5 h. ago April 2025 payment dates for benefits and pensions as bills go up for millions

Benefits, state pensions and the minimum wage will all rise from April

Economics

11 h. ago Stamp duty calculator shows exactly how much more you'll pay from today

You can use our stamp duty calculator below to see exactly how much these changes could cost you, whether you're moving home, or if you're a first-time buyer

Politics

65 h. ago Thousands planning to move home will face an extra £2.5k charge

The stamp duty thresholds are changing in England and Northern Ireland from next week

Economics

3 d. ago Warm Home Discount Scheme expansion to see £150 payment for one million more people

The UK Government is now analysing feedback from an online consultation which closed on March 24 that would see the Warm Home Discount Scheme expanded

Economics

6 d. ago Countdown to Rachel Reeves' April Fools tax bomb! Brits face fallout from hikes in council tax, NICs, IHT, vehicle duty and energy bills ... and maybe Trump tariffs to come

Council tax and energy bills are set to go up from April 1, adding to the cost of running a home, even before Rachel Reeves gave her Spring Statement.

Economics

8 d. ago Pubs say the average cost of a pint will rise above £5 for the first time

Beer bosses say cost hikes will be passed on to drinkers

Economics

9 d. ago Life in the old dog yet: how biotech firms are looking to extend the lives of our pets

If you could increase the lifespan of your pet dog or cat, would you? And what is the real cost of doing so?Last November, my family brought home a puppy. Frankie was eight weeks old when he came to live with us, and right now, watching him bound around with my seven-year-old son, I don’t want to imagine ever saying goodbye to him. Well, maybe I won’t need to, or rather, I can at least kick that day into the long grass, and buy Frankie some extra time. After all, scientific understanding of the mechanisms of ageing has never been better; there is a plethora of longevity products to choose from and more in the pipeline, including a kind of diet pill for dogs; and, thanks to research into lifespan expansion for pets over the last decade, prescription-based longevity interventions that are now approaching FDA approval. All I have to do, it seems, is put in the time, care and (lots of) cash.But should I do so? Don’t our pets live long enough already? And whose needs would I be serving –...

Politics

1 week ago Do I need planning permission for driveway bollards, how much do they cost to install and can they add value to my home?

I have a driveway with a partial wall and we have a garage, but the cars won't fit. I'm thinking about putting bollards up so I can secure my two vehicles at night.

Events

1 week ago Labour wants more timber frame houses: What's good and bad about them?

Wood-framed homes are greener - but how much do they cost, and can you get a mortgage?

Politics

2 w. ago People gobsmacked at price hike of chocolate bar that 'held down the street for years'

People are shocked at the price of a childhood favourite bargain chocolate bar that many would pick up on the way home from school and have blamed inflation for the increased cost

Politics

2 w. ago 50,000 social homes being used for fraud in London as scammers cost taxpayers £1bn a year, report claims

London social rent homes are being illegally sublet among other forms of fraud, new research warns

Economics

2 w. ago 50,000 social homes being sublet in London as scammers cost taxpayers £1bn a year, report claims

London social rent homes are being illegally sublet on platforms such as Airbnb, new research warns

Economics

2 w. ago London's most expensive postcode, where homes cost more than £4 million

The 10 most expensive postcodes in England and Wales are all in London, new analysis shows

Economics

2 w. ago Trump tariffs on steel and aluminum come into effect amid US

Sweeping levies of 25% come into force without any exemptions after US and Canada exchange further tariff threats Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect on Wednesday “with no exceptions or exemptions”, as his campaign to reorder global trade norms in favor of the US stepped up.The US president’s action to bulk up protections for American steel and aluminum producers placed tariffs of 25% on all imports of the metals, which is likely to increase the cost of producing everything from houses to home appliances and vehicles to drinks cans, threatening to raise consumer prices. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Stamp duty calculator shows exactly how much more you'll pay after April deadline

You can use our stamp duty calculator below to see exactly how much these changes could cost you, whether you're moving home, or if you're a first-time buyer

Events

3 w. ago The disturbing case of a Tantric yoga guru and his followers

Under the guise of spiritual leadership, Gregorian Bivolaru allegedly exploited hundreds of people through an international network of yoga camps and retreats. Now he’s awaiting trial, accused of kidnap, trafficking and rape. Here, one of his victims reveals how she broke freeFrom the outside, Tara Yoga Centre looks like a normal, welcoming yoga studio. A pleasant building in an expensive east London postcode, with another popular branch on an Oxford high street. There are positive, even gushing, Google reviews. The website is professional, with photos of smiling people stretching on matching purple yoga mats. It promises “rapid and integral transformation”, as well as “an invitation to awaken now”.When Miranda, from Oxford – who has asked to go only by her first name – was in her late 20s, she visited India to practise yoga. It was 2015 and yoga was already a booming industry in the UK. She was working as an English teacher at a London school and gravitated to yoga for the same rea...

Politics

3 w. ago Dehumidifier that's 'amazing for winter months' and saves on bills gets price axed in sale

With Ofcom announcing a 6.4% rise in the energy price cap, it's worth investing in a dehumidifier, which can help cut down on the cost of bills and keep your home free of damp and mold

Economics

4 w. ago Thousands can get up £300 to help with bills through DWP scheme – all the support available

Some councils are even using funds to ‘replace’ lost winter fuel payments

Economics

4 w. ago Warning issued to homeowners with curtains – as they could increase your energy bill

With the energy price cap set to rise in April, interior design experts share a simple tweak people could make to heat their rooms better and use energy more efficiently

Events