The forecast by the Resolution Foundation think-tank raises new concerns about household budgets as the planned cut in universal credit is due to take place later this year. According to the foundation, the Government should prepare for a rise in inflation this year that will squeeze household living standards and force more low-income families into … Read more

Bosses are pleading for the opportunity to trade out of trouble as they fear another month of curbs will hit sales by £3bn. Amid rising expectations that the Prime Minister will delay the ending of Covid-19 restrictions later this month, pub and tourism bosses representing more than 150,000 workers have issued a desperate plea for … Read more

Vulnerable consumers claim to have been ‘bullied and criminalised’ by HMRC after losing their pensions. Victims of pension scams have been pushed to their limits after losing their life savings and then being pursued by HM Revenue and Customs for substantial tax bills. The taxman has been described as implacable and relentless, charging people hundreds … Read more

New rules designed to protect those who remain with the same insurers will hit consumers who shop around for insurance, the City watchdog has warned. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says a decision to ban the so-called loyalty penalty will save customers a total of £4.2bn over the next decade, but will increase costs for … Read more

If you have bought new clothes, filled the car’s fuel tank or treated yourself to a beer recently, you’ll know what economists confirmed on Wednesday. The price of goods and services, also known as inflation, is rising rapidly. The annual rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), more than doubled last … Read more

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs no longer uses debt collectors, instead its systems take money straight out of your earnings and pension income. The taxman is using special powers to recover unpaid bills directly from wage packets and pensions because the pandemic has made it impossible to deal with rising numbers of tax debtors in … Read more