Labour minister Liz Kendall announces review of state pension age
It comes in a major speech where the senior cabinet minister warned that the cost of the triple lock guarantee on the state pension is £31bn a year.
The triple lock, which was introduced by David Cameron's government in 2010, means that the state pension either rises by 2.5 per cent or the highest rate of inflation whichever is higher to keep up with the cost of living.
Speaking in central London this morning where she was relaunching the Pensions Commission, Ms Kendall warned of a growing threat of pensioner poverty unless there was major reform to the system.
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Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Home Office U-turn as it agrees to share location of asylum seeker hotels with Deliveroo and Just Eat to crack down on illegal workers
The Home Office has finally agreed to share the location of asylum hotels with food delivery companies to help crack down on migrant illegal working. Deliveroo said last week it had asked civil servants for the hotel addresses so it could block accounts operating from these locations, only to be refused due to 'safety concerns' for hotel occupants. But the Home Office has now changed its stance and will share this information with Deliveroo, as well as its competitors Just Eat and Uber Eats. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said tonight: 'Illegal working undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime. 'By enhancing our data sharing with delivery companies, we are taking decisive action to close loopholes and increase enforcement. 'The changes come alongside a 50% increase in raids and arrests for illegal working under the Plan for Change, greater security measures and tough new legislation.' Last month it emerged that migrants living in taxpayer-funded asylum hotels – including those who arrived by small boat – are securing work as fast food delivery riders within hours of entering Britain. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said he had found evidence of asylum seekers breaking rules which bar them from working while their claim is processed by the Home Office. The Tory politician visited an asylum hotel in central London and posted a video showing bicycles fitted with delivery boxes for Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats parked outside. Days later, the Home Office said it had called in all three companies for a dressing down – and the meeting led to pledges to introduce 'facial recognition' systems on rider apps, such as those used by banks to confirm someone's identity. However, Deliveroo was refused access to hotel location data despite assurances it would be treated confidentially, the Times reported. Shadow Home Office minister Katie Lam said at the time: 'The fact that the Home Office is refusing to help them just shows how topsy-turvy this country's approach to migration has become. 'Crossing the Channel illegally is a crime. Working here illegally is a crime. 'Too many people are brazenly breaking the rules and it's a disgrace that the Home Office is aiding and abetting them.' Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office, said following tonight's u-turn: 'This next step of co-ordinated working with delivery firms will help us target those who seek to work illegally in the gig economy and exploit their status in the UK. 'My teams will continue to carry out increased enforcement activity across the UK and I welcome this additional tool to disrupt and stop the abuse of our immigration system.' The Government has also announced the trialling of AI-powered facial recognition technology to determine whether Channel migrants are being wrongly identified as children. The Home Office announced testing on new technology will begin later this year with the hope it could be fully integrated into the asylum system in 2026. Ministers admitted that assessing the age of asylum seekers is 'an incredibly complex and difficult task' but said AI might soon provide quick and cost-effective results. More than 23,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, up more than 50 per cent on the same point last year and the highest number in the first six months since figures began in 2018. The Home Office says there are 32,345 asylum seekers being put up at taxpayer expense in hotels, with another 66,683 in houses and flats. These have regularly been the target of protests, some of which have turned violent.
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Glitch made my 'smart' dishwasher order me enough tablets to last three YEARS: SALLY SORTS IT
My dishwasher is linked up to the internet, and I allowed it to monitor my usage and automatically reorder Finish dishwasher tablets when I was down to my last ten. The dishwasher is connected to the Finish app on my phone. However, when I ran low on tablets, the app ordered me a new delivery on four consecutive days. I only found this out when packets kept turning up on my doorstep. I now have about three years' supply for which I was automatically billed £45. I have complained, but two months on I've got nowhere. J.C., Ware, Herts. Rinsed: A reader's smart dishwasher ordered new packages of tablets on four consecutive days landing them with a £45 bill Sally Hamilton replies: I was intrigued by the concept of intelligent ordering. It sounds a great way of ensuring you never run out of dishwasher tablets. I'd find such a subscription service handy for other areas of domestic life such as loo rolls, though I'm not sure that many toilets are linked to the internet. I do know some people who use a similar service for the re-ordering of ink for printers and there are smart fridges that prompt owners when they are running out of essentials. The service you signed up to is called SmartFinish, which, as you described, tracks dishwasher usage and automatically sends out a new pack. Ideal, if it works. Customers need to own a Wi-Fi-enabled dishwasher to take advantage of such auto-reordering. The system is matched to the customer, so if you use the dishwasher more than usual, orders will turn up more frequently. Gremlins seemingly got into the re-ordering system in your case, landing you with a pile of unwanted tabs. When you initially complained, Finish said you must have made the additional orders yourself, which you said was laughable. Why would you order three years' worth of tabs over a few days? Scott Dixon of consumer service Complaints Resolver, suggests customers getting