SPA increase to 68 deferred

The government has deferred its decision on when to raise the State Pension age (SPA) to 68. In the US drama series, The West Wing, the day before the parliamentary recess was referred to as “Take out the Trash Day”. … Continue reading

Bank deposit protection set to rise?

The recent problems in the banking world have raised questions around the current maximum protection for bank deposits: is it overdue for an increase? The figure of £85,000 is one you might have regularly seen in articles (or some adverts) … Continue reading

More taxpayers moving to higher rate

Figures released alongside the Budget have highlighted a projected surge in the number of people who will pay more than the basic rate of tax. Source: OBR, HMRC. Both the Budget and the Autumn Statement are usually accompanied by a … Continue reading

Minding the gap: NICs top-up deadline extended

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

Automatic enrolment and pension contribution reforms

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