More than 2.6 million mortgage holidays have been approved to date as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic of which 140.000 remained in place at the end of October. The figures were revealed in a UK Finance Mortgage Arrears and Possessions report, but do not take into account any new applications or extensions made since …
Uncertain future for Amigo Loans after £58.2m loss
Amigo Loans has announced it has an uncertain future following the announcement of a £58.1 million half year loss. The sub-prime lender warned of ‘material uncertainty’ after its income was hit by pandemic payment holidays and a pause in new lending. Loss The loss compared to a £35.8 million profit for the same period in …
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Council tax likely to rise by £70
Experts claim households across the country are facing an increase in their council tax after Chancellor Rishi Sunak cut financial support for councils in his Spending Review. Following an analysis of the review the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said bills may increase by £70 per household on average. Raise IFS director Paul Johnson said …
Another 842 employers plan to cut jobs
Notifications of possible redundancies from UK companies doubled in October as 842 more employers notified the government they are planning job cuts in the coming months. The rise is more than any other month since the pandemic began and almost two and a half times the number notified in October last year. Rapid rise There …
Almost 700,000 driven into poverty by Covid
A new report says almost 700,000 Britons have been forced into poverty by the Covid pandemic, including 120,000 children. The report from the Legatum Institute think tank added that a further 700,000 people have been saved from poverty by the measures taken by the Chancellor’s £20 a week boost to Universal Credit introduced in April …
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Less than 10% of savers use Pension Wise advice
A former pensions minister says less than 10% of savers are taking advantage of the free advice available on safely investing their money. Ministers have admitted the take-up rate for the Pension Wise service is inadequate and say they want to increase engagement but according to Baroness Ros Altmann have only considered giving ‘a stronger …
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Spotting the warning signs of pension mis-selling
As the number of pension mis-selling claims hitting the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) rises there is some advice available on how to spot if you’re being mis-sold. The pension freedoms of 2015 gave savers the opportunity the chance to make their own decisions about what would happen to their retirement pots by using a SIPP …
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Economic emergency ‘has only just begun’
Delivering his Spending Review to the House of Commons, Chancellor Rishi Sunak warned that Britain’s economic emergency ‘has only just begun’. In his speech he also warned that with the pandemic creating the largest fall in output for 300 years it is going to cause lasting damage to growth and jobs. Economy The economy is …
Covid could cut pay by £1,200 a year
A new report from the Resolution Foundation think tank claims the Covid pandemic could cut average wages by £1,200 by 2025. The report follows Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement that unemployment could hit 2.6 million by the middle of next year. Living standards The foundation’s report claimed that the effects of the virus will continue to …
Sharp eyes spot £1 billion benefit fraud
The sharp eyes of a junior civil servant spotted a fraud being worked on Universal Credit applications, but not before an estimated £1 billon had been stolen. Organised crime is believed to be behind the scam which involved thousands of stolen identities. Spotted It was spotted by the civil servant who was working closely with …