The rush to meet the voluntary national insurance contributions (NICs) top-up deadline of 5 April has forced HMRC to grant an extension to 31 July. The last major reform to state pensions took effect on 6 April 2016. From that … Continue reading →

A new government bill indicates that a change to the automatic enrolment minimum age, and increases to workplace pension contributions, could be on the horizon. Private members’ bills rarely get far in the parliamentary process. They all too easily fall … Continue reading →

New measures affecting pension allowances announced in the March Budget could mean your retirement planning strategy needs to be reviewed. If Jeremy Hunt did produce a ‘rabbit-out-the-hat’ in his Spring Budget, it was the announcement of the effective abolition of … Continue reading →

The Budget announced three important changes to childcare provisions in England, but one trap remains. The cost of childcare has become a hot topic in recent years. Despite increasing demand, in March 2022 the number of childcare places available had … Continue reading →

The eligibility for some bereavement payments has now been extended to unmarried couples, but there are two major caveats. In 2021, just over one in five couples living together were cohabiting but not married or in a civil partnership. Despite … Continue reading →