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Keir Starmer faces fresh rebellion threat over Universal Credit cut

Keir Starmer faces fresh rebellion threat over Universal Credit cut

The National20 hours ago
Backbencher Richard Burgon has tabled an amendment to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill to prevent the cut to the health component of the benefit.
The current bill, which was gutted of controversial cuts to Personal Independence Payments (Pip) in a last-minute U-turn, still retains the reduction in the health top-up of Universal Credit.
As it stands, the extra payment is set to be cut for new claimants from £97 per week to £50 per week – a reduction to £217.26 per month.
READ MORE: Rachel Reeves breaks silence on tears in the House of Commons
Burgon's amendment would reverse this cut, keeping the health element at its current rate of £423.27.
It is estimated the UK Government's changes would affect more than 750,000 people and result in an annual loss of income of £3000 per person.
It is understood the amendment has the backing of more than 25 MPs, including 20 Labour MPs.
If selected for debate when the Commons debates the remaining stages of the welfare bill on Wednesday, it could trigger yet another bruising backbench rebellion for Keir Starmer.
READ MORE: PM takes blame for welfare U-turn as he gives full backing to Chancellor
The Prime Minister's authority was dealt a blow earlier this week when the threat of a substantial rebellion saw the UK Government scrap much of its welfare bill mid-debate.
Burgon said: 'Despite welcome promises regarding Pip, a huge cut for sick and disabled people remains at the heart of this Bill.
'This cruel and unnecessary halving of the Universal Credit health element will see £2 billion per year slashed from vital support that sick and disabled people rely on.
'The Government needs to scrap this proposal. There should be no two-tier system for disability support.'
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Parents need to check for lost bank account with £2,200 unclaimed cash, says HMRC
Parents need to check for lost bank account with £2,200 unclaimed cash, says HMRC

The Sun

time12 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Parents need to check for lost bank account with £2,200 unclaimed cash, says HMRC

HUNDREDS of thousands of young people could be missing out on £2,200 sitting in forgotten savings accounts, according to HMRC. These accounts, known as Child Trust Funds, were set up for every child born between September 2002 and January 2011. 1 A staggering £1.4billion belonging to 671,000 young people is waiting to be claimed, but many don't know these accounts exist or that they can access the money. HMRC said the average savings pot is worth £2,212. It is now urging parents to check if their children are eligible. In a post on X, they said: "If your child is between 18 and 22, they can cash in their #ChildTrustFund. The average amount claimed is £2,200." Parents can check for Child Trust Funds on the HMRC website at You need to be over 16 or a parent to use the service. To check for your child, you'll need their full name, address, and date of birth. To check for yourself, you'll need your name, address, date of birth, and National Insurance number. The tool will tell you which provider holds the Child Trust Fund, but it won't show how much money is in the account. Once you've filled in the form, HMRC will send you a letter with the details. If you apply online, you should get this within three weeks. Postal applications may take a bit longer. If you don't hear back within six weeks, you should write to HMRC to follow up. Once you know who the provider is, you can contact them to withdraw or transfer the money. What are Child Trust Funds? CHILD Trust Funds are tax-free savings accounts that were set up by the Government for children born between September 2002 and January 2011. The Government paid £250 into each account, or £500 for children from low-income families. Another payment was made when the child turned seven, depending on their family's financial situation. In 2010, payments were reduced to £50 for well-off families and £100 for lower-income households. The scheme was scrapped in 2011 and replaced by Junior ISAs. Many parents stopped adding money to the accounts, and they were forgotten. The funds are held by banks, building societies, and other savings providers - not by the Government. Young people can take control of their account at 16 but can only withdraw the money when they turn 18. What can I do with the cash? Most people transfer the money into a bank account, invest it, or move it into an ISA. You can ask your Child Trust Fund provider to pay the money directly into your bank account by providing your bank details. If you'd prefer to invest the money, you can transfer it into an ISA for tax-free savings. If you transfer money from a Child Trust Fund into an adult ISA when it matures, it won't count towards your £20,000 annual ISA limit for over-18s. For those under 18, it's often better to move the money into a Junior ISA. Junior ISAs usually have lower fees and more investment options, according to AJ Bell. The money will stay locked until you turn 18, but you'll still get the tax-free benefits of an ISA. You can transfer the full amount from the Child Trust Fund into a Junior ISA and still add up to £9,000 more in the same tax year. How can I find the best savings rates? WITH your current savings rates in mind, don't waste time looking at individual banking sites to compare rates - it'll take you an eternity. Research price comparison websites such as Compare the Market, and MoneySupermarket. These will help you save you time and show you the best rates available. They also let you tailor your searches to an account type that suits you. As a benchmark, you'll want to consider any account that currently pays more interest than the current level of inflation - 3.4%. It's always wise to have some money stashed inside an easy-access savings account to ensure you have quick access to cash to deal with any emergencies like a boiler repair, for example. If you're saving for a long-term goal, then consider locking some of your savings inside a fixed bond, as these usually come with the highest savings rates.

