Scheme launched in Wolverhampton to repurpose unwanted items
"In these continuing tough financial times, we all need ways to make the most of our homes without spending a fortune," he explained.Items that can be donated include wooden or metal furniture, bicycles, crockery, cutlery and decorative pieces such as mirrors or pictures.The council added, however, that anything electrical would not be accepted, along with soft furnishings or heavily damaged items.
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BBC News
15 minutes ago
- BBC News
Birmingham City Council's lead commissioner retires with immediate effect
The man in charge of fixing Birmingham City Council's finances has Caller was appointed as Birmingham's lead commissioner after the council declared effective bankruptcy in 2023. The authority has since been caught up in a long-running bin strike although Mr Caller has said he has not been involved in negotiations to end tribute, local government minister Jim McMahon said Mr Caller had made a significant contribution to local government throughout his will be replaced on Wednesday by Tony McArdle OBE, a former chief executive of Lincolnshire County Council and Wellingborough Council, among other appointments. Mr Caller had announced his decision on Tuesday morning with immediate effect, council leader John Cotton said, and thanked him for his valuable contribution in helping Birmingham's progress."My message to the public is that changes in personnel will not change the core mission or allow a change of direction that puts at risk any of the progress we have made over the last two years," he said Birmingham's recovery remained "fragile" but "marked progress" had been made under Caller's included developing a stable medium-term financial plan, making progress towards resolving the outstanding equal pay situation, and re-implementing the Oracle IT minister stated the government's priority was to ensure this work continued, and it was confident this would be the case under Tony letter confirming Mr McArdle's appointment as lead commissioner highlights the fact the council is in the "midst of a dispute in its waste services" and has a "demanding improvement journey ahead." The city council's Conservative opposition leader Robert Alden said the party wished Mr Caller all the best for the future, but it was now clearer than ever that the council needed a change of administration."Since Labour declared themselves effectively bankrupt, all three statutory officers have been replaced; now, the lead commissioner has been replaced," he Caller and the rest of the commissioners had done "a good job in shining a light on many of the cultural and systemic failures that we have been calling out for years," he will be lead commissioner from 23 July 2025 to 31October 2028. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
How long you'll have to wait to get your state pension
MILLIONS of us may have to wait a little longer to get our state pension. The government has just kicked off a new review into the state pension age, which could mean the goalposts are about to shift. 2 Right now, the state pension age is 66. It's already planned to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and then to 68 between 2044 and 2046. If you're 48 years and three months or younger, your state pension age will be 68. For those aged 64 to 65, the state pension age gradually increases from 66 to 67, depending on your exact age now. However, the latest review could mean the move to 68 happens sooner. Rachel Vahey, head of public policy at AJ Bell, said: "An increase to state pension age from 66 to 67 is already slated to happen between 2026 and 2028. "But it's less clear what will happen after that. "There is also an increase to age 68 pencilled in for 2046, but a faster increase is definitely on the cards. "The first two reviews of the state pension age advocated bringing this forward, but successive governments have treated the issue like a hot potato." So, what does this all mean for you and your retirement plans? How to track down lost pensions worth £1,000s Why is the state pension age being reviewed? The short answer is that we are, on average, living longer. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said a review is needed to keep the state pension system "sustainable and affordable" for everyone, now and in the future. The triple lock, which guarantees state pension increases in line with inflation, wages or 2.5%, has become increasingly expensive, with costs expected to hit £15.5billion by 2030. Experts warn this could make promises to maintain the policy unsustainable without raising the pension age. The government usually reviews the state pension age every six years, but this one is happening early to make sure the rules are fair and match up with how long people are living now. This is the third review of its kind and is set to be completed by March 2029. How is the state pension age changing? The state pension age is currently set to rise from 66 to 67, and this change is already written into law. The increase will be phased in between 2026 and 2028. If you were born before April 6 1960, your state pension age remains 66. This means anyone who is already 65 won't be affected and can start claiming their state pension when they turn 66 next year. If you were born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 and are now aged between 64 and 65, your state pension age will be 66 plus a few extra months, depending on your exact date of birth. For anyone born on or after March 6 1961, your state pension age will be 67. The state pension age is then planned to rise again from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046 under current law. Again, this affects people based on their date of birth. This schedule is now subject to review but, as of now, affects people based on their date of birth and current age. If you were born before April 6 1977, your state pension age will stay at 67. This means anyone older than 48 years and 3 months will still be able to claim their state pension at 67. But if you're younger than this, you'll have to wait until you're 68 to claim your state pension. You can easily find out when you'll get your state pension using our handy tool. Just enter your date of birth, and it will tell you. How will a higher state pension age affect my retirement? By James Flanders, Chief Consumer Reporter: Raising the state pension age means people will have to wait longer to get their government-funded pension, which can be tough for those who rely on it as their main source of income. It's especially challenging for people in physically demanding jobs or those with little in the way of savings, as they'll need to figure out how to cover the gap between stopping work and qualifying for the state pension. But the good news is that private pensions give you more choice. Right now, you can access private pensions from age 55, although this will increase to 57 in April 2028. If you've been saving into a workplace pension or a personal pension, you could retire earlier than the state pension age, depending on how much you've saved. You can take the money as a lump sum, set up regular payments, or even leave it invested to grow. For those with enough savings, this flexibility means you can plan retirement around what works for you. But if your private