Covid-19 sparked a “race for space” among householders fleeing cities and searching out bigger homes. A tentative recovery in the market after lockdown ended morphed into a raging boom after the chancellor cut stamp duty in England and Northern Ireland until 31 March 2021. Wales and Scotland followed suit, although the cuts were not as…
As millions shop online for Christmas, they are being targeted by fraudsters sending scam texts and emails. These claim to be from the courier service DPD or Royal Mail, and say the firm has been unable to deliver an item. Now highly prevalent, they feature a link to a website where the receiver is asked…
The latest version of the help-to-buy equity loan scheme opened on Wednesday, with first-time buyers now the only people allowed to apply for government assistance to get on to the housing ladder. The scheme, which allows buyers to borrow up to 20% of a new-build property’s value, or 40% in London, will no longer be…
Almost a fifth of UK households have struggled to pay their TV, internet and phone bills this year, with some resorting to cutting spend on food and clothes to make payments, according to research from Ofcom that highlights the pressure the pandemic has put on people’s finances. Research conducted by the telecoms regulator found that…
His romcom Love Actually is frequently voted the nation’s favourite Christmas film but Richard Curtis’s latest festive offering aims to shock viewers into action, as well as make them laugh. The screenwriter and director has launched a short tongue-in-cheek film that aims to raise awareness of how people’s pension cash may be financing industries that…
The BT subsidiary Openreach is to hire more than 5,000 engineers to accelerate the rollout of next-generation full-fibre broadband across the UK. Openreach, which controls most of the UK’s broadband network, is investing £12bn to connect 20m homes and businesses by the end of the decade. About 2,500 of the new roles will be at…
