Economy
Prices, wages, borrowing, tax and benefits — written from the figures as the Office for National Statistics, the Treasury and HM Revenue & Customs publish them.
When is Black Friday 2026? Friday 27 November
GOV.UK says sale items carry the same refund rights as full-price ones, and the CMA lists 32 practices that are unfair in all circumstances.
Royal Mail last posting dates for Christmas 2026
Royal Mail is adding extra deliveries until 8pm and more Sunday processing as demand grows ahead of Christmas.
£100 Household Energy Payment: who gets it and when
The Treasury says the £2.6 billion scheme will reach up to 20 million households in England, with local authorities delivering it from January 2027.
UK Budget 2026: what was announced for benefits, the State Pension and tax
The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed the government is meeting its stability and investment rules, with a £15 billion buffer against the stability rule…
Stamp prices 2026: how much a first and second class stamp costs
Royal Mail says first class costs £1.80 and second class 91p, and it aims to launch a stamp discount for low-income customers from April 2027, subject to Ofcom’s…
How much is a TV licence in 2026?
The colour licence costs £180 a year after a £5.50 rise in April 2026, and the fee is due to rise with inflation again in April 2027.
State Pension payment dates November 2026: your payday
GOV.UK’s guides do not say whether St Andrew’s Day, a bank holiday only in Scotland, changes a State Pension payment due on Monday 30 November.
State Pension age is rising to 67: when you reach it
A further rise from 67 to 68 is scheduled between 2044 and 2046 under current law, the timetable says.
When is the next Bank Rate decision? Thursday 5 November 2026
Due Thursday 5 November; Bank Rate is 3.75% after holds in June, July and September, with CPI inflation at 3.5%.
Next energy price cap due by Wednesday 25 November
Two more dates follow, 23 February and 26 May 2027, and Ofgem says it may publish earlier if external reasons require.
UK government asks why people defer State Pension
The DWP said the call is an evidence-gathering exercise and does not propose specific policy changes.
UK unemployment falls to 4.7% as job vacancies drop
Growth in total pay in Great Britain, including bonuses, is the lowest in nearly six years, the ONS said, while regular pay growth has been relatively stable.
Private parking: Great Britain drivers to get 10 minutes to leave
Under the code, charges would be scrapped on appeal for honest mistakes, with a £20 maximum on appeal for smaller slips and the overall maximum frozen at £100.
How much is the UK State Pension? Full new rate is £241.30 a week
The full new rate rose by 4.8% in April, DWP said, and a GOV.UK search on 18 October 2026 found no 2027-28 rates table.
Car tax: £200 a year for cars registered since April 2017
Rates for cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 depend on fuel type and CO2 emissions, and run from £20 to £790 a year.
UK economy grows 0.1% in August as services stall
The annual rate of 2.1% was last higher in August 2022, the ONS said.
When are the Premium Bonds results? Next on Tuesday 3 November
Results are due Tuesday 3 November; NS&I lists a 4.35% prize fund rate and odds of 21,000 to 1 per £1 Bond.
UK regulator fines Wayfair £4.8m over one-day offers that did not end
Appliances Direct was also fined over automatic opt-ins to paid extras, and Gold’s Gym over a joining fee missing from the total price shown.
UK government targets bogus self-employment loopholes
Genuinely self-employed people would also gain a right to a written statement about their contracts, under the proposals.
Is 28 December a bank holiday in 2026? Christmas and New Year dates
Christmas Day is Friday 25 December 2026 and New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January 2027; Scotland has one more bank holiday, Monday 4 January.
UK car finance compensation not due until legal process ends
The Financial Conduct Authority expects payments under the scheme to begin in 2027 if it is upheld and the judgment is not appealed.
How much is Child Benefit? £27.05 a week for the eldest child
Partners who live together cannot both claim the higher rate, but each parent can get it for a child after a split, GOV.UK says.
IMF raises UK growth forecast but expects 3.3% inflation
The UK government has confirmed that the Budget will be held on 28 October 2026.
When was the Budget 2026? Delivered on Wednesday 28 October
Chancellor John Healey presented the Budget to Parliament on 28 October 2026, and the next public sector finances figures are due from the Office for National Statistics…
UK bank holidays 2027: every date, by nation
Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland, while Northern Ireland has two days of its own, GOV.UK’s official list shows.
