https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/ Independent UK personal-finance news from the Money Guide editorial team. en-GB Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/tax-year-2026-27-key-changes/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/tax-year-2026-27-key-changes/ Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Most headline allowances are frozen again for 2026/27, so more people are pulled into higher tax bands as wages rise. Here's what that means for your pay, savings and investments. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/energy-price-cap-how-it-works-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/energy-price-cap-how-it-works-2026/ Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Energy & bills Ofgem resets the price cap every three months. Understanding what it does — and what it doesn't — helps you judge whether a fixed deal is worth it. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/property-digital-assets-act-2025-what-it-means/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/property-digital-assets-act-2025-what-it-means/ Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Regulation The narrowly drafted Act, which received Royal Assent in December 2025, confirms that cryptoassets, NFTs and other digital property can be the object of personal-property rights in England and Wales — putting the Law Commission's 'third category' on a statutory footing. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/car-finance-compensation-where-things-stand-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/car-finance-compensation-where-things-stand-2026/ Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Regulation Hidden commissions on car finance could mean compensation for millions of drivers. Here's a plain-English update — and why you don't need a claims firm. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/energy-price-cap-summer-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/energy-price-cap-summer-2026/ Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Energy & bills The cap on default tariffs falls for July to September, with typical dual-fuel bills dropping by around £130 a year. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/bank-of-england-holds-bank-rate-at-4-25-may-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/bank-of-england-holds-bank-rate-at-4-25-may-2026/ Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Rates & inflation The Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep the base rate unchanged for a second meeting running, with two members favouring a cut. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/uk-cpi-inflation-falls-to-2-1-percent-april-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/uk-cpi-inflation-falls-to-2-1-percent-april-2026/ Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Rates & inflation Headline inflation edged closer to the Bank of England's 2% target, with goods prices broadly flat and services inflation easing. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/right-to-buy-discount-reduced-2024-anniversary/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/right-to-buy-discount-reduced-2024-anniversary/ Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Mortgages & housing The maximum Right to Buy discount was sharply reduced in late 2024. Take-up has fallen as a result, with policy debate continuing. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/pension-credit-take-up-campaign-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/pension-credit-take-up-campaign-2026/ Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Benefits Around 760,000 pensioners are estimated to be missing out on Pension Credit worth, on average, over £3,900 a year. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/isa-allowance-frozen-at-20000-for-2026-27/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/isa-allowance-frozen-at-20000-for-2026-27/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax The Treasury confirmed the annual ISA subscription limit will remain at £20,000 for the new tax year, with no change to Junior ISAs or LISAs either. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/ai-overviews-financial-advice-warning/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/ai-overviews-financial-advice-warning/ Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Consumer rights The Financial Conduct Authority urged consumers to treat AI-generated financial guidance with caution and to verify with regulated sources. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/renters-rights-act-section-21-abolition/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/renters-rights-act-section-21-abolition/ Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Mortgages & housing The Renters' Rights Act provisions ending Section 21 evictions and converting all assured shorthold tenancies into periodic tenancies are now in force. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/mortgage-fixed-rates-fall-below-4-percent/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/mortgage-fixed-rates-fall-below-4-percent/ Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Mortgages & housing Falling swap rates have pushed the cheapest two-year fixes for 60% LTV remortgages back below 4% for the first time since 2022. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/winter-fuel-payment-2026-eligibility/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/winter-fuel-payment-2026-eligibility/ Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Benefits Eligibility remains tied to receipt of Pension Credit or other qualifying benefits, with the £200/£300 payment paid automatically in November and December. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/current-account-switch-service-bonuses-spring-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/current-account-switch-service-bonuses-spring-2026/ Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Banking Several major banks are again offering £150–£200 to switch through the Current Account Switch Service, with conditions on direct debits and deposits. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/scam-warning-impersonation-of-banks-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/scam-warning-impersonation-of-banks-2026/ Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scams & fraud The regulator and UK Finance warned of an increase in highly convincing scams in which fraudsters pose as a customer's bank using spoofed numbers and stolen personal data. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/warm-home-discount-2026-27-eligibility/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/warm-home-discount-2026-27-eligibility/ Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Energy & bills More low-income households will qualify automatically for the £150 winter rebate, with the high-property-cost screen narrowed. