Parents urged to take up tax-free childcare
Parents are being encouraged to take advantage of the government's tax-free childcare scheme to help manage childcare costs over the school holidays. YouGov polled 334 parents of children aged 16 and under on behalf of HMRC, and found that 31% felt stressed trying to...
New tax introduced to fund for elderly care from which over-40s are obligated to pay
Mp's have stated that the new tax introduced to fund elderly care should be paid by the cover of the over-40s. Two house of common committees have called for a new social care premium to be introduced so that help is available for those in old age. The report this was...
Skills shortages hamper exporters
Exporters are struggling to recruit the right staff as a result of labour shortages, a report by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has shown. In a survey of more than 3,300 exporters, the BCC found that manufacturers were worst affected, followed by the services...
1 in 3 expect 6-month wait for inheritance
More than a third of people underestimate the time it might take to receive their inheritance, according to research from Co-op Legal Services. In a survey of 2,000 UK adults, 37% said they expect to wait 4-6 months to receive their inheritance. In reality, the...
Over-55s face downsizing challenges
The number of ‘last-time buyers’ who want to downsize their home has increased from 32% to 39% in the past 3 years, research by Legal & General shows. The study defines a last-time buyer as a homeowner aged 55 or over, whose household is under-occupied, with 2 or...
Most SME bosses face staff challenges
The majority (67%) of SME business leaders find it difficult to hire qualified members of staff or retain existing talent, research by Aldermore reveals. A survey of 1,008 decision-makers found that 26% were concerned with keeping good members of staff, while 20%...
Retirees ‘to spend £4,300 a year supporting family’
Around 1 in 3 parents and grandparents entering retirement this year plan to spend more than £4,300 a year supporting family members, according to research by Prudential. In a survey of 9,896 adults, 31% of those planning to retire in 2018 said they expect to use...
Late payments affect half of businesses
Almost half of small and medium-sized businesses have struggled with late payments in the last year, according to research by the Institute of Directors (IoD). Of the 787 business leaders surveyed, 48% have faced issues with late payments since April 2017. About 3 in...
The national minimum wage and national living wage rates will rise from 1 April 2018.
The national minimum wage and national living wage rates will rise from 1 April 2018. Eligible workers aged 25 and over who are not in their first year of an apprenticeship will be entitled to the new national living wage rate of £7.83. Those aged 21-24 will see their...
Home ownership falls for middle-income young adults
Young adults with middle incomes are considerably less likely to own their own home than those born 20 years earlier, new figures show. Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that from 1995/96, 65% of 25 to 34-year-olds with incomes in the middle 20%...