Business

Millions of households across the UK are being encouraged to check whether they qualify for financial help worth up to £500 this January, as councils continue to issue cost-of-living support through the Household Support Fund. Although the funding comes from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), payments are not handled centrally.Instead, local authorities receive the money and decide who qualifies, how much support is offered, and whether it is paid in cash, vouchers or other forms of assistance. The scheme is intended to help people who are struggling with essential costs such as food, heating, electricity and water. Importantly, support is not limited to people claiming benefits, meaning many working households may also qualify.Households that may be eligible include:People on ...

Infrastructure Capital Advisors CEO Jay Hatfield and Payne Capital Management President Ryan Payne discuss the global economic outlook for 2026, how the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro could impact markets and more on ‘Mornings with Maria.’ Geopolitical uncertainty combined with the loss of Venezuelan exports could push oil and gasoline prices slightly higher in the weeks ahead, according to an industry expert. Still, prices at the pump would remain at their lowest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic. Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, projected that oil would rise $3 per barrel in the immediate future, equivalent to less than 10 cents per gallon for gasoline. Still, he said that crude oil prices, which account for nearly half of what consumers pay at the pump, are...

HSBC has announced that millions of its customers will experience a significant change from today (January 5). The banking behemoth has unveiled a series of new changes to commence the first full working week of the year.The most notable of these is the confirmation that its rates will decrease by as much as 0.10% for certain eligible customer deals. The bank, which caters to 14.5 million customers, has released updated rates for a broad range of its mortgage deals, including its Remortgage, Home Mover, First Time Buyer Mortgage, and Switcher.This follows Nationwide's report that UK house prices unexpectedly fell throughout December. The mortgage lender pointed out that the average property price dropped by 0.4% to £271,068 compared to prices in November.Oliemata O'Donoghue, Head of Mor...

Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar explains how AI is empowering American workers on 'Mornings with Maria.' The missing piece of America’s defense system is AI-driven industrial speed — not just weapons, according to one prominent tech executive, but the ability to build them fast enough to matter. "There is a historic opportunity for America to underwrite the next decade of our prosperity with AI," Chief Technology Officer of Palantir Shyam Sankar said on "Mornings with Maria" Monday. "The other element of deterrence is really the factory floor. It's, how do we make our weapons, our platforms? Can we make them at a rate that actually deters our adversaries?"America’s ability to outproduce adversaries is now central to preventing major global conflict, Sankar argued, ju...

HSBC UK has unveiled an attractive incentive offering up to £750 cashback for fresh Premier customers. Through its "bring more, get more" promotion, newcomers can secure £250 for switching a salary exceeding £100,000, alongside £500 for moving more than £100,000 in savings or investments to an HSBC Premier account.Those who fulfil both requirements are entitled to claim the complete £750, provided they transition to a Premier account between January 5 and February 23, 2026, according to the bank.Requirements include completing an account transfer via the Current Account Switch Service (Cass) and depositing a primary monthly salary of £100,000 or more annually into a Premier Account straight from an employer.It may also involve depositing £100,000 or more in savings or investments with H...

Every January, we mistakenly believe and optimistically hope the worst of the cold weather is behind us. But with temperatures as brutally low as -12C set to hit certain areas in the UK this month, household pressure on heating systems is set to increase, and home temperatures are bound to drop after sunset.To help save costs and energy during this often-expensive time, British Gas shared 10 top tips to keep homes warm during the chilly months. The energy provider highlighted that the most common areas of heat escape in homes include poorly insulated ceilings, walls, and floors. Main culprits also include gaps around windows and doors, and open chimneys or fireplaces.While the tips range from practical advice, such as closing curtains to prevent warmth from escaping through windows, to ...

Tesco has announced a new commitment to maintaining low prices on thousands of top-selling products as part of a scheme designed to help customers save money on branded items. The new Everyday Low Prices scheme, launched today (Monday, January 5), is an initiative that aims to commit to low prices on more than 3,000 branded products.It comes as new research, involving a survey of 2,000 respondents, has revealed just how much UK households value branded products. With 64% of shoppers saying they could name at least one brand they would never consider swapping, and nearly a third saying they could think of several, the findings highlight the importance of brand loyalty. Brand loyalty, clearly playing a significant role in shopping decisions, has prompted the supermarket to give shoppers a...

HSBC has cut  interest rates across a range of mortgage products today, as brokers speculate a “rate war” is brewing. On Monday, January 5, HSBC made a number of reductions to its Residential and Buy-to-Let mortgage rates.Brokers said HSBC's announcement was good news for borrowers so soon after the new year. David Stirling, independent financial adviser at Belfast-based Mint Wealth Ltd, said he expects mortgage rates to be sub-3.5% before winter is over. He said: "HSBC are out of the blocks early in 2026 with sweeping reductions across all their residential products."This is certainly good news for borrowers, as many of the other big lenders will feel the need to also cut to remain competitive, which could result in a rate war. We could potentially see sub-3.5% deals before the spring ...

Le secteur du BTP reste enlisé après l’effondrement des ventes et des mises en chantier en 2023 et 2024. Les premiers frémissements observés en 2025 n’effacent ni les pertes d’emplois ni les incertitudes sur la reprise Source link

A new tranche of closures has been announced from high street bargain chain Poundland - with the first three shops closing today (Jan 5). The 12 shops will be closing in January and continue a stream of shutdowns whcih happened at the end of 2025.The discount retailer has already slashed the size of its chain this year as it hopes to turn around its performance and secure its future on Britain’s high streets.The Poundland shops that are due to close are holding clearance sales, with reductions of up to 40% and with items marked down in price until they are sold.The budget retailer has pledged to price roughly 60% of grocery items at £1 throughout its network following the changes, which comes after a five-month trial at 17 stores in the West Midlands.The firm said the move will see it r...