Business

Conflict in the Middle East has caused global gas prices to spike (Image: Getty)The government has issued an update on energy prices in the UK and its plans to cut bills by £150 from April amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.US-Israeli strikes on Iran, followed by retaliatory strikes across the region, this week has caused global gas prices to spike, driving UK wholesale energy prices up by around 50%. The conflict means that it currently costs energy suppliers more to buy energy to supply to customers, which has prompted UK suppliers to pull a raft of fixed-price tariffs from the market, or reprice them so they’re more expensive. According to data from price comparison website Uswitch, the number of fixed deals has more than halved since last weekend, while those remaining have go...

March could be your last chance to grab a £200 to £300 voucher for Aldi, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Farmfoods or one of several other major supermarkets before the DWP’s scheme is axed at the end of this month.The Household Support Fund has been a vital lifeline for many low income families across the UK. The fund sees a pot of money handed to local authorities across England and Wales from the DWP. Councils then decide how they would like to spend the money on helping households, which takes various forms from direct cash payments to vouchers to spend at supermarkets and money off energy bills.Unlike many other forms of support, it is not necessarily a requirement to be on benefits, and each council can use its own discretion to decide who to give payments to.But the fund is ...

Former United CEO Oscar Munoz, Fox News' Todd Piro and 'Varney & Co.' host Stuart Varney react to India Customs officials finding 22 snakes in an air traveler's luggage. Travelers left millions of items behind in 2025, including things as eccentric as a samurai sword, as expensive as diamond earrings, and as historic as a World War II flight jacket, according to the new Unclaimed Baggage report. Unclaimed Baggage, which calls itself the nation’s only retailer of lost luggage, released its annual Found Report on Thursday, listing its most interesting finds from luggage that airports couldn’t get back to passengers."Each year, I am amazed at the treasures discovered in luggage and what it reveals about our society," Bryan Owens, the company's CEO, said in a statement. "After more...

State pensioners with certain health conditions can get up to £218.40 extra per year from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) from April.People of State Pension age who have care needs due to a health condition or disability can get help with living costs by claiming Attendance Allowance from the DWP. The benefit is paid at two rates, and the amount you can get depends on the level of care you need. Currently, the lower rate is worth £73.90 per week and is given to those who need frequent help or constant supervision during day or at night, and the higher rate is worth £110.40 per week and is given to those who need help or supervision throughout the day and night, or if a medical professional has said you’re nearing the end of life.But these rates are due to rise from the start ...

Nationwide Building Society launches new 4% interest ISAs and four new accounts (Image: Getty)Nationwide Building Society has launched a new Cash ISA offering 4% interest while also increasing returns across four existing ISA accounts. The changes came into effect yesterday (March 6), with the company introducing two new products designed to give savers competitive tax-free returns.The new accounts include a 1 Year Single Access ISA paying 4.00% and a 1 Year Single Access Saver also offering 4.00% interest. At the same time, Nationwide has boosted rates across its Fixed Rate Cash ISA range, with improved returns available for customers willing to lock their savings away. Richard Stocker, head of savings, said: “We’re pleased to be increasing rates across our ISAs and our instant access ...

Rachel Reeves announced the plan in the Budget (Image: Getty)Rachel Reeves has been urged to U-turn on a pensions tax raid plan. The Chancellor wants salary-sacrificed pension contributions above an annual £2,000 threshold to no longer be exempt from National Insurance (NI) from April 2029.Salary sacrifice allows people to relinquish a portion of their gross salary in return for benefits, including pension contributions. The money is taken from workers' pay packets before it is subject to NI or Income Tax. Up to £60,000 per year can be paid into pension schemes in this way. Nigel Green, CEO of finance firm deVere Group, said: "The pension tax grab is getting closer and closer to becoming law. This proposal is both economically short-sighted and socially counterproductive." READ MORE: W...

Le logo de la société BlackRock, sur un écran à la Bourse de New York, le 27 février 2026. MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO/GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP En quelques semaines, c’est le deuxième acteur majeur du secteur à trébucher. BlackRock, l’une des plus grandes sociétés mondiales de gestion d’actifs, a limité, vendredi 6 mars, les retraits de l’un de ses fonds, spécialisé dans le crédit privé, afin d’éviter la fuite des investisseurs. L’information a été révélée par le Financial Times. Blue Owl, un autre géant du crédit privé, avait fait la même chose en février. Lire aussi | Article réservé à nos abonnés Guerre en Iran : la Bourse de Wall Street avance dans le brouillard Lire plus tard Tout le secteu...

Households across the UK are being urged to make a simple heating change in March.The start of the spring season is fast approaching, which means another clock change will soon be upon us, officially marking the start of British Summer Time. While it means losing an hour of sleep, it also means longer days, brighter evenings and the start of warmer weather after what’s been a particularly long and cold winter.But as the clocks go forward by one hour at 1am on Sunday, March 29, households are urged to make an adjustment to their heating.Energy efficiency expert, Stephen Hankinson at Electric Radiators Direct, said: “Adjust your thermostat ahead of daylight-saving time on 29 March – you could save over £270 a year.“It’s important to check your thermostat as soon as possible after the cloc...

State pensioners have renewed calls for an exemption to paying the BBC licence fee in a "desperate" plea. A petition launched on Parliament UK asked the Government to pay for their TV license instead, funding the service for people once they reach the official retirement age, which is currently 66.The petition, launched by Michael Thompson, argued that the TV is an essential companion for older people, but they are struggling to pay amid the cost-of-living crisis. It said: "Many pensioners live on the breadline with only the TV for company. With the cost of food soaring and utility bills ever higher, we feel there is a desperate need to provide all pensioners with at least this concession."He called it a "double outrage" that pensioners had to pay for the licence while media personaliti...

The State Pension increases at the start of every new tax year on April 6 (Image: Getty)State Pensioners across the UK will benefit from a cash boost in 2026 as new payment rates take effect from April.The State Pension increases at the start of every new tax year in April and the amount rates go up is determined by the highest out of three factors - known as the ‘triple lock’. These are the consumer price index (CPI) measure of inflation (measured for September in the previous year), average wage growth between May and July of the previous year, or 2.5%. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the new rates from April, with the State Pension set to rise by 4.8% in line with average wage growth - the highest out of the triple lock factors, above inflation and the 2.5% m...