News

The state pension triple lock may not survive much longer. The impact of Covid-19 on earnings could mean a change in the way that state pensions are increased in each year. If nothing is done, it could give pensioners a … Continue reading →

HIGHLIGHTS A £1,000 Job Retention Bonus will be introduced when the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends for employees who have been furloughed. A new Kickstart Scheme will cover employers’ costs for new six-month work placements for trainees aged 16-24. A … Continue reading →

When a 75-year run is broken, something significant has probably happened. If you are of a certain age, ‘Keep going well…’ could have you instantly remembering the rhyming counterpart; ‘Keep going Shell’. At the end of April 2020 that 1960s … Continue reading →

The imminent payment on account does not have to be paid. The last Friday in July is the due date for the second 2019/20 self assessment payment on account. At least, in theory it is… One of the many measures … Continue reading →

The Covid-19 pandemic has created problems for the statisticians who calculate the rate of inflation. Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), fell sharply in April to just 0.9% against 1.5% in the previous month. The main reason … Continue reading →

The fall in world stock markets has cut the value of many pension pots. Which would you choose as investment performance, assuming a £10,000 investment that would be untouched for 10 years? A steady return of 5% a year throughout … Continue reading →

On Friday 29 May the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, presented further details of how several key schemes will develop over the coming weeks and months. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) In an announcement on 29 May the Chancellor provided more details … Continue reading →

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) On 12 May the Chancellor announced the extension of the CJRS by four months to the end of October: Furloughed workers will continue to receive 80% of their current salary, up to current maximum of … Continue reading →

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted many aspects of life which had previously gone unnoticed or ignored and found the holes. The full extent to which supply chains are global is an obvious example. Our reliance on internet connections and their … Continue reading →

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen the values of many investments fall. But lower values can have a useful upside. Source: Data from uk.investing.com ‘It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good.’ So it is with the drop in the … Continue reading →

One perhaps unsurprising side-effect of the Covid-19 pandemic has been an upsurge of interest in wills and estate planning. However, the lockdown is constraining options. Press reports have suggested that the increased interest in will writing has been particularly high … Continue reading →

Following the range of updates over the last several weeks, we have now rounded up the latest information from the government on specific schemes where additional detail was released. This update covers measures discussed on 4 May. Bounce Back Loan … Continue reading →

Changes since last bulletin on 24 April 2020 Bounce back loan scheme launched with 100% government guarantee. Possible shape of Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme after the end of June. Abandonment of requirement for forward-looking financial information or business plans when … Continue reading →