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/vehicle-excise-duty-evs-april-2025/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/vehicle-excise-duty-evs-april-2025/ Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Electric vehicles registered after April 2025 now pay standard VED, with the £40,000 'expensive car supplement' adding £410 a year. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/pension-inheritance-tax-2027-changes/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/pension-inheritance-tax-2027-changes/ Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pensions Most unused pension funds will fall within the Inheritance Tax net from April 2027, ending the long-standing 'death benefit' planning advantage. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/universal-credit-managed-migration-completion/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/universal-credit-managed-migration-completion/ Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Benefits Most legacy benefit claimants have now been moved to Universal Credit. Around 600,000 households on Employment Support Allowance remain in the final wave. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/fscs-protection-limit-review-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/fscs-protection-limit-review-2026/ Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Regulation The Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority opened a consultation on increasing the £85,000 per-bank deposit protection limit, unchanged since 2017. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/childcare-30-hours-from-9-months-anniversary/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/childcare-30-hours-from-9-months-anniversary/ Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Benefits The September 2025 expansion is fully bedded in. Providers report continued pressure on places, with codes needing to be renewed every three months. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/energy-debt-relief-scheme-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/energy-debt-relief-scheme-2026/ Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Energy & bills A new industry-funded debt relief mechanism will help households written off energy debts accumulated during the 2022–24 price crisis. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/premium-bonds-prize-rate-change/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/premium-bonds-prize-rate-change/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Banking NS&I cut the Premium Bonds prize fund rate by 0.2 percentage points, reflecting falling rates across the savings market. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/buy-now-pay-later-regulation-comes-into-force/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/buy-now-pay-later-regulation-comes-into-force/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Regulation BNPL providers are now FCA-authorised, with affordability checks, Section 75 protection on larger purchases, and Ombudsman complaints rights. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/two-child-benefit-cap-review/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/two-child-benefit-cap-review/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Benefits Ministers confirmed a formal review of the two-child limit on Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit. Any change would not take effect until at least 2027. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/child-trust-fund-unclaimed-savings/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/child-trust-fund-unclaimed-savings/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Banking HMRC estimates around 670,000 young adults aged 18 to 23 still haven't claimed their matured Child Trust Fund, holding an average of £2,200. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/open-banking-vrp-rollout-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/open-banking-vrp-rollout-2026/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Banking Open Banking's 'VRP' technology is moving beyond sweeping into commercial use, opening the door to a direct-debit alternative for subscriptions. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/savings-rates-cuts-following-bank-rate/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/savings-rates-cuts-following-bank-rate/ Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Rates & inflation Average easy-access savings rates fell to 3.8% as banks passed on this year's Bank Rate cuts, although the best buys still pay over 4.5%. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/motor-finance-commission-fca-redress-update/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/motor-finance-commission-fca-redress-update/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Consumer rights The Financial Conduct Authority will run an industry-wide compensation scheme for undisclosed commission on car finance agreements taken out between 2007 and 2024. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/investment-scams-tiktok-influencers-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/investment-scams-tiktok-influencers-2026/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scams & fraud The regulator brought further enforcement action against unauthorised individuals promoting investments to followers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/pension-dashboards-staged-launch-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/pension-dashboards-staged-launch-2026/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pensions Larger occupational and personal pension schemes have started connecting to the new dashboards platform, with public launch planned for 2027. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/marriage-allowance-claim-deadline-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/marriage-allowance-claim-deadline-2026/ Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Couples claiming Marriage Allowance can backdate to 2022/23, worth up to £1,260 in total tax savings. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/cold-weather-payment-replacement-scotland/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/cold-weather-payment-replacement-scotland/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Benefits Eligible Scottish households receive a fixed £58.75 payment regardless of temperature, replacing the trigger-based system used elsewhere. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/vat-threshold-stays-90000-april-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/vat-threshold-stays-90000-april-2026/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax The VAT threshold remains at £90,000, with the deregistration threshold at £88,000, as the government chose not to raise it further in the Spring Statement. