Green light for redevelopment at award-winning Ayrshire holiday park
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The Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
On Universal Credit? How you can save £100s on your household bills this summer
YOU can save thousands of pounds on your household bills this summer if you're on Universal Credit. The benefit is paid out monthly to people who are struggling with day-to-day living costs - but it also entitles claimants to extra help. 1 If you're wanting to save, here are the things you should know about… Cheaper broadband - save £190 a year Some broadband providers offer cheaper tariffs for people on benefits. For example, Virgin Media Essentials has a tariff for £12.50 a month - a huge £137.88 cheaper per year versus a regular Virgin package. BT Home Essentials costs £15 per month for fibre and calls. According to Uswitch, the average broadband bill in the UK is £26.39/month – and switching to the cheapest social tariff could save you £196.68 per year. You should be able to get a social tariff if you're on Universal Credit Pension Credit or equivalent benefits. Council tax reduction - save up to £2,280 If you're on Universal Credit you can apply for a reduction to your council tax bill - and you might not even have to pay at all. Every local authority sets its own rules but many help out low-income households by reducing council tax bills significantly. In Manchester, households on Universal Credit can get up to 100% off their council tax. Meanwhile Bristol offers up to 90% for most working-age households on benefits. The average Band D council tax in England for 2025-26 is now £2,280 - so if you don't have to pay council tax, that's an indicator of how much you could save. Am I entitled to Universal Credit? According to the GOV website, if you're on a low income or need help with your living costs, then you could be entitled to Universal Credit. To claim, you must live in the UK, be aged 18 or over (with some exceptions if you're 15 to 17), be under State Pension age, and have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments. Other circumstances are if you are out of work, or unable to work, for example because of a health condition. Water bill help - save hundreds Water companies also offer social tariffs or capped rates for those on Universal Credit and similar benefits. The schemes vary by supplier and the amount you can save will also depend on your usage. But there is the potential to save hundreds of pounds this way. For example, Affinity Water caps bills at £119.50/year for eligible households. United Utilities offers up to 50% off for households with high usage or medical needs. The average water bill in England and Wales is roughly £603 per year, according to Discover Water - so again that gives you an idea of how much you could save. Energy grants - save up to £1,500 Several energy suppliers offer grants to help customers on low incomes clear energy debts or cover bills. British Gas has an Energy Trust offering grants of up to £1,500 even if you're not a British Gas customer. You can apply online at Next Energy Fund provides help with white goods and bill support. These grants don't need to be repaid but you'll usually need to show proof of income, provide meter readings and explain your situation. Household Support Fund – save up to £500 The Household Support Fund is a pot of cash that the Government has allocated to council across England. It's aimed at helping out families in need, but the payouts and eligibility vary by each council. Some offer food vouchers or help with energy bills, while others give out cash grants. Brent Council offers up to £500 for struggling families, while Doncaster pays between £100 and £300 to families on Universal Credit. Ribble Valley gives food vouchers worth £200 to £500 to households earning under £35,000. You'll need to check your local authority's website to find out what it offers and whether you could be eligible. The easiest way is to Google your council name plus "Household Support Fund". Cheaper phone bills - save hundreds You can also get social tariffs with your mobile phone provider. These 'social' or 'essential' tariffs offer the same service as regular packages but at a significantly lower price. They typically come with no long-term contracts, a guarantee of no mid-contract price hikes, and two of the three providers even include free roaming in Europe. O2's Essential Plan costs just £10 a month and gives you 10GB of data with unlimited calls and texts. Meanwhile, SMARTY's Social Tariff provides unlimited data, calls, and texts for £12 a month.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Sephora shoppers queue overnight for 12 hours as new store opens in the Manchester Arndale
Hundreds of people queued up for the opening of a Sephora in Manchester this morning - with one couple sleeping overnight to be the first to experience the new beauty store. At the very front of the line was make-up fan Frances, 19, who was accompanied by Shiv, 20. They had been camping in the Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre since 8:50pm last night. The pair, from Barnsley, West Yorkshire, had had no sleep between them, running on one red bull and a few coffees. They only left the queue to go to the toilet in Walkabout bar. Frances, who works as a teaching assistant said: 'I missed the Trafford Centre opening because I was working, so I was so annoyed. But I knew I wanted to make this one.' The UK's tenth Sephora follows on from the brand's first Greater Manchester store, which opened inside the Trafford Centre last year. Kait Turnbull brought her 10-year-old daughter Ruby who she called 'beauty obsessed'. They woke up at 5am to arrive at 5:45am and even got stuck in the Arndale car park. The mother said: 'We got in and then because it's so early and the shops aren't open yet the lifts wouldn't work and we were stuck.' Ruby has previously visited the Trafford Centre Sephora store as well as the one in London. She said she is most looking forward to trying the new Sol de Janeiro fragrance - Sundays in Rio - and anything Tower 28. Kait joked: 'I'm just the chauffeur and the credit card.' The