Latest news with #BACS
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Families on Universal Credit can apply for free cash worth £600 to help with the cost of living – are you eligible?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THOUSANDS of households can get up to £600 of free cost of living cash. The money comes from the Government's Household Support Fund, which has given councils a share of £742million to help struggling residents. 1 Thousands of families can get free cash payments of up to £600 Credit: Getty Eligibility criteria varies depending on where you live but help is usually offered to those on benefits or a low income. Eligible households in Richmond, London, will get payments of up to £600 to help cover the cost of food, energy bills, clothes or other household essentials. Those on Universal Credit or other benefits can apply but you don't need to be receiving them to get the cash. How much you will get depends on the number of people in your household and if you have any children. Households with one or more adults could get grants of up to £300. Meanwhile, for those with one child the payment rises to £500. Or families with two children or more can get up to £600. To be eligible for the grant you must be over the age of 18 and live in the London Borough of Richmond. You also need to be struggling with the impact of rising cost of food and energy or continue to be impacted by Covid-19. This could be for a variety of reasons including: Reduced pay or lost job Benefits issues, including Universal Credit Struggling to afford food, energy costs and other essentials including white goods Extra costs as a result of Covid-19 Household Support Fund If your application is successful then you will get the grant via a BACS payment into your account or as supermarket vouchers. For more information on the grant or to apply contact Citizens Advice Richmond by calling 080 82 78 78 73. The lines are open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. You can also apply for the grant by completing an online form on the website. How to cut your bills IF you're struggling financially, you might be able to cut the cost of your bills to help you get out of the red. Council tax: You can apply for a council tax reduction on the website but you'll need to meet certain criteria. Your bill could be cut by as much as 100 per cent if you're on a low income or claim benefits. Carers who look after someone in the household for at least 35 hours a week are also exempt from paying. Water: Households might be able to save money by getting a water meter but it all depends on how much you're using. To check if it's finacially worthwhile, use the Consumer Council for Water's free ater meter calculator. Rent: If you have the space available and your landlord or local authority says it's ok to do so, you might want to consider getting a flatmate. Not only will you split the cost of the rent, but also the other bills. Hire purchase: If you're struggling to make your repayments on your hire purchase, you can usually end the contract by returning the goods. You will have to pay all the instalments due up to the time you end the agreement but this will limit the amount you owe. Contact Citizens Advice for free for more help with this. Gas and electricty: MoneySavingExpert says families can save £330 on average by switching from Standard Variable Tariffs (SVTs) to a better rate. Use a comparison site such as MoneySuperMarket or Energyhelpline to see what deals are available. Mortgage: If you get into debt with your mortgage payments, don't wait for your lender to chase you. Work out what you can afford using the Citizens Advice budgeting tool so you can discuss your payment options moving forward with your mortgage provider. Secured Loan: Your secured loan might be covered by the Consumer Credit Act and if it is, you may be able to apply for a Time Order. This is a special agreement by the courts allowing you more time to make payments. Secured loans not covered by the Consumer Credit Act include gas, electricity or water meters, payments that need to be written off in full, mortgages, credit union loans, loans from an employer and some short term trade agreements. County Court Judgements: If you receive a County Court claim form talk to a free debt advice service straight away. This includes Citizens Advice (0808 800 9060), StepChange (0800 138 1111) and the National Debtline (0808 808 4000). TV licence: Some households are eligible for a reduced fee or free TV Licence. Check here to see if you are entitled to a reduced or free rate. What other help is available? Portsmouth Portsmouth residents who are struggling to pay their bills can apply for an exceptional hardship payment worth up to £1,000. But applications close at 12 noon on June 12 so you will need to act fast. Applications may also close early if the funds have been used up. You will need to provide evidence of your income and bank accounts. You will also need to explain what you have done to improve your financial situation and why you need the help. The exact amount you receive depends on your household size. The maximum amount is £800 for six or more people. One person can get £350, two people £420, three people £500, four people £600 and five people £700. Households who are considered to have the greatest need can be awarded a further £200, bringing their total payment up to £1,000. To apply, visit the website. Somerset Thousands of households in North Somerset can apply for £100 worth of cash to help with the cost of living. The fund will see more than £2.3million handed out to struggling families, pensioners and vulnerable residents across the region. As part of this, children across North Somerset will be provided with a food voucher next month. In total, around 5,200 children who are eligible for free school meals will automatically receive a £100 food voucher in June with no application required. Hull Thousands of families in Hull can apply for £200 worth of cash this summer. The fund will be used to give eligible pensioners £200 to help them cover their costs after the Government made cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment. Meanwhile, low income families will be eligible for a £40 school uniform grant, as well as food vouchers in school holidays for those eligible for free school meals. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Finextra
14-05-2025
- Business
- Finextra
The New Payout Standard: Five Shifts Redefining How Money Moves Around the World: By Aron Alexander
