Welfare, winter fuel payments and Trump: key markers of Labour's first year in power
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Telegraph
19 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Slash welfare for migrants to save the taxpayer
After a year in office, the travails of Sir Keir Starmer's Government can be summarised neatly in two words: 'benefits' and 'migration'. The British state has proven unable to tackle either, and the associated costs are proving ruinous, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves now looking at further tax rises as a result of Labour's welfare U-turn. These issues, too, are compounding one another. Rising worklessness feeds demand for migration even as Britain's apparent desire to act as the world's welfare state aids in fuelling the supply. With his half-hearted attempt at addressing one of these issues shredded by militant Left-wing backbenchers, Sir Keir now appears utterly devoid of ideas for addressing either. The Conservative Party is not, and is now calling on the Government to bar non-citizens from claiming the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and sickness top-ups to Universal Credit, with an exemption for those EU citizens given special status under the Brexit deal. The savings could prove to be substantial, with recent figures showing that the cost of benefits claims by households with at least one foreign national have doubled in recent years to nearly £1 billion a month. The overall bill for PIP, and its predecessor the Disability Living Allowance, is set to reach £28 billion a year by 2028-29. With the British state under increasing fiscal strain, and taxpayers in turn shouldering an ever greater burden for the maintenance of the welfare state, it is evident to all but the Labour backbenches that something must be done to rein in eligibility. Some of these measures should target the criteria through which conditions become eligible for payment – some 122,855 people were receiving enhanced PIP mobility payments in March for mixed anxiety and depressive disorders, figures which are hard to credit as a legitimate reflection of need – but others should look to reassert the idea that the welfare state is for the welfare of Britain and not the wider world. If they do not, we will find that we implicitly accept the inexorable growth of the state, and its demands on those generous enough to work to fund it. It is quite clear which direction Sir Keir's government is heading in, with Labour signing Britain up to a United Nations pact which makes 42 references to taxation, including specific mentions of 'high-net-worth individuals' and 'progressive tax systems'. While not a binding commitment on the behalf of this country, it is a strong indicator of where this Government's instincts lie – and where, come the Autumn Budget, the blow to taxpayers is likely to fall. The Conservatives deserve credit for being willing to push for a viable alternative.
The Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
Dramatic new jetski tactic used by French cops to stop migrant dinghies sailing to Britain revealed
FRENCH cops have secretly been using jet skis to lay nets in the sea to stop migrant boats sailing to Britain. The new tactic involves netting that jams a dinghy's propeller and brings it to a safe stop in shallow water. 2 It was part of a trial which also saw police wade into the water to puncture a migrant boat with a knife on Friday. The moves come ahead of a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron this week. He will announce strategies to allow cops to enter shallow water to stop the boats at a summit with Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday. Measures will be put into practice within weeks and eventually become a daily activity for officers. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'Over the last few months, we have been working together on new ways to crackdown on the criminal gang operations, with the French now bringing in important new tactics to stop boats that are in the water. 'We need to stop at nothing to boost our border security.' The Tories had first planned to use jet skis in 2021 but the idea to intercept boats in British waters and spin them back to France was considered too dangerous. Whackier ideas discussed in previous years include wave machines, a floating 'wall' in the Channel and moving migrants to decommissioned oil platforms. Ms Cooper is also looking at cracking down on illegal work after the French blamed the UK's black market economy as a pull on migrants. Pressure is on after the number of people who have arrived in the UK by small boat this year passed 20,000 — despite £500million handed to France to curb crossings. French cops SLASH small boat & drag it to shore as conveniently placed BBC crew film scene And despite the tougher methods by the French this week boats have continued to set sail for Dover. A deal to return migrants to France in a 'one in, one out' scheme is still being worked out days before Mr Macron lands in the UK. It could see Channel migrants sent back to France and swapped for asylum seekers with family connections in the UK. 2
The Sun
34 minutes ago
- The Sun
How long it will take you to save for a home deposit depending on your salary
SAVING up for a house deposit if you're earning an average annual salary of £37,000 could take 12 years, but there are ways to fast-track becoming a first-time buyer. With lending rules easing, a mortgage rate summer price war and an interest rate cut looming, experts say now is a good time to get on the property ladder. Lucy Andrews and Emiy Mee explain everything you need to know. