Money news: page 2
- October 2026
Cornwall Council launches consultation on Council Tax Support changes
Cornwall Council has opened a consultation on its Council Tax Support scheme for working-age households, setting out options that would cut the maximum level of support from 75% to as low as 55%.
Spike in scam calls impersonating police forces using spoofed phone numbers
Report Fraud, run by the City of London Police, has reported a rise in scam calls that spoof police force phone numbers to obtain personal or financial details from members of the public.
Telephone claims for 2026 to 2027 Winter Fuel Payment open
Telephone claims for the 2026 to 2027 Winter Fuel Payment opened on Monday 19 October 2026 for pensioners who will not be paid automatically, with a deadline of 31 March 2027.
Warm Home Discount helpline opens for winter 2026/27
The DWP has confirmed the Warm Home Discount helpline for winter 2026/27 opened on October 19, 2026, with a £150 discount on electricity bills for eligible low-income households.
Resolution Foundation finds working families £2,900 a year worse off
A Resolution Foundation study finds typical working-age households are £2,900 a year worse off than if inflation had stayed at 2 per cent over the past five years.
Carers UK analysis finds 26,000 unpaid carers £7,011 a year worse off from state pension age rise
Carers UK analysis estimates that about 26,000 unpaid carers will spend an extra year on working-age benefits as the State Pension age rises to 67, losing £7,011 a year each.
PIP review report to be published before the end of the year
Sir Stephen Timms has said the report of the review of Personal Independence Payment he co-chairs will be published before the end of the year, after being asked in the Commons about cash payments.
ePayments Systems Limited enters special administration
ePayments Systems Limited entered special administration on 15 October 2026, with two insolvency practitioners appointed to return customer funds, and the FCA has confirmed that FSCS protection does not apply.
TUC report says UK households paid extra £13,961 on bills since 2021
The TUC says UK households have paid an average £13,961 more on mortgages, loans, energy and water since 2021, and is urging the chancellor to act in the 28 October budget.
PRA and FCA publish final policy removing the firm-level 15% high LTI cap
The PRA and FCA have published final policy removing the firm-level 15% cap on high loan-to-income mortgage lending while keeping the 15% aggregate limit, effective 28 October 2026.
Which? research finds monthly car insurance customers face interest rates up to 53%
Which? mystery shopping of 30 motor insurers found some charging up to 53 per cent interest to customers paying monthly, adding as much as £367.75 a year to cover, and it wants a ban.
New council tax enforcement rules announced giving more warning and time before enforcement action
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced new council tax enforcement rules in England requiring extra warning letters and longer notice periods before payment instalments are withdrawn.
PPI research estimates more than three million lost UK pension pots averaging around £6,000
The Pensions Policy Institute estimates more than three million UK pension pots worth around £6,000 each are lost, with 2.5 million of them held by people aged under 55.
Calendar phishing scam growing exponentially, security researchers warn
Security researchers say calendar phishing, where fake meeting or renewal entries appear in a victim's calendar to lure them to fake login pages, is growing exponentially.
Bank of England Credit Conditions Survey shows rising defaults on unsecured lending
The Bank of England's latest Credit Conditions Survey shows credit card defaults rose in the three months to August, with lenders expecting further increases by November.
JRF briefing projects worst parliament for living standards since 1961
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation projects that incomes after housing costs in 2029/30 will be £440 to £770 a year lower than in 2024/25, the weakest parliament for living standards since 1961.
Resolution Foundation analysis finds five years of inflation have left typical working-age households £2,900 worse off
Resolution Foundation analysis published on 8 October 2026 finds five years of high inflation have left typical working-age households £2,900 a year worse off than if prices had risen at 2 per cent.
Resolution Foundation publishes cost-of-living report Counting the cost
The Resolution Foundation estimates a typical working-age household's income is £2,900 a year lower in 2026-27 than it would have been had inflation stayed at 2 per cent.
Report finds 1.65 million pensioners missing out on council tax reduction worth up to £2,392 a year
A report says 1.65 million pensioners are missing out on Council Tax Reduction worth up to £2,392 a year, with only half of those eligible claiming it in England.
Household Electricity Discount Scheme starts with £63 discount for around 860,000 NI households
Around 860,000 households in Northern Ireland will receive a £63 electricity discount from 6 October 2026, applied automatically by suppliers under the Household Electricity Discount Scheme.
NS&I launches new Issues of British Savings Bonds with higher interest rates
NS&I has raised rates on new Issues of its 1, 2, 3 and 5-year British Savings Bonds, with the longest fix paying 5.17 per cent, the first time these accounts have exceeded 5 per cent since January 2024.
New Housing Benefit earned income disregards due to come into force
The Department for Work and Pensions has laid corrective regulations so that new Housing Benefit earned income disregards for claimants in specified or temporary accommodation take effect as planned on 5 October 2026.
PensionBee research finds 11 per cent of AI chatbot pension answers potentially harmful
PensionBee research found 11 per cent of answers given by four AI chatbots to common pension questions were potentially harmful, and it has urged regulators to require clearer warnings.
Scammers retarget past victims using details harvested from fake Esta sites
Fake Esta websites are harvesting applicants' personal details and passing them to other criminals, leading to repeated scam calls and texts for months after the original fraud.
0% VAT rate on domestic electricity bills begins for 6 months
VAT on domestic electricity bills falls from 5% to 0% for six months from 1 October 2026, a cut worth around £45 a year to a typical household, announced the day after Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.
Scottish application window opens for broader group
Scottish households receiving means-tested benefits that do not qualify them automatically for the Warm Home Discount can apply through their energy supplier from October 2026.
Warm Home Discount scheme to reopen in Autumn 2026
Ofgem says the Warm Home Discount will reopen in Autumn 2026, with £150 rebates paid to eligible households in England, Scotland and Wales during the 2026 to 2027 scheme year.
- September 2026
Government announces Your First Home equity loan scheme for first-time buyers in England
The government has announced Your First Home, an equity loan scheme for first-time buyers in England, with 2.5% deposits and 20% government-backed loans, to be confirmed at the Budget.
Santander banking app outage leaves customers unable to access online banking
Santander customers were unable to reach online banking through their phones around midday on 25 September 2026, with reported problems falling from 3,620 to about 700.
Healthy Start weekly payments rise to £4.65 and £9.30 and application rules updated
Government guidance updated on 24 September 2026 confirms Healthy Start weekly payments of £4.65 per child under four and £9.30 per child under one, with new application and evidence rules.