A petition calling on the Treasury to give pensioners a higher tax-free earnings limit has forced a Commons debate after drawing more than 116,000 signatures.Campaigners want pensioners to benefit from a £25,140 threshold before income tax applies — double the current personal allowance of £12,570.The petition secured enough support to trigger a parliamentary discussion, but a date for the...

The government-backed savings institution National Savings and Investments is preparing to make large payouts after admitting mistakes that left customers without money to which they were entitled.Ministers will discuss the issue in Parliament as officials try to work out the final bill.Officials estimate the problems could affect roughly 37,000 customers. NS&I, which looks after about 24...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the government is drawing up contingency plans to shield the most vulnerable households if the war in the Middle East drives UK energy costs higher.Reeves warned the full economic fallout is still unclear but promised measures would focus on those most in need, while sticking to borrowing limits and a goal of keeping inflation and interest rates down.Households in...

The Irish government will temporarily reduce excise duty on fuel to ease pressure from recent price spikes.From midnight on Wednesday until the end of May, diesel duty will be cut by €0.20 per litre and petrol by €0.15 per litre.Cabinet approval is expected after leaders agreed the measure on Monday. Officials also plan a backdated rebate for haulage companies and bus operators to help...

Mortgage borrowers, and first-time buyers in particular, are facing a sudden squeeze as lenders withdraw low-deposit deals and interest rates climb sharply.Industry data show more than 200 low-deposit mortgage products have been removed since 6 March, with one day seeing 52 deals pulled and another 30 taken off the market.Overall, over 20% of products available at the start of the month are no...

The Irish government has announced a temporary cut to fuel excise duties to ease pressure from a recent spike in pump prices linked to conflict in the Middle East.From midnight on Wednesday until the end of May, excise on diesel will be lowered by 20 cent per litre and petrol by 15 cent per litre.Cabinet will consider the measures on Tuesday after they were agreed at a leaders' meeting earlier...

Postal staff around the UK have told the BBC that managers instructed them to remove or stash first-class letters so rounds appeared completed, a practice they say has helped mask missed delivery targets.The claims come from ten postal workers who spoke anonymously to BBC Your Voice.They described mail being put on trolleys or moved out of sight and returned the next day when inspections or...

Belgium is preparing for widespread disruption this week as unions launch a three-day national strike aimed at protest­ing government austerity plans.Key public services and transport links are expected to be hit, with airports among the worst affected.The industrial action responds to a package of reforms from Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s centre-right coalition that aim to cut the budget...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will set out her Budget in the House of Commons around 12:30 GMT, facing pressure to find extra revenue while promising investment to cut NHS waiting lists and tackle the cost of living.She has flagged that tough but fair decisions are needed to reduce national debt and drive growth, with an immediate response from opposition leader Kemi Badenoch expected after the...

Motability has removed high-end brands such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Alfa Romeo and Lexus from its vehicle list with immediate effect as it refocuses the scheme on British-built models.The move comes as the charity sets a target for UK-manufactured cars to make up 25% of its fleet by 2030 and half by 2035, up from around 7% today.Motability says the change will prioritise vehicles that are safe,...