Office for National Statistics figures show that unemployment dropped by 27,000 in the three months to February, to 1.34 million. Furthermore, the number of people in work is at a record high of 32.7 million, representing a rise of 179,000. This figure has actually increased by 457,000 over the past year. Matt Hughes, ONS Deputy…
Analysis of HMRC data reveals that the UK’s super-rich don’t pay anywhere near as much inheritance tax (IHT) as the less-rich. It reveals that estates worth over £10m paid an average of 10% tax to the exchequer in 2015-16 tax year. Whereas estates worth £2-3m paid about 20% tax. Neil Jones, Market Development Manager at…Continue reading
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published its first ever UK cyber survey, as well as a list of passwords most at risk of breach. So it’s time to learn how to set a good password. The list comprises the 100,000 passwords most commonly found in breached databases globally. We also gain an insight…Continue reading
Ministry of Justice (MOJ) figures reveal that divorce petitions shot up last year, bucking the trend of fewer break-ups. Recent divorce petition statistics The courts faced 118,141 divorce petitions last year; this is the first stage of the process. This number shows an increase of almost 9,000 cases compared with 2017, equivalent to a rise…
Now that the nights are brighter, you may fancy a bike-ride along the country lanes more often. It is common for horse riders to appear on these roads, so you have to be extra careful when cycling past them. It’s vital that horse riders are safe when on the roads; an accident risks the life…Continue reading
Private landlords won’t be able to evict tenants at short notice anymore without a good reason; this could be the end of no-fault evictions. Section 21 notices allow landlords to evict renters after their fixed-term tenancy period ends, even if there is no real reason for the eviction. Such a situation results in unhappy renters,…Continue reading
The clocks have gone forward and the road safety problems associated with dark nights aren’t as threatening now. However, it’s still important to be careful on roads and protect vulnerable road users. Road Safety – Protecting vulnerable road users If there is a cycling club on the road, they will often ride as a group…Continue reading
Office for National Statistics figures show that more young adults are living with their parents for longer than they did 20 years ago. Furthermore, they are staying in education longer and also not having children and getting married until an older age. In 1997, the most common living arrangement for people of this age group…
We could be seeing the end of hostile divorces, thanks to reforms to divorce law in England and Wales. Under current divorce law, one person has to allege their spouse of adultery or unreasonable behaviour if the proceedings are to begin immediately. However, new rules will only require them to state that the marriage has…Continue reading
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed new rules to help homeowners stuck in high-interest loan deals; AKA ‘mortgage prisoners’. What are mortgage prisoners? Well, prior to the 2008 financial crisis, the affordability tests that lenders were running weren’t as strict. However, regulations are tighter now and therefore lenders are stricter. As a result, around…Continue reading