pension isn't enough, you might find yourself working longer and waiting for the state pension to kick in. It's a reminder of why starting to save early and keeping an eye on your pension pot is so important for creating options later in life. What could change in future? The big question is whether the move to a state pension age of 68 will be brought forward. An earlier government review, called the Cridland Review, recommended this rise should happen much sooner - between 2037 and 2039. If the Cridland Review proposals are adopted, you could end up waiting a lot longer to claim your state pension. If you were born before April 6 1970 and are now 55 years and three months old or older, your state pension age would stay at 67, so nothing would change for you. However, if you're older than this and were born between April 6 1970 and April 5 1971, your state pension age would fall somewhere between 67 and 68. For anyone born on or after 6 April 1971, the state pension age would be 68. This means if you're 54 years and 3 months old now, you wouldn't be able to claim your state pension until you turn 68. The big question is whether the state pension age will rise to 68 sooner than planned. The government has decided to do another review instead of following the Cridland Review. This new review, led by Dr Suzy Morrissey, will happen within the next two years. It will explore all options for raising the pension age to 68 but must give at least ten years' notice before making any changes. This means anyone retiring before 2037 won't be affected. How does the state pension work? AT the moment the current state pension is paid to both men and women from age 66 - but it's due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046. The state pension is a recurring payment from the government most Brits start getting when they reach State Pension age. But not everyone gets the same amount, and you are awarded depending on your National Insurance record. For most pensioners, it forms only part of their retirement income, as they could have other pots from a workplace pension, earning and savings. The new state pension is based on people's National Insurance records. Workers must have 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the maximum amount of the new state pension. You earn National Insurance qualifying years through work, or by getting credits, for instance when you are looking after children and claiming child benefit. If you have gaps, you can top up your record by paying in voluntary National Insurance contributions. To get the old, full basic state pension, you will need 30 years of contributions or credits. You will need at least 10 years on your NI record to get any state pension. 2
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
Cruel bullies told me to ‘go eat another sausage roll' – now I'm 17st lighter after ditching £400-a-month addiction
A MUM shed 17 stone after realising she was too big to fit on a roller-coaster. Her weight loss secret? Ditching a £400-a-month habit. 9 9 9 Rachel Pashley weighed 30st 13lbs and was a size 32 at her heaviest. It was during a family day out to a theme park that she made the heartbreaking realisation about the impact her weight was having on her life. The 32-year-old wasn't able to take her two sons, Ethan, 13, and Jenson, 12, on a ride and had to watch them enjoy it without her. Since that day, she's managed to shrink down to 12st and a size 12, and has been to Disneyland Paris, where she was able to go on any ride she wanted to. Rachel, from Brighton, recalled: "We went to a theme park and I realised that I couldn't go on the ride, so my friend had to go on with my kids. It was sad. 'I couldn't walk up the stairs, and I was always too tired, so I'd take my kids to breakfast club and go back to bed. 'I couldn't run around after my children. We never went on bike rides, we never did anything. 'Now, we can do anything, bike rides, theme parks, days out in London, days at the gym and swimming. 'We've been to Disneyland Paris, and I didn't have to worry about getting on the rides. It was amazing. 'I was really depressed before and struggled with buying clothing, but I'm so much more confident now. 'The best part of this journey isn't the weight loss, it's getting my life back. 'I can finally be present for my boys, enjoy days out, and feel proud of the woman I've become." Rachel spent £400 a month on takeaways and said she "used to eat rubbish all day and barely move". She added: 'Someone once told me to go and eat another sausage roll. 'And online, I tried to do plus-sized fashion, and people would say I could barely breathe trying on clothes. It was horrible." After having a £12,500 gastric bypass in May 2021, she now fuels her body with "real food" and moves every day. Rachel said: "I finally feel like I'm living, not just existing." Food for comfort Rachel had always been 'curvy' and was a size 16 when Jenson was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma. The semi-permanent make-up artist says the diagnosis was the 'turning point' as she turned to food for comfort. Her expensive takeaway habit came as a result of not having enough time to cook or exercise due to hospital appointments. Thankfully, Jenson has been in remission for 10 years. Rachel said, 'That period was horrendous. 'It was 18 months' worth of treatment, sitting in a hospital room and massively comfort eating. 'He went into intensive care, and that was the turning point. 'I ate absolute crap. 'It was a family-sized chocolate bar every night on the way home from the hospital. 'I'd have a full English for breakfast, a meal deal from Co-Op, chocolate and a share bag of crisps for lunch. 'We had takeaways six days a week and I never cooked. If I did, it was freezer food. 'There were a lot of kebabs and Dominoes. The delivery driver knew us. 'Now, I'm really into nutrition and cooking. 'We haven't had a takeaway at all this year and we're really proud of ourselves.' 9 9 9 9 Now, Rachel works out four times a week. She forked out another £12,000 to have an arm and breast lift in January this year and plans to complete her look with a tummy tuck in September. Rachel added: 'I remember the day when I was walking to the shop for some binge eating food because I'd had a really bad day and was at my heaviest, and I was crying my eyes out. 'I bumped into someone I used to work with, and she said she'd had weight loss surgery and it was the most amazing thing she'd ever done, so I went home and booked a consultation. 'When I was on the journey, I just wanted to get back to a size 16, but I kept going. 'I fit into a small skirt in Zara now, and it feels amazing because I never thought I'd get to this point." Now, people can't believe how much Rachel has changed. She said: 'In Aldi, I bumped into a girl I used to work with and said hello, and she completely blanked me. 'Then she messaged me asking if that was me, and she didn't recognise me. 'It feels amazing.' Rachel is sharing her story to inspire others who are struggling with their weight. She documents her weight loss journey on her social media page @racheljadepashley. 'I wanted to share my story because I know what it's like to feel completely lost in your body and stuck in a cycle that feels impossible to break. 'If someone out there sees this and realises change is possible, then that's everything.' 9 9