Picture a rideshare driver that finishes her day and needs gas money now—not Friday when weekly payouts process. Elsewhere, a digital creator waits three days for payment to clear, forcing him to delay rent. Meanwhile, a global marketplace loses thousands of sellers who migrate to a competitor offering same-day settlement. These moments reveal a frustrating truth: despite advances in financial technology, the infrastructure that moves $30 trillion in B2C payouts annually remains stuck in the past. The traditional payment rails that move money today weren't built for platforms paying millions across borders. They weren't designed for a world where financial value flows alongside information. And they certainly weren't created with the understanding that payment experience shapes everything from talent retention to global competitiveness. Five fundamental shifts are transforming how businesses approach payouts. These shifts present significant opportunities for businesses ready to adapt to Universal Payouts, an approach where everyone, everywhere has access to money in every way possible. 1. Legacy Infrastructure: When Old Roads Can't Handle New Traffic Traditional payment systems were built for consumers pulling money from accounts to make purchases. They were never designed for platforms pushing thousands of small payments outward daily to workers, creators and customers scattered across the globe. Legacy systems like ACH, BACS, and SWIFT operate on fixed schedules with predetermined pathways. But when a marketplace needs to pay 10,000 sellers across dozens of countries or when a gig platform processes millions of earnings requests in real-time, these limitations become business-critical bottlenecks. Slapping new interfaces on old infrastructure just masks the problem. True modernization demands: Settlement that happens now, not during tonight's batch processing Money that behaves like software—programmable, automated, configurable Unified systems where dollars, gift cards, points and digital currencies flow through common channels For growing platforms, instant payouts aren't luxury—they're survival. When money moves slowly, trust erodes quickly. 2. Value Translation: The Local Language of Money Walk down a street in Manila, Mumbai and Miami, and you'll find completely different financial ecosystems. Yet too many companies treat money as one-size-fits-all. A $100 digital prepaid card might work beautifully for someone in Chicago but create frustration for a recipient in rural India. A bank transfer taking three days might be tolerable in some contexts but relationship-ending in others. Someone in Kenya may depend on M-Pesa for daily transactions, while a recipient in the Philippines needs GCash to function in their local economy. Universal Payouts systems don't just deliver currency—they translate value across these diverse ecosystems. They recognize context: the person receiving funds, their location and what form of payment creates maximum utility in their specific circumstances. When an education platform lets teachers choose between instant local bank deposits, mobile wallet transfers or prepaid cards, they're not being nice—they're being smart. They're creating the seamless experience that keeps their ecosystem vibrant. 3. The Workforce Factor: When Payment Experience Upstages Amount Independent work is expanding three times faster than traditional employment. For platforms depending on this talent, how people get paid has become as crucial as how much. The numbers tell the story: 72% of independent workers say they'd abandon a platform over poor payment experiences. People choose gig work, freelancing and creator paths partly for autonomy—yet, nearly as many also consider fast and reliable payouts critical to their work. The winners in this new labor landscape grasp this reality instinctively. Earnings and fees transparency, payment speed and flexible payout options aren't nice extras—they're competitive weapons in the battle for talent. When someone can tap "cash out" after completing work and see funds instantly available, their relationship with a platform fundamentally changes. 4. Loyalty Reimagined: From Points to Personalization Traditional loyalty programs are fading. Static point systems and generic discounts can't compete with personalized value that feels relevant and immediate. The research backs this up: 54% of consumers join loyalty programs specifically for customized rewards. More tellingly, 74% engage more when redemption happens instantly. The message? People don't want generic rewards—they want meaningful value delivered when and how they prefer it. When a travel company lets customers instantly convert points to gift cards, cash back or partner perks—all accessible within seconds—they transform transactional exchanges into emotional connections. Sophisticated brands have figured out that loyalty isn't built through accumulation—it's built through meaningful exchange. That exchange resonates most powerfully when customers control how value reaches them. 5. Payout Infrastructure Unification: Breaking the Complexity Trap Look behind the scenes at most global companies and you'll find payout chaos—different providers for different regions, methods and recipient types. This fractured approach creates a management nightmare of reconciliation, compliance and engineering headaches. The approach functions adequately—until the company needs to expand, introduce new payout options or scale operations. Suddenly the complexity becomes paralyzing. Finance teams drown in reconciliation work. Engineering resources get diverted to maintenance rather than innovation. Companies breaking free from this trap are unifying their entire payout infrastructure on platforms built for global scale. This isn't merely about simplification; it's about strategic positioning. When a marketplace consolidates multiple regional payment systems into one unified platform, they gain the ability to enter new markets in days instead of months. They create consistency across regions. They free resources to focus on growth rather than maintenance. The Last Mile That Matters Payouts represent the moment of truth in the commitment a business makes to its stakeholders. When a platform promises to pay drivers, reward customers, or compensate creators, that promise culminates when money actually lands where it needs to go. Fail at that moment—through delays, complications, or rigidity—and trust evaporates instantly. Nail it, and you build the foundation for lasting relationships. The leaders reshaping commerce understand that payouts aren't just financial transactions—they're expressions of value that strengthen or weaken the bonds between platforms and the people powering them. In an economy built on trust and connection, payment experience may be the decisive factor determining which businesses flourish and which fade away. The future of Universal Payouts isn't just faster or cheaper money movement—it's fundamentally more attuned to human needs. It recognizes that behind every transaction stands a person with unique circumstances and expectations. The platforms grasping this reality aren't just moving money better—they're building ecosystems where value flows naturally to everyone involved.