Minimum wage 2027: National Living Wage rises to £13.21 in April
The Treasury says the 3.9% rise is worth £910 more in gross annual earnings to a full-time worker on the National Living Wage, with around 2.3 million workers expected…
Christmas 2026 benefit payments: dates, bonus and winter help
Child Benefit has its own table of dates, and the £10 Christmas Bonus should be paid automatically before Christmas, according to GOV.UK.
Payments on account: the two Self Assessment dates in 2027
GOV.UK’s “last working day before” rule applies when a deadline falls on a weekend, except for Faster Payments and card payments.
Warm Home Discount 2026-27: who qualifies for the £150 bill discount
Whether a household qualifies depends on its situation on 23 August 2026, GOV.UK says.
Boots to be sold to Canada’s Weston family for $8.9bn
The sale, which needs regulatory approval, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, with Fairfax Financial as a partner.
Paramount completes Warner Bros takeover to form Skydance
Warner Bros Discovery shareholders were paid cash, and a filing shows David Zaslav left the company on the day the deal closed.
Cold Weather Payment 2026-27: who gets £25 and when it is paid
Nobody needs to apply, and each payment should arrive within 14 working days of a period of very cold weather in the claimant’s area, GOV.UK says.
Christmas Bonus 2026: who gets the £10 payment
Qualifying benefits include State Pension, PIP and Carer’s Allowance, and a partner who gets none can sometimes still qualify, GOV.UK says.
UK average diesel price passes £2 a litre for first time
A litre of unleaded petrol now averages 174.71p, around 42p more than at the start of the US/Iran war, the RAC said.
Statutory Sick Pay 2026-27: £123.25 a week from the first full day
At the full rate, 28 weeks of Statutory Sick Pay adds up to £3,451, a sum worked out here rather than stated by GOV.UK; employees paid 80% of their earnings would…
Pension Credit payment dates 2026: up to £238 a week
Couples can get up to £363.25 a week under the same guarantee credit, GOV.UK says, £125.25 more than the single rate, before savings above £10,000 start to reduce the…
Maternity Allowance payment dates 2026: every 2 or 4 weeks
The weekly rate tops out at £194.32 for employed claimants, GOV.UK says, falling to £27 for some self-employed claimants and those doing unpaid work in a spouse’s…
Bank of England: AI boom risks ‘sharper’ market correction
AI-related debt issuance has more than doubled in a year to around $450bn, the Bank said, as it also pointed to growing cyber and operational risks from the technology.
Housing Benefit payment dates 2026: set by your council, not a national timetable
Most people can no longer make a new claim for the benefit at all, GOV.UK says, because Universal Credit has taken its place.
Attendance Allowance payment dates: how the four-week cycle works
Attendance Allowance is usually paid every four weeks straight into a bank account, and moves earlier when payday falls on a weekend or bank holiday, GOV.UK says.
Council Tax payment dates 2026-27: why most bills stop for two months
Council Tax is usually split into 10 monthly payments rather than 12, GOV.UK says, which is why many households get February and March free before the next bill arrives.
Self Assessment 2026-27: the 5 October deadline that arrives first
Anyone filing a Self Assessment tax return for the first time must tell HMRC by 5 October 2026, GOV.UK says — the earliest of several deadlines that run through to next…
Universal Credit payment dates November and December 2026
Payments due on a weekend in November and December move to the Friday before, and those due on 1, 2 or 3 January 2027 arrive on Thursday 31 December.
Carer’s Allowance payment dates 2026: £86.45 a week, paid weekly or every 4 weeks
Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 a week, paid weekly in advance or every 4 weeks as the claimant chooses, and a bank holiday payment usually comes a working day early.
Avanti West Coast to be nationalised as ministers say ‘enough is enough’
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said passengers had paid the price for years of underperformance on one of Britain’s busiest rail routes.
PIP payment dates: how the four-week cycle and bank holidays work
Personal Independence Payment is usually paid every four weeks on a day set out in a claimant’s decision letter, and moves earlier around a bank holiday, GOV.UK says.
Child Benefit payment dates 2026: when it is paid and which dates move
Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Monday or Tuesday, and a payment due on 28 December 2026 is paid on 24 December, GOV.UK’s table shows.
Benefit payment dates 2026: what the bank holiday rule means
Universal Credit, State Pension and most other benefits move automatically to the working day before a weekend or bank holiday, with no action needed from the claimant…
Winter Fuel Payment 2026: who gets £100 to £300, and when
People with a total income over £35,000 still receive the payment, but HMRC will take it back, GOV.UK says.
UK borrowing hits £18.3bn ahead of Healey’s Budget
Borrowing in the financial year to August 2026 is £8.1bn above the official government forecast, the ONS said.
