Blog

In late May, HMRC published a report – based on data collected in summer 2023 and dated January 2024 – that had been held back for months. Why the delay?  HMRC are not renowned for prompt action, except for issuing reminders in early April to complete a tax return. So eyebrows were raised when research […]

New research suggests some retirement costs have fallen, but there is a twist…  How much net income do you need each year for a minimum, moderate or comfortable living standard in retirement? Every year since 2019, the Pension and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA), working in conjunction with Loughborough University, has provided the answer. In June, […]

A new pensions bill has been introduced, which could affect your existing pensions. Pension legislation is almost a staple of parliamentary business. If it is not the Chancellor tweaking the tax rules, it is the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) revamping the framework of private or state pension arrangements. In June, it was the […]

The Winter Fuel Payment will be returning for most pensioners in England and Wales this winter.  Two days before her important Spending Review announcement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves largely completed a slow-motion U-turn on eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP). In July 2024, one of Reeves’ first actions as Chancellor was to limit those entitled […]

The Law Commission has made a variety of proposals to reform the law governing wills in England and Wales.    What were you doing in 1837? Of course, the question is rhetorical. For you, the reader, were clearly not born then and, unless your hobby is genealogy, you would struggle to name any distant family […]

The first Friday of May was a busy news day. The ideal day to make an announcement that you might prefer to be overlooked – such as the Government’s new commission into adult social care in England. The news was full of stories about the dramatic rise of Reform and the equally dramatic drop for […]