National Post
02-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Christopher Dummitt: The radical takeover of a Canadian studies conference in Britain
Article content She celebrated Indigenous people's spiritual connection to the land before sneering as she talked about how the settlers came and commodified it. There were the expected jokes about Elon Musk, U.S. President Donald Trump and the patriarchy. Article content But there didn't seem to be any awareness of the large body of academic literature that has linked the rise of democracies in the modern era with property rights and the claim they have given citizens to demand attention from the state. It could all be summed up as 'Indigenous peoples good, capitalism bad.' Article content One academic seriously claimed that there was on ongoing racist state project in Canada to forcibly sterilize Indigenous women. This would, of course, be horrific. She didn't note, however, that the Indigenous fertility rate is higher than the Canadian average. So if there really is such a program, it's not only horrifically racist, it's also pretty inept. Article content In private conversations in the hallways, more moderate academics would sheepishly shake their heads at some of the more egregious claims. When one keynote speaker talked about the future of Canadian studies being activism and more activism, some did whisper that perhaps this wasn't exactly the search for truth about their country that intellectuals ought to be engaged in. But no one openly voiced this criticism in the session itself. Article content In a final session on the Canadian election, the room was filled with people with an ideological diversity that ranged from socialists on the one side all the way to left-leaning Liberals on the other. Someone fretted (and expected everyone to empathize with the concern) that despite what the polls were saying, the Conservatives might win the election. God forbid! Article content The Trump era is exactly the time for the Canadian government to think about reinvigorating its links to the Commonwealth and other parts of the world. Canada needs to spread its wings and BACS, with all its eccentricity, could be part of that. Article content But before this could happen, Canadian universities need to deal with their zany radical leftist problem, and create a culture that calls out the truly bizarre and outrageous claims being made by activists posing as scholars. They would never let radical right-leaning scholars get away with making the same kinds of claims. Article content Article content
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Energy Efficiency: LACROIX confirms its growing momentum in the Heating Networks and Building Management Systems markets.
28/04/2025 Energy Efficiency:LACROIX confirms its growing momentumin the Heating Networks and Building Management Systems markets In a context of energy transition and rising energy costs, the market for remote management solutions for heating networks and Building Management Systems shows strong growth decarbonization, and energy price volatility are reinforcing this momentum, further supported by public policies. In France, the number of district heating networks has doubled in 10 years, surpassing 1,000 networks in 2023, with more than 50,000 substations. On the Building Management Systems (BMS) and Building Automation Systems (BAS) side, the BACS decree (Building Automation & Control Systems) mandates the automation of commercial buildings starting January 1st, 2025. However, only 15% were equipped in 2024, revealing a highly underexploited market (source: GIMELEC).With its lean, reliable, and interoperable IIoT solutions, LACROIX is ideally positioned to capture this the HVAC segment (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) of the Environment activity, which recorded a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10% over the 2021–2024 period, has seen a significant sales acceleration in early 2025, allowing the Group to target a record year in this segment. With more than 20 years of expertise in HVAC infrastructure management markets and technological synergies within its Environment activity, LACROIX's IoT solutions cover the entire equipment chain from sensors to secured software platforms. Backed by a service model recognized for its proximity and tailored support, this end-to-end solutions offering makes LACROIX a trusted partner for major private operators such as ENGIE Solutions or DALKIA, who rely on LACROIX solutions to digitize and secure their operating networks. In addition to its growth in the French market, LACROIX can also rely on its two subsidiaries in Italy and Spain, as well as its network of 'channel partners,' to position and market its HVAC offerings across international development is one of the strategic pillars of the Group's 2027 roadmap. 