70?

  22-04-2025 13:15 via theguardian.com
  As the IMF recommends that fit and sharp older workers delay retirement to offset ageing population trends, we’d like to hear what people make of such proposalsPeople from the baby boomer generation are being encouraged to stay in the workforce for longer and delay retirement as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said governments needed to make more use of fit, older workers to balance public finances amid fiscal pressures caused by an ageing global population.The financial agency decla
  
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• Motorists ‘could save £850 a year by choosing an electric car over a hybrid’

  22-04-2025 09:00 via theguardian.com
  Owners of hybrids save only £13 a year compared with petrol equivalents, thinktank saysBritish households could miss out on savings of more than £800 a year on running costs if they choose a hybrid car over an electric one, amid concerns that recent government rule changes open the door for manufacturers to sell more polluting cars.Owners of hybrid cars only save an average of £13 a year compared with drivers of petrol vehicles, but could save as much as £850 annually if
  
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• Hell is not other people – it’s being stuck in the ninth circle of an automated telephone service | Hilary Freeman

  22-04-2025 09:00 via theguardian.com
  Tuvalu is celebrating its first ATM, but here’s a warning from the UK, where human contact has been lost to the self-service ageLife is about to change on the remote island nation of Tuvalu. And not, in my opinion, for the better. To great fanfare, Tuvalu – an entirely cash-based society – has unveiled its first ever ATM, marking its move towards financial modernisation. But while the 10,000 people living in that country may be celebrating no longer having to queue at the bank,
  
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• Parking firms ‘issuing thousands of fines in England due to faulty ticket machines’

  22-04-2025 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Campaigners say most common problem are ‘sticky keys’ that fails to record registration numbers correctlyThousands of drivers in England are being sent demands for up to £170 from private parking companies because of faulty ticket machines, campaigners have said.Many private car parks require motorists to input their vehicle registration when purchasing a ticket from a machine, which is supposed to ensure they do not receive a parking fine. Continue reading...
  
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• More British households struggling with bills will resort to energy theft, campaigners say

  22-04-2025 06:00 via theguardian.com
  Annual value of gas and electricity stolen from Great Britain’s grids already estimated at £1.5bn‘Honest folk are paying for this’: the fight against Britain’s billion-pound energy heistThe number of British households stealing about £1.5bn of gas and electricity every year is expected to rise as energy bill bad debts continue to set new records, according to fuel poverty campaigners.The energy industry has warned that “desperate” households who ar
  
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• ‘Honest folk are paying for this’: the fight against Britain’s billion-pound energy heist

  22-04-2025 06:00 via theguardian.com
  From raids on marijuana farms to illegal bitcoin miners, suppliers are finding new ways to tackle the rise in gas and electricity theftMore British households struggling with bills will resort to energy theft, campaigners sayBy the time a team of police officers and engineers stormed a disused office block in Wigan, Greater Manchester, on a November morning last year, the building had been abandoned.Left behind were rooms filled with thousands of cannabis plants: a nursery on the first floor, th
  
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• Illegal and potentially unsafe ‘energy-saving’ plugs widely available online in UK, report finds

  22-04-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Which? calls for ‘tough new laws’ to make selling platforms responsible for ensuring safety of their electronic productsIllegal and potentially dangerous plug-in “energy-saving” devices are still widely available for sale to UK shoppers on online marketplaces, according to an investigation.These so-called “energy-saving plugs” or “eco plugs” – which in some cases cost little more than £5 – can seem appealing to consumers strugglin
  
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• NatWest to close 19 branches in May - full list

  21-04-2025 12:09 via express.co.uk
  
  The major UK bank will be shuttering more branches in May as more customers take business online.
  
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• Pensioner with severe learning disabilities could face eviction over care costs dispute

  21-04-2025 12:05 via theguardian.com
  
  Hugh Kirsch’s case one of wave of evictions of vulnerable residents caused by crisis in adult social care fundingA pensioner with severe learning disabilities who was a victim of one of the most notorious care home abuse scandals of recent years has been told he faces eviction over a dispute about who pays for the costs of his state-funded care.The family of Hugh Kirsch, 66, said they had been warned he would have to leave his supported home because the council that funds his care refused
  
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