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/making-tax-digital-april-2026-launch/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/making-tax-digital-april-2026-launch/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax From this tax year, sole traders and landlords with combined income above £50,000 must keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/carers-allowance-earnings-limit-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/carers-allowance-earnings-limit-2026/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Benefits The weekly earnings threshold above which Carer's Allowance is withdrawn rose for the new tax year, with the DWP continuing to review overpayment recovery. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/high-income-child-benefit-charge-threshold/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/high-income-child-benefit-charge-threshold/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax The April 2024 reform that lifted the HICBC threshold from £50,000 to £60,000 is now baked in, with no change for 2026/27. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/personal-allowance-frozen-until-2028/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/personal-allowance-frozen-until-2028/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax The Personal Allowance stays at £12,570 and the higher-rate threshold at £50,270, dragging more workers into higher tax bands through fiscal drift. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/state-pension-rises-4-1-percent-april-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/state-pension-rises-4-1-percent-april-2026/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pensions The new full State Pension reached £241.30 a week — an extra £494 a year — under the triple lock formula based on average earnings growth. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/council-tax-2026-27-average-rise-5-percent/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/council-tax-2026-27-average-rise-5-percent/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax The vast majority of upper-tier councils raised council tax by the maximum allowed without a referendum, with several given permission to go higher. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/stamp-duty-changes-april-2025-anniversary/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/stamp-duty-changes-april-2025-anniversary/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax The temporary nil-rate band uplift introduced in 2022 ended a year ago, returning the first-time buyer threshold to £300,000. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/national-living-wage-12-21-april-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/national-living-wage-12-21-april-2026/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Benefits The 21-and-over hourly minimum increased by 6.7%, with even sharper rises for 18–20-year-olds as the government moves towards a single adult rate. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/leasehold-reform-act-implementation-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/leasehold-reform-act-implementation-2026/ Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Mortgages & housing Long-awaited reforms removing ground rents on most new long leases and cutting lease extension costs began to come into force this spring. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/household-support-fund-extended-2026-27/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/household-support-fund-extended-2026-27/ Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Benefits Councils receive a further year of funding to provide crisis grants and energy support to low-income residents, with rules set locally. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/credit-card-section-75-reminder/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/credit-card-section-75-reminder/ Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Consumer rights Despite the rise of debit cards and account-to-account payment, paying any part of a £100–£30,000 purchase on credit card still triggers full Section 75 protection. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/consumer-duty-review-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/consumer-duty-review-2026/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Regulation The regulator's first comprehensive look at how firms are applying the Consumer Duty highlighted progress on price and value but ongoing weaknesses in vulnerable customer support. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/auto-enrolment-extension-18-year-olds/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/auto-enrolment-extension-18-year-olds/ Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pensions The age at which employees must be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension is set to drop from 22 to 18, with contributions calculated from the first pound earned. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/lifetime-isa-25-percent-penalty-debate/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/lifetime-isa-25-percent-penalty-debate/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Regulation Consumer groups and the Treasury Committee continue to call for reform of the 25% LISA withdrawal charge, which can leave savers worse off than they put in. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/lifetime-allowance-replacement-update/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/lifetime-allowance-replacement-update/ Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pensions Two years after the Lifetime Allowance was abolished, HMRC published further guidance on the lump sum allowance and lump sum and death benefit allowance. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/first-time-buyer-stats-2025-record/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/first-time-buyer-stats-2025-record/ Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Mortgages & housing Around 354,000 first-time buyer mortgages were completed in 2025, up around 15% on 2024, as rates fell and the post-Stamp Duty rush boosted Q1. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/crypto-promotions-rules-anniversary/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/crypto-promotions-rules-anniversary/ Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Regulation The financial promotion regime for crypto assets has been in force for over two years. Many firms have left the UK market; others have complied. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/tax-self-assessment-deadline-results-2026/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/tax-self-assessment-deadline-results-2026/ Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax HMRC said 11.5 million tax returns were filed by the 31 January deadline, with around 600,000 missing it and facing an automatic £100 penalty. https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/broadband-mid-contract-rises-pounds-pence/ https://moneyguide.org.uk/news/broadband-mid-contract-rises-pounds-pence/ Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Consumer rights Ofcom's new rules require providers to state any in-contract price rises as a single £-per-month figure at the point of sale, rather than as a CPI-linked formula.