11 h. ago Barristers in England and Wales struggle to pay bills after legal aid hack

‘No end in sight’ to financial strain as Ministry of Justice is forced to rebuild payment systems

Economics

44 h. ago The National Trust to axe 550 jobs after Rachel Reeves' tax raid budget added £10million to charity's annual wage bill

The conservation charity said rising costs were outstripping growth in visitors and donations and it needed to reduce the pay bill as well as finding savings worth £26 million

Economics

51 h. ago More people taking on second job to help pay monthly household bills

Older employees and low-paid workers are particularly worried about their income as the cost of living continues to push up outgoings.

Society

53 h. ago Doctor's six top tips on how to get restful night's sleep during heatwave

Dr Greg Elder explains why you are struggling to sleep as the heat rises in Wales

Society

3 d. ago Holly Willoughby's media company gets another 12 weeks to pay £377,000 tax bill or face being wound up

Roxy Media, the firm run by the TV presenter and her husband Dan Baldwin, was issued with a winding-up order by His Majesty's Revenue & Customs.

Economics

4 d. ago Number of abortions in England and Wales hit record high in 2022

Almost three in 10 conceptions ended in legal terminations, ONS figures show, as provider says women struggling to access contraceptionThe number of abortions in England and Wales reached a record high in 2022, with a leading provider stating that women are facing “significant barriers” in access to contraception.Almost three in 10 conceptions ended in legal abortions in the two nations in 2022, up from about two in 10 a decade earlier, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Octopus energy to pay £1.5m in compensation for bill errors – are you eligible?

Ofgem found more than 34,000 prepayment meter customers between 2014 and October 2023 did not receive final bills within six weeks.

Economics

5 d. ago Major billing error sees Octopus Energy pay customers £1.5 million in credit and compensation

Ofgem said customers were affected between 2014 and October 2023.

Economics

5 d. ago UK energy supplier to pay £1.5m in compensation for billing errors

Ofgem found more than 34,000 prepayment meter customers between 2014 and October 2023 did not receive final bills within six weeks.

Economics

6 d. ago Nearly a quarter of foster places in England provided by private equity

Experts raise alarm over ‘commodification’ of vulnerable children as independent fostering agencies make millions in profitExperts have raised alarm over the “commodification” of vulnerable foster children as analysis reveals almost a quarter of all foster places in England are now provided by private equity-backed companies making millions of pounds in profits.Analysis for the Guardian by thinktank Common Wealth found independent fostering agencies (IFAs) are making millions via public funding from councils to provide placements for foster children, while foster carers struggle to pay bills. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne: Back to the Beginning review – epic all

Villa Park, Birmingham The biggest names in rock, from Metallica to Slayer, came to pay tribute to the men who created their entire genre – and even in old age, Sabbath’s sound has bludgeoning forceFireworks burst over Villa Park’s pitch, Black Sabbath wave goodbye, and the inventors of metal leave the stage for the final time. It has not been an epic show – just War Pigs, NIB, Iron Man and Paranoid – but is the farewell this extraordinary band deserve, with an undercard of stadium-fillers and festival headliners come to pay tribute.The returning Bill Ward adds the swing other Sabbath drummers have never managed, Tony Iommi churns out those monstrous riffs, Geezer Butler flits around them on bass, and Ozzy Osbourne is Ozzy Osbourne, a baffled and discomfited force of nature. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne: Back to the Beginning review – all

Villa Park, Birmingham The biggest names in rock, from Metallica to Slayer, came to pay tribute to the men who created their entire genre – and even in old age, Sabbath’s sound has bludgeoning forceThe big farewell in pictures: Metallica, Jason Momoa and Ozzy’s middle fingerFireworks burst over Villa Park’s pitch, Black Sabbath wave goodbye, and the inventors of metal leave the stage for the final time. It has not been an epic show – just War Pigs, NIB, Iron Man and Paranoid – but is the farewell this extraordinary band deserve, with an undercard of stadium-fillers and festival headliners come to pay tribute.The returning Bill Ward adds the swing other Sabbath drummers have never managed, Tony Iommi churns out those monstrous riffs, Geezer Butler flits around them on bass, and Ozzy Osbourne is Ozzy Osbourne, a baffled and discomfited force of nature. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell granted legal aid after he was charged with embezzlement

EXCLUSIVE: The Daily Record can reveal the taxpayer is set to pay the former SNP CEO's legal bills.

Politics

2 w. ago Aftermath of legal aid cyber attack becoming problematic in courts – Law Society

The Law Society of England and Wales said magistrates’ courts were particularly affected by the issue.

Events

2 w. ago Brits draw the line at £27.57 for splitting restaurant bills, reveals survey

The study found that beyond £27 they would refuse to split the bill down the middle and instead opt to pay only for what they ordered.

Economics

2 w. ago Scotland will become a 'pimp nation' unless we ban the purchase of sex, says MSP

Alba's Ash Regan has introduced her bill to clampdown on people who pay for sex to Holyrood's Criminal Justice Committee.

Politics

2 w. ago Second study finds Uber used opaque algorithm to dramatically boost profits

US academics say computer code systematically raised fares at expense of drivers and passengersA second major academic institution has accused Uber of using opaque computer code to dramatically increase its profits at the expense of the ride-hailing app’s drivers and passengers.Research by academics at New York’s Columbia Business School concluded that the Silicon Valley company had implemented “algorithmic price discrimination” that had raised “rider fares and cut driver pay on billions of trips, systematically, selectively, and opaquely”. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Surge in firms using loans to pay tax bills amid April increases

Billions of pounds of tax and VAT payments are set to be covered by credit and financing arrangements this year, according to Premium Credit.

Economics

3 w. ago Millions of households could pay £38 less a month on council tax bill under new changes

The average band D household would pay approximately £38 less each month if they paid over 12 months instead of ten, according to figures from the the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Economics

3 w. ago Ancient trees are shipped to the UK, then burned – using billions in ‘green’ subsidies. Stop this madness now | Dale Vince

The evidence against the Drax power station is damning, yet the government wants to continue its massive public fundingHow green is this? We pay billions of pounds to cut down ancient forests in the US and Canada, ship the wood across the Atlantic in diesel tankers, then burn it in a Yorkshire-based power station.Welcome to the scandal of Drax, where Britain’s biggest polluter gets to play climate hero. The reality is that billions in public subsidies has enabled Drax to generate electricity by burning 300m trees. Now the government is trying to force through an extension that would grant Drax an estimated £1.8bn in public subsidies on top of the £11bn it has already pocketed, keeping this circus going until at least 2031.Dale Vince is a green energy industrialist and campaigner Continue reading...

Events