Sephora fan said she was most looking forward to securing a Charlotte Tilbury Contour Stick, but that she wanted to browse the whole store and didn't know what she might end up with. By 9am, there were 400 people in the queue which snaked across the ground floor of the Arndale shopping centre, and by 10am there were more than 500. Michelle Kirkbride, from Doncaster, brought her daughter Jessica to the Sephora opening since they missed the store opening at Meadowhall - which would have been more local to them. This will be the first Sephora store they have visited in the UK, with Jessica adding: 'I want to look at everything.' Jessica and Michelle have visited Sephora a few times in the US, including in New York and Florida, but they are excited to have one that's more local and to be able to attend the opening day. Throughout the morning, staff members handed out little samples and goodies to the committed beauty lovers, including makeup, skincare, Sephora-branded bucket hands, and giant fingers. During the Trafford Centre store opening in May 2024, people waited in the queue all night to be the first through the doors to secure one of the goodie bags, which were set out for the first 800 shoppers. For the Arndale opening, Sephora changed its approach, and customers were told the traditional 'first in line' model would be replaced with a new Sephora 'Beauty Bonus Card' mechanic, which would give more shoppers the chance to win. Throughout the opening weekend, every customer who makes a purchase will receive a Beauty Bonus Card which will give shoppers the opportunity to win one of eight incredible prizes on the spot, including a Sephora goodie bag, a mystery lucky dip, free 30-minute makeup services plus more prizes. The new store has taken over 4,618 square feet on the lower ground of the Arndale next to other beauty giant, Superdrug. The unit used to be home to the H&M-owned fashion retailer, Monki, which shuttered back in January after occupying the space for almost seven years.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Much-loved UK theme park reveals new rainy day guarantee – with free return after bad weather
WASH OUT Much-loved UK theme park reveals new rainy day guarantee – with free return after bad weather Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE WORLD'S top place to take bored kids this summer, which is in the UK, has announced a new rainy day guarantee scheme. Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort has introduced a free return for ticketholders who attend the attraction on a day that rains. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort has introduced a rainy day guarantee Credit: Supplied 4 This means if it rains for more than three hours on the day you visit, you can return for free within seven days Credit: Supplied The new policy means that guests will always have a great visit to the attraction, because if the weather is poor they can return on a day where it is better. The policy will be in place throughout August and it will need to rain for more than three hours on the day of their trip. If this does happen, then guests can return for free within seven days of their original visit date. CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, Amanda Thompson OBE said: "It's important to us that guests have the best time when visiting, and while technically speaking the rain doesn't affect our rides, we wouldn't want the wet weather to dampen anyone's day. "We truly believe that you can have a great time at Pleasure Beach come rain or shine, but we know that everything is extra special when the weather is on side." If a guest wants to use a rainy day return, they should arrive at the same ticket centre on the day of their return visit and display their eTickets, paper tickets or confirmation email to staff. The new option can also be used seven days of the week. Blackpool Pleasure Beach resort was also recently named as one of the best attractions to bust kids being bored. created an index compiling the best attractions to take kids to this summer and the Lancashire-based attraction managed to beat the likes of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. Overall, it scored 31.3 out of a possible 35 marks. First look at new 'tallest of its kind' ride to open at English seaside theme park The attraction is home to 10 rollercoasters, five 'dark' (indoor) rides, five water rides and 12 Nickelodeon-themed rides. Throughout the year, Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort also hosts a number of shows, including fireworks. Earlier this year, the reimagining of Launch Pad was unveiled, which climbs up to 80 mph and sends riders 210 ft into the air. Banish Boredom Index was made by analysing reviews from over 160 destinations, and the UK dominated the top 20. 4 The attraction has multiple different rollercoasters, rides and shows Credit: Supplied These included the likes of the Tower of London, Ribby Hall Village, and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London all made the list. Some other attractions across the UK offer rainy day guarantees, such as Crealy Adventure Park in Devon. The attraction offers visitors a free return within seven days of their original visit if there is 30 minutes or more of continuous rainfall during their visit. It is worth checking the FAQs or T&Cs of your tickets to an attraction to see if the theme park, adventure park or other destination offers the same guarantee. Use these tips on your next theme park trip Next time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out. Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens. Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer - this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest. Download the park's app to track which rides have the shortest queues. Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out "birthday badges" that can get you freebies. If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return. There is also a unique UK theme park with safaris, water park and rides for everyone from toddlers to grandparents. Plus, Disney is set to open a brand new theme park and resort – here's everything we know.