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE PROPERTY MARKET In March, strict lending rules about how much buyers can borrow, called the 'stress test', were eased by the city watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority. This made it easier for banks to lend more money to buyers. Since then a price war has broken out among lenders, triggering a flurry of cheaper mortgage deals. Banking giants including Barclays, Nationwide, Halifax and HSBC slashed rates this week, and there are now 65 deals offering fixed rates below four per cent. Even better, rates could fall even further from next month with a drop to the Bank of England base rate widely anticipated. This depends on how much you earn and can put aside, who you're buying with and the price of the property. The average house price is £265,497, so a ten per cent deposit would be £26,549. If you earn the average salary of £37,000 a year, and save five per cent of it (£1,850pa) in a three per cent savings account, it would take 12 years, according to numbers crunched by Hargreaves Lansdown for Sun Money. That's down from 2020, when it would have taken 13 years to save when the average salary was £31k and the average house price was £228,446. Mortgage help ends TODAY and more hot water info released TAKE A SAVINGS SHORTCUT There are a number of ways you can accelerate your path to becoming a homeowner. BANK OF MUM AND DAD If your parents are lucky enough to have savings then they might be willing to give you some cash to put towards a deposit. The Bank of Mum and Dad handed down £9.6billion in 2024, according to estate agent Savills. Parents can still help, even if they don't have cash to spare. They can list their income on the mortgage to boost the amount their child can borrow on guarantor mortgages. Their savings or home will be used as collateral against their child's mortgage application. 'These mortgages are really popular,' said Harry Arnold from the broker Anderson Harris. Beware, parents will have to foot the monthly mortgage bill if the kids can't keep up with payments. THE BANK ACCOUNT TO OPEN Push your savings further by opening a Lifetime Isa. These are generous tax-free savings accounts designed for first-time buyers or saving for retirement. The Government boosts your savings by an extra 25 per cent. You can put in £4,000 a year (which is a whopping 10.8 per cent of a £37,000 salary), which means a maximum bonus of £1,000 per year. However, even if you can't put the maximum in a Lifetime ISA, and put in five per cent of a £37,000 salary (£1,850pa) you would be able to buy in ten years — two years quicker than saving without one. If you were able to save the maximum £4,000 plus £1,000 bonus, it would take you about five years. 'The Lifetime Isa is a brilliant way to turbo boost your savings, and gets you a step closer to owning your first home,' said Sarah Coles from Hargreaves Lansdown. The value of the house must be £450,000 or below, and you will only be able to withdraw money from your account after 12 months of opening it to qualify for the bonus. Otherwise you pay a nasty 25 per cent penalty. NO-DEPOSIT MORTGAGES Some lenders offer no-deposit mortgages, also known as 100 per cent track record mortgages. These are controversial, partly because they were seen to fuel the 2008 financial crisis, but also because they often have higher rates and there is a much higher chance of you falling into negative equity. 'These mortgages may not be a solution for everyone,' said David Hollingworth from the broker L&C Mortgages. 'Do your research carefully and get advice.' SCHEMES TO CHECK Keep an eye out for the reboot of the mortgage guarantee scheme. It closed last month, but the Government has promised it will launch a new version soon. Lenders who signed up were offering mortgages where you only need a five per cent deposit. The First Homes scheme, which gives a discount of 30 to 50 per cent off a new-build home, is also worth considering. Your income must be £80,000 or less. You'll need to be able to get a mortgage for at least half the price of the home. Shared ownership — where you own a smaller percentage of the property and rent the rest — is popular too. But it has drawbacks, such as rising service charges and fees. Often it's available on new-build properties, which suffer from lower house-price growth. 2 YOUR RIGHTS ON CANCELLED FLIGHTS TENS of thousands of holidaymakers who have seen their getaways ruined by flight cancellations this week have been urged to check their refund rights. As many as 36,000 passengers saw their flights cancelled this week due to strikes over working conditions and pay. 2 EasyJet, Ryanair and AirFrance customers were affected. Ryanair also warned of record flight delays this summer. So what are your rights? GET A REFUND: If your flight takes off or lands in the UK or EU, you are covered by rules that mean you can get a refund and compensation. Connecting flights are covered, but you must have booked all legs of the journey at the same time. Affected passengers will be legally entitled to a full refund or a replacement flight. Airlines don't have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather. 'Passengers should also be provided free refreshments or accommodation, if appropriate to the length of the delay,' said Rory Borland from the consumer site Which?. If you fork out for anything yourself, keep the receipts in a safe place and claim the money back from your airline. Ask your airline for details about how to make a claim for a refund. CLAIM COMPENSATION: If the airline cancelled less than 14 days before departure, or your replacement flight means you arrive at least two hours late to your destination, you could get compensation. How much you could receive will depend on the distance of your flight and the length of delay, but it could be worth between £110 and £520. You'll get the maximum amount if the flight distance is more than 3,500km and you arrive at least four hours after your booked flight should have arrived. Check the Citizens Advice website ( which gives a compensation breakdown for all events. Contact your airline and ask how to make a claim for compensation. You have six years to make a claim, but don't delay – do it quickly before you forget. Write down what happened and provide any evidence, such as receipts. If your flight doesn't begin or end in the UK or EU, check the terms and conditions of the airline's policy. The compensation you receive will depend on the rules in the country the airline is based. HAVING TROUBLE? If you've made a claim for compensation and your airline isn't playing ball, you can complain. Check if the airline is a member of an alternative dispute resolution scheme. You can do this by visiting the Civil Aviation Authority website and searching your airline's name. If it's not part of an alternative dispute resolution scheme, complain to the Civil Aviation Authority.
