4+ day, 6+ hour ago (544+ words) Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves stood outside Downing Street on Wednesday with the iconic red box before outlining key budget changes in the House of Commons. While many of us were tuned into her plans to battle the downgrade in forecast economic growth, we want to know what these changes actually mean for our pensions. We spoke with Lily Megson-Harvey, policy director at My Pension Expert, who broke down the pension-related announcements, explained who may be affected, and outlined what actions savers should consider now. What are the main changes in the budget concerning pensions? "The main announcement from the budget concerning pension was her announcement regarding the changes to salary sacrifice," says Megson-Harvey. "She announced that there will be a "2,000 annual cap on the salary sacrifice limit that will be brought in by 2029." "So, anyone who contributes over…...

6+ day, 17+ hour ago (406+ words) Rumours of a hologram show of the pop rock band have been circling for a while Queen guitarist Sir Brian May has hinted at an Abba Voyage-style AI hologram show, potentially reuniting the band's original line-up. The 78-year-old revealed he and drummer Roger Taylor are exploring technology to bring back late frontman Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, and bassist John Deacon, 74, who retired in 1997. Speaking to Big Issue, Sir Brian said: "Freddie is still alive through the music that we listen to all the time. "In a sense, John is still with us in the same way, but now we have so many other opportunities. I mean things that are immersive, like The Sphere in Las Vegas, it will be possible to give people the experience very closely of what things were like for us when we were Freddie, John,…...

3+ day, 1+ hour ago (984+ words) Martin Lewis has issued a key state pension update during his Budget special on Thursday, 27 November. The state pension will rise by 4.8% in April 2026, meaning that the new state pension will increase to "12,547.60 a year " just below the frozen personal allowance tax threshold at "12,570. The MoneySavingExpert quizzed Rachel Reeves, putting a question to her from a viewer who asked whether her 85-year-old father living with dementia would have to complete a tax return as his state pension will take him over the personal allowance. "If you just have a state pension... We are not going to make you fill in a tax return of any type... In this parliament, they won't have to pay the tax," the chancellor said. Martin Lewis issues state pension warning after Budget Martin Lewis has issued a key state pension update during his Budget special…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (614+ words) Pensioners in rural areas are missing out the most, new analysis reveals New data has revealed where hundreds of thousands of pensioners missed out on their winter fuel payment last year despite being eligible for it after Labour changes. Over 830,000 eligible households across the UK are not claiming pension credit, figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show, meaning they would have missed out on the winter fuel payment last year after it was linked to the benefit. Labour has now partially reversed this decision, making the changed criteria a one-off. However, the data has revealed the extent to which pensioner households nonetheless did not take up their entitlement last winter, broken down by area for the first time. The decision to restrict the winter fuel payment " worth either "200 or "300 " to only those in receipt of pension…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (812+ words) New evidence has come to light, the work and pensions secretary says The government is set to re-examine its decision not to award compensation to up to 3.8 million women affected by changes to the state pension age, following the emergence of new evidence. Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden informed the Commons that ministers would reconsider the refusal of compensation for women born in the 1950s, whose state pension age was raised to align with men's. He stated that "evidence" not presented to his predecessor, Liz Kendall, has come to light since the decision was made last December. Labour had previously faced criticism for rejecting compensation, despite a recommendation from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The PHSO had suggested that these women should receive up to "2,950 each, amounting to a potential total cost of "10.5bn, due to poor communication that…...

5+ day, 8+ hour ago (1404+ words) Chancellor to unveil series of tax hikes to fill black hole in public finances in highly anticipated Budget on Wednesday Rachel Reeves has been accused of planning to launch a tax raid on savers, amid reports she is set to cut the tax-free cash ISA limit. The Chancellor is due to deliver her second budget in the House of Commons on Wednesday, in which she is widely expected to pull the lever on tax hikes in order to fill a "22bn black hole in the public finances. Sources familiar with Budget preparations told the Financial Times that Reeves will cut the annual cash ISA limit from "20,000 to "12,000 in order to push more households to invest their savings into the UK stock market. Opposition leaders have been quick to criticise the plans, with Tory shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride saying: "Hardworking savers…...

2+ day, 7+ hour ago (865+ words) A committee has against recommending universal prostate cancer screening for all men Sir Tony Robinson and journalist Dermot Murnaghan have expressed their "disappointment" after a national committee decided against recommending universal prostate cancer screening for all men. The Blackadder star, who discussed his 2023 diagnosis, and former Sky News anchor Mr Murnaghan, who revealed his stage four prostate cancer this year, are among those criticising the decision. Former footballer Les Ferdinand and actor Colin McFarlane also shared their dismay. Mr McFarlane stated that people "deserve so much better than this," particularly highlighting the elevated risk of prostate cancer among black men. The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) issued a draft recommendation suggesting that men with a known genetic predisposition should undergo screening every two years. Sir Tony, 79, who starred as Baldrick in Blackadder, said: "I'm bitterly disappointed. Getting an early diagnosis…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (816+ words) Benefit claimants risk falling victim to Government "mass fishing" exercises, as ministers receive new powers to look at bank account details to tackle fraud, an MP has warned. Several MPs urged the Government to consider widening the role of an independent person, whose job will be to keep these powers in check. Their plea was rejected by 268 votes to 80, majority 188, with minister Andrew Western saying nobody vulnerable or otherwise should be "de-banked as a result" of the new rules. The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Accountability) Bill has cleared both Houses of Parliament, and is going through a tidying up process before it can become law. It gives ministers the power to issue notices, to look at a limited set of banking information which they believe could help identify where a claimant has been incorrectly paid. But the authorities would…...

2+ day, 2+ hour ago (1236+ words) Health secretary Wes Streeting said he would consider the findings Prostate cancer screening should not be made routinely available for the vast majority of men in the UK, a committee advising the Government has said. In a draft recommendation, the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) said it would not recommend population screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test because it "is likely to cause more harm than good. Experts are waiting to see data from a large trial launched by Prostate Cancer UK last week into whether combining PSA with other tests, such as rapid MRI scans, could lead to a recommendation for population-wide screening. For now, the committee will put forward only a recommendation to screen men with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations " which puts them at far higher risk of prostate cancer " every two years, between the ages of…...

2+ day, 14+ hour ago (895+ words) Financial expert Gabriel Nussbaum (aka That Money Guy) answers your questions on the Budget's pension changes, ISA limits, family support, and what the announcements mean for your finances The Budget has sparked plenty of questions and concerns, from pension changes to ISA limits and support for families. Many readers are wondering how the new rules will affect their savings, retirement plans, and household finances " and what they should do now to prepare. In a recent Q&A with Independent readers, I tackled your questions on pensions, ISAs, Universal Credit, and practical steps for navigating the changes. Here are some of them " and my answers: A: Let's start with what the main changes are: So what are the actual impacts? Flexibility: Your choice " or ability to choose " is being eroded. Say you fill up your Stocks and Shares ISA every year but…...