nowhere with an over delivery like yours quote section 25 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. He says: 'This says the business is responsible for collecting and refunding the excess items at no cost to the customer.' You asked Finish to do this but hit a brick wall. I contacted Reckitt, the consumer goods giant that owns Finish, to ask it to resolve your dishwasher tab mountain pronto. I didn't get anywhere at first so understood your frustration at the limited response to your complaint. But when I chased a couple of weeks later, it turned up the dial and soon Finish refunded your £45 and told you to keep the excess product. It said the problem was due to a 'technical issue' with the app, which was quickly resolved. When it asked if you wanted to continue the subscription, you politely declined. Scam Watch Drivers should beware a scam email that impersonates insurance company Admiral, consumer website Which? warns. The email claims that you have been selected to win a free 'car emergency kit' that includes tools and a hazard triangle. Scammers say to win the kit you need to answer a few questions by following the link on the email. Do not click on this link. It aims to steal your personal and financial information. Instead, report the email by forwarding it to report@ Rental car mix-up left me with £375 bill I booked a flight with EasyJet to arrive at Edinburgh on May 14, but in error reserved a rental car for pick up from Drivalia a day earlier. I realised my mistake on May 13 and phoned the firm but was advised to sort it out on arrival. When I arrived, I was issued with a second booking at a cost of £375 and received no refund for the first one. I realised later that I was charged again in the second booking for May 13. I even got charged a further £115 for a parking offence that took place on May 13, before I even got to Edinburgh. Please help. J.R., Hampshire. Sally Hamilton replies: Any holiday that involves a vehicle rental fills me with dread as the process seems designed to catch customers out, whether it's the extortionate price of excess insurance at the desk, high charges for extras such as satnavs and child seats or the tricky rules around whether the fuel tank should be returned full or not. Your experience highlights the costly risk of being tardy for picking up a rental car – even though you tried to correct the error in advance. We all make mistakes, and you were prepared to take it on the chin – up to a point. But to be charged twice for the rental is not fair. I asked Drivalia to reconsider, emailing both its chief executive and customer services. I heard nothing back from the former, but the latter requested you complete an online complaint form. In that process you respectfully asked for a refund of the first booking and the extra day charged on the second rental. They declined, though they did refund the parking ticket and admin fee. How kind. Hitting a roadblock with Drivalia, I approached EasyJet, since you had booked the hire from a link on its website. EasyJet told me that while the site enables customers to make such bookings, these are provided by third party partners. In your case, the Drivalia deal was found through EasyJet partner CarTrawler, a platform listing various hire options. I am pleased to say CarTrawler's response was at the speed and standard I would have liked to have seen from Drivalia – with no hesitation in offering you a full refund of both hire bills, a total of £446. A CarTrawler spokesman says: 'We were sorry to hear about J.R's experience. We understand booking errors can have a significant impact on travel plans, and we appreciate how frustrating this experience must have been. 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E.V., Leeds. You were charged in pounds, without your knowledge, on flights to the UK from Spain where the 'local' currency was euros. You were subject to the airline's exchange rate and your bank would charge you to convert the pounds payment back to euros. The airline says you can choose to pay in euros.
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey hits back at Rachel Reeves over regulation
Andrew Bailey yesterday put himself at odds with Rachel Reeves over the Chancellor's outspoken attack on regulation. The Bank of England Governor made clear that he did not share Reeves' recent claim that the enforcement of red tape acted as a 'boot on the neck' of business. Speaking to MPs on the Treasury select committee, he urged caution over a proposed shake-up of the ring-fencing system that separates traditional lending and deposit-taking from riskier investment banking. The comments appear to be a shot across the bows of the Chancellor as she seeks to unravel some of the reforms put in place during the financial crisis in a bid to boost growth. They suggest she may face an unwanted battle with Threadneedle Street to add to friction with Labour backbenchers over spending cuts and the battle to balance the books, amid dismal economic growth and deteriorating public finances. Reeves took aim at regulators during her Mansion House speech to the City earlier this month. Cautious: Andrew Bailey (pictured) made clear he did not share Rachel Reeves's claim that the enforcement of red tape acted as a 'boot on the neck' of business But Bailey chose to dissociate himself from the 'boot on the neck' comments. He said: 'It's not a term I'd use. 'I think there are areas that we clearly should look at it – we've announced a whole range of things we're doing, and that's a good thing. But we can't compromise on basic financial stability and that would be my overall message.' Reeves has also promised 'meaningful reform' of the ring-fencing regime – something being demanded by the bosses of a number of major banks who say they are a drag on business. But Bailey said he favoured keeping the rules. He told MPs: 'I do think that the ring-fencing regime is an important part of the structure of the banking system.' Bailey said the rules make it easier to deal with banks that get into trouble in a way that spares consumers, businesses and households. He added: 'I'm sure there are things that can be improved and we will work constructively to get through that process. 'I think it has established itself as part of the system and to me it would not be sensible to take it away at this point.' Asked how he would respond if the Treasury seemed to be going 'too far' in stripping back regulation, Bailey said he and Bank officials would 'start by making our views very clear'.
