News

The government’s promised new Fair Payments Code was launched last week to try and tackle late payment problems that can be particularly harmful to small businesses.

The government has unveiled some significant reforms to employment support, underpinned by a £240 million investment. The measures aim to address deep-rooted issues of unemployment, economic inactivity, and barriers to work, as detailed in the newly published Get Britain Working White Paper.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have issued a reminder to be careful about scam attempts that target people filing Self Assessment tax returns. In the last year, nearly 150,000 scam attempts were referred to HMRC, a 16.7% increase on last year. With the 31 January 2025 filing deadline approaching, fraudsters are likely to step up their activities.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has reported that shoppers lost over £11.5 million to online criminals between November 2023 and January 2024.

UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit agency, has launched a new initiative aimed at helping British engineering, design, and technical services firms secure international contracts.

The latest inflation figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for October 2024 rose to 2.3%, up from 1.7% in September.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has announced plans to share more detailed information on business rates valuations, making the system more transparent for ratepayers across England.

Next month, councils across England will be given new powers to transform high streets by tackling long-term empty shops.