31 h. ago Inside the Scottish holiday park perfect for an Easter weekend trip

With Easter nearing and overseas trips costing £3,628 on average, families seek budget-friendly getaways

Politics

37 h. ago Spring Statement 2025: More benefits cuts and crackdown on tax avoiders announced as growth forecast halved

Rachel Reeves will slash Britain’s welfare bill by another £500million

Politics

41 h. ago Spring statement 2025: Chancellor to announce 'further benefits cuts' amid floundering growth

Rachel Reeves is understood to be planning to slash Britain’s welfare bill by another £500million

Politics

3 d. ago Shocking figures reveal UK spends double the defence budget on working age benefits

Analysis by The Independent has revealed the scale of Britain’s welfare bill to the taxpayer

Economics

3 d. ago Welfare in numbers: The facts behind Britain’s soaring benefits bill

As Labour attempts to tighten Britain’s burgeoning welfare belt, Alicja Hagopian and David Maddox investigate the true cost of the welfare state

Economics

3 d. ago Shocking figures reveal UK spends twice as much on working age benefits than defence

Analysis by The Independent has revealed the scale of Britain’s welfare bill to the taxpayer

Economics

4 d. ago Cost of pint of beer in UK set to soar above £5 average in bitter blow for drinkers

Brits are set to pay more for a round as the cost of a pint is due to rise by 21p, making the average pint now £5.01 amid a whole host of cost increases linked to October's budget

Economics

4 d. ago Average price of pint to surge above £5 due to April cost hikes, say beer bosses

The British Beer and Pub Association said the average cost of a pint is expected to rise by around 21p due to budget-linked cost increases.

Economics

5 d. ago Idleness is rotting Britain. The welfare budget is heading for £100BILLION. That's why it's our moral duty to slash benefits: QUENTIN LETTS

We could have done with Norman Tebbit in the Commons this week, if only for dramatic variety. MPs were discussing welfare cuts that turned out to be soggier than trailed.

Economics

6 d. ago Idleness is rotting Britain. The welfare budget costs £3,000 BILLION. That's why it's our moral duty to slash benefits: QUENTIN LETTS

We could have done with Norman Tebbit in the Commons this week, if only for dramatic variety. MPs were discussing welfare cuts that turned out to be soggier than trailed.

Economics

9 d. ago QUENTIN LETTS: I didn't hear one word of concern for the poor devils whose taxes pay for these benefits

QUENTIN LETTS: Savings could have been several billions more but the Government crumbled with concessions. Tony Blair would not have caved in like that.

Economics

9 d. ago ANDREW NEIL: Is that it? An opportunity of a generation to tackle Britain's bloated welfare bill has been squandered. And we'll all be poorer for it

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall tried and failed to deflect criticism about PIPs from the Tories. Claims are rising by the day and the cost is substantial. An opportunity squandered.

Economics

9 d. ago The UK is cutting welfare spending to urge people to work. Critics say it will hurt the vulnerable

Britain’s Labour Party government has announced an overhaul of the welfare system it says will save the cash-strapped administration 5 billion pounds, or $6.5 billion

Economics

9 d. ago Major reforms to Britain's benefits system announced as Government seeks £5billion cut to welfare bill

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced changes to personal independence payments (PIP), job seeker's allowance and universal credit

Economics

9 d. ago Major reforms to Britain's benefits system announced as Government seeks to cut welfare bill

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced changes to personal independence payments (PIP), job seeker's allowance and universal credit

Politics

1 week ago Labour backtracks on benefits freeze: Now plans to tackle Britain's spiralling welfare bill are set to be watered down over fears of major backbench rebellion

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall had been planning to freeze personal independence payments (PIP) to tackle Britain's spiralling welfare bill, but the proposals are said to have been ditched.

Economics

2 w. ago West Lothian Leisure trust will have to cover cost of National Insurance increase

Kenneth Ribbons, the acting head of finance, said the arms length operator of the county’s leisure and swimming facilities would be expected to cover the increased staff costs from its own budget.

Politics

2 w. ago Iceland foods' boss Richard Walker 'worried' about Easter bill misery for millions

The head of high street supermarket Iceland, Richard Walker, has voiced his fears over bill hikes, as well as threatened welfare cuts, on some of Britain's poorest families

Economics

2 w. ago On Falling – heartbreaking study of a warehouse worker’s yearning loneliness

Director Laura Carreira’s superb debut feature is reminiscent of Ken Loach in its humane portrayal of soul-destroying workA Portuguese stock picker toiling in a vast Scottish warehouse, Aurora (lovely, empathetic work from Joana Santos), in the eyes of her employers, is not an individual. She is the sum of the data that her handheld scanner feeds back into the system. If the algorithm decrees it, she is rewarded for efficiency (a bar of chocolate from her callow, barely post-adolescent manager). If she falls behind, she’s scolded by someone oblivious of (and indifferent to) the fact that Aurora is struggling on several levels: the unexpected cost of repairing her phone has wiped out her food budget for the month; the work is soul-destroying and repetitive. But most of all, she’s isolated, disconnected and painfully lonely.This terrific English-language feature debut from Portuguese-born, Scotland-based director Laura Carreira makes a satisfying companion piece to Ken Loach’s Sorry W...

Events

3 w. ago DWP benefits budget facing 'billions' in austerity cuts as Labour looks for cost savings

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to slash billions of pounds from the welfare bill and other government budgets as she battles to balance the books

Economics