'The current momentum around district heating networks and building management systems confirms the rise of this strategic market for LACROIX. Our ambition is to meet it with useful, reliable, and cybersecure solutions, as well as with close, hands-on support that reflects our company leveraging the technological and commercial synergies of our Environment activity, we are accelerating our commercial deployment and are able to respond to market demands by providing our clients with robust, simple, and competitive solutions designed to address their operational challenges' added Vincent Bedouin, Chairman and CEO of LACROIX Group Upcoming reportsQ1 2025 Revenue: May 15, 2025 after market close Visit our investor relations page to find financial information: About LACROIX Convinced that technology must contribute to simple, sustainable, and safer environments, LACROIX supports its customers in developing more sustainable living ecosystems, thanks to useful, robust, and secure electronic equipment and connected technologies. As a listed, family-owned midcap with a €636 million revenue in 2024, LACROIX combines agile innovation, industrialization capacity, cutting-edge technological know-how and a long-term vision to meet environmental and societal challenges through its activities: Electronics and Environment. Ranked among the TOP 50 worldwide and TOP 10 European EMS, the activity Electronics, the Group's industrial backbone, designs and manufactures industrial IoT solutions (hardware, software, and cloud) and electronic equipment for the automotive, industrial, connected homes and buildings (HBAS), avionics and defense, and healthcare sectors. Through its activity Environment, LACROIX also supplies secure and connected electronic equipment and IoT solutions to optimize the management of water networks, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installations, as well as smart grids and public lighting networks. Contact LACROIX COO & Executive VP Finance Nicolas Bedouin investors@ Tel: +33 (0)2 72 25 68 80 ACTIFIN Press Relations Jennifer +33 (0)1 56 88 11 29 ACTIFIN Financial Communication Marianne Py Tel: +33 (0)6 88 78 59 99 Attachment 202504_LACROIX_HVAC-Momentum_Business_Story _ENSign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Check to see if you were a Premium Bonds draw winner this April
Were you one of the winners in April's National Savings and Investments (NS&I) premium bonds draw? Once again, two lucky players won £1m each this month. The first winning bond number drawn was 494WG724922 and is held by a winner based in South Yorkshire. The winner has £43,165 in premium bonds and purchased their winning bond in March 2022. They become the third jackpot winner from South Yorkshire. The second winning bond number drawn was 418AW560890 by a new millionaire from Hertfordshire. The winner holds £50,000 in premium bonds and purchased the winning bond in October 2020. To date, they are the 17th premium bonds jackpot millionaire from Hertfordshire. Andrew Westhead, NS&I retail director, said: "Huge congratulations to our winners in South Yorkshire and Hertfordshire – these April jackpots highlight the life-changing potential of premium bonds for savers everywhere. "It's not just about the jackpot millionaires – this month, ERNIE [the random number generator] awarded more than 5.9 million prizes worth over £412m, giving many customers something to smile about. 'Premium bonds holders can check if they've won a prize from 2nd April on our quick and easy NS&I prize checker app." Read more: What are the odds of winning a premium bonds prize? Unlike other investments, where investors earn interest or a regular dividend income, bonds are entered into a monthly prize draw where people can win between £25 and £1m. All premium bonds prizes are free of UK income tax and capital gains tax. The chances of all bonds winning are the same, regardless of when or where they were bought. Even if you did not get a winning ticket this time, be sure to check for any unclaimed prizes. Prizes do not expire, meaning you can claim as far back as the original 1957 draw. Premium bond holders can reduce the chances of their prizes going unclaimed by managing their premium bonds online or opting to have any prizes paid directly into their bank accounts by BACS, with notification by email. In South Yorkshire, there are 23,241 unclaimed prizes worth £867,850. The largest unclaimed prize in the region is worth £25,000 and is from the November 2022 draw. The oldest win dates back to 1957 by someone who holds £100. In Hertfordshire, there are 56,335 unclaimed prizes worth £2,083,850. There are two unclaimed £25,000 prizes, from June 2023 and September 2021. There are also two £10,000 prizes waiting to be claimed and six £5,000 prizes. Read more: Gold climbs to new highs as investors brace for Trump tariffs Overall in the UK, there are currently 2,547,426 unclaimed premium bonds prizes worth £97m waiting to be claimed. A total of 5.91 million prizes worth £412m will be paid out in the April prize draw. There were 130,108,160,431 bond numbers eligible for the draw. Customers can check the premium bonds prize checker on the NS&I website or download the app to see if they have won. The odds of any £1 bond number winning a prize are 22,000 to one. The prize fund rate for premium bonds was reduced from 4% to 3.8% from the April 2025 prize draw. Still, the odds of winning will remain the in to access your portfolio