Parents need to check for lost bank account with £2,200 unclaimed cash, says HMRC
Parents need to check for lost bank account with £2,200 unclaimed cash, says HMRC

Scottish Sun

time17 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Parents need to check for lost bank account with £2,200 unclaimed cash, says HMRC

Plus, we've explained what to do with the money CASH IN Parents need to check for lost bank account with £2,200 unclaimed cash, says HMRC Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HUNDREDS of thousands of young people could be missing out on £2,200 sitting in forgotten savings accounts, according to HMRC. These accounts, known as Child Trust Funds, were set up for every child born between September 2002 and January 2011. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Once you know who the provider is, you can contact them to withdraw or transfer the money Credit: Getty A staggering £1.4billion belonging to 671,000 young people is waiting to be claimed, but many don't know these accounts exist or that they can access the money. HMRC said the average savings pot is worth £2,212. It is now urging parents to check if their children are eligible. In a post on X, they said: "If your child is between 18 and 22, they can cash in their #ChildTrustFund. The average amount claimed is £2,200." Parents can check for Child Trust Funds on the HMRC website at You need to be over 16 or a parent to use the service. To check for your child, you'll need their full name, address, and date of birth. To check for yourself, you'll need your name, address, date of birth, and National Insurance number. The tool will tell you which provider holds the Child Trust Fund, but it won't show how much money is in the account. Once you've filled in the form, HMRC will send you a letter with the details. If you apply online, you should get this within three weeks. Postal applications may take a bit longer. If you don't hear back within six weeks, you should write to HMRC to follow up. Once you know who the provider is, you can contact them to withdraw or transfer the money. What are Child Trust Funds? CHILD Trust Funds are tax-free savings accounts that were set up by the Government for children born between September 2002 and January 2011. The Government paid £250 into each account, or £500 for children from low-income families. Another payment was made when the child turned seven, depending on their family's financial situation. In 2010, payments were reduced to £50 for well-off families and £100 for lower-income households. The scheme was scrapped in 2011 and replaced by Junior ISAs. Many parents stopped adding money to the accounts, and they were forgotten. The funds are held by banks, building societies, and other savings providers - not by the Government. Young people can take control of their account at 16 but can only withdraw the money when they turn 18. What can I do with the cash? Most people transfer the money into a bank account, invest it, or move it into an ISA. You can ask your Child Trust Fund provider to pay the money directly into your bank account by providing your bank details. If you'd prefer to invest the money, you can transfer it into an ISA for tax-free savings. If you transfer money from a Child Trust Fund into an adult ISA when it matures, it won't count towards your £20,000 annual ISA limit for over-18s. For those under 18, it's often better to move the money into a Junior ISA. Junior ISAs usually have lower fees and more investment options, according to AJ Bell. The money will stay locked until you turn 18, but you'll still get the tax-free benefits of an ISA. You can transfer the full amount from the Child Trust Fund into a Junior ISA and still add up to £9,000 more in the same tax year.

It is time to release prisoners trapped by inhuman endless jail terms
It is time to release prisoners trapped by inhuman endless jail terms

The Independent

time20 minutes ago

  • The Independent

It is time to release prisoners trapped by inhuman endless jail terms

The Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence, introduced in 2005 under the Labour government, was intended to protect the public from serious offenders deemed too dangerous for a fixed-term release. But nearly two decades on, this law stands as one of the most egregious stains on Britain's criminal justice system. Abolished in 2012 for its inherent flaws, it nonetheless continues to trap thousands of people in a cruel legal limbo, as a debate in the House of Lords today will no doubt highlight. It is long past time that every person still serving an IPP sentence be resentenced. The continued use of this now-defunct punishment is both unjust and, arguably, inhumane. At its core, the IPP sentence allowed judges to hand out indeterminate prison terms for offences that did not justify life imprisonment but were deemed serious enough to warrant extended supervision. Offenders were given a 'tariff' – the minimum time they must serve before being considered for release. Many of these tariffs were shockingly short, some as low as two years. Yet thousands remain in prison long after these tariffs have expired. Why? Because release is dependent not on time served, but on proving to the Parole Board that they are no longer a danger to the public – a nebulous, subjective, and often unreachable standard. This flips the basic presumption of justice on its head. In a fair system, the state must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt to imprison a person. Under IPP, once the tariff is served, the burden of proof shifts unfairly to the prisoner. It is no longer the state's job to justify incarceration; it is the prisoner's burden to earn freedom. This is particularly problematic when access to rehabilitative programmes, often required for parole, is limited or unavailable – especially in overcrowded prisons. The system sets people up to fail and then blames them for not succeeding. Moreover, the psychological toll of such indefinite punishment is catastrophic. Suicide and self-harm rates among IPP prisoners are significantly higher than average. Many live in a state of constant uncertainty and despair, unsure if they will ever be released, even decades after their offence. It is not unusual to find individuals still imprisoned for minor crimes – such as theft or assault – that would today warrant only a few years behind bars, yet they languish without a release date. The punishment no longer fits the crime, if it ever did. The injustice of the IPP system has been widely recognised. The House of Commons justice committee labelled it "irredeemably flawed" and called for all remaining IPP prisoners to be resentenced. The European Court of Human Rights has also condemned aspects of the sentence as incompatible with human rights obligations. Yet the government has so far refused to act decisively, citing public safety and political sensitivity. This is a failure of courage and leadership. Protecting public safety does not require trampling basic rights or holding people indefinitely for crimes long past. Dangerous individuals can be managed through proper risk assessment and robust parole conditions – not through perpetual punishment without end. Resentencing every IPP prisoner is not only fair, it is necessary. It would give judges the opportunity to reconsider the nature and severity of each offence and impose a proportionate, fixed sentence with clear guidance for release. For many, this would mean immediate or imminent freedom; for others, it would offer clarity, rehabilitation goals, and hope – something the current system wholly lacks. Justice demands consistency, proportionality, and transparency. The IPP sentence undermines all three. Some argue that resentencing might release dangerous individuals back into society. But the risk can be responsibly managed without recourse to indeterminate detention. Modern sentencing tools, community supervision, mental health support, and parole frameworks are all capable of mitigating risk. Perpetual incarceration without due process is not a solution – it is a violation. Britain prides itself on the rule of law, but this chapter of penal policy betrays that principle. IPP sentences should not only be consigned to history – they must be actively undone. Every person still caught in this Kafkaesque trap deserves a proper sentence, a path to rehabilitation, and a chance at freedom. Anything less is a continuation of a deep and unforgivable wrong.

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