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Scotsman
4 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Scots 'living on financial knife-edge' with many just one emergency bill away from crisis
A new study has found Scots are continuing to be impacted by the cost-of-living crisis with many struggling to meet emergency costs. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scots are continuing to live 'on a financial knife-edge' with many just one unexpected bill away from crisis, a new study has revealed. The research sheds light on the continuing cost-of-living crisis with a warning that 'few Scots can see any light at the end of the tunnel'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A new Scottish Government campaign is encouraging peopleto get the help they need and are entitled to. The alarm comes after inflation jumped to the highest level in more than a year. Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation soared to 3.5 per cent in April, up from 2.6 per cent in March and the highest rate since January 2024, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Higher costs hitting Scots In April, council tax bills soared across Scotland while ScotRail fares increased by 3.8 per cent. On Friday, Ofgem confirmed that household energy bills will fall by 7per cent from July. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The typical bill will drop by £129 to £1,720 per year when the regulator's new price cap – which sets the limit on how much firms can charge customers per unit of energy – comes into force. But new findings from the Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker highlight the precarious financial position of many Scots, revealing that significant numbers are just one unexpected bill away from crisis. Many would struggle to pay emergency bills The study by the Diffley Partnership on behalf of the David Hume Institute, found that one in five people, 22 per cent, cannot cover a £100 emergency expense without borrowing money with the figure doubling to 44 per cent for a £500 cost - demonstrating a widespread lack of financial resilience. The research also exposes how economic insecurity is affecting wellbeing and productivity, with 95 per cent of respondents saying that people are less effective at work when financial stress disrupts sleep or nutrition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad READ MORE: Why the new Real Living Wage rate could boost Scottish Government coffers The latest research, which spoke to more than 2,000 Scots aged 16 or older in the first week of May, shows that one in four report having lost sleep due to concerns about money matters. The findings reveal strong public support for structural solutions with nine in 10 thinking employers have a responsibility to pay wages that meet people's basic needs. A total of 80 per cent said that failing to meet basic needs now will cost more in the long term while seven in 10 think there is a collective responsibility to maintain a safety net in tough times. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In Scotland, around 40 per cent of people on Universal Credit are in work. Scots split over solutions Since February, the number of Scots who think the cost-of-living and inflation is a priority has risen - up 2 percentage points to 36 per cent, behind healthcare and the NHS on 49 per cent, according to the study. There is less consensus around how to fund protections - with 39 per cent of respondents stating they would pay more in tax to ensure an effective social security safety net, while 38 per cent disagree. Scott Edgar, senior research manager, at the Diffley Partnership, said: 'This data shows that while some economic indicators may be stabilising, many people in Scotland are still living with significant financial uncertainty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'These pressures don't exist in isolation, they can affect people's health, their ability to work, and their overall sense of security. It's important we understand the scale of the issue and the potential long-term impact on the economy and society.' Susan Murray from the David Hume Institute said: 'These findings confirm too many Scots continue to live on a financial knife-edge. 'When people lack the means to absorb even small shocks, it doesn't just harm their wellbeing, it undermines our collective economic potential. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'A resilient economy needs more financially secure households. The majority of the public clearly understands this connection with strong support for fair wages and a robust safety net. 'Sadly despite some economic indicators beginning to change, few Scots can see any light at the end of the tunnel.' Energy support on the rise Citizens Advice Scotland were contacted by more than 4,000 people in the first three months of 2025 looking for advice on fuel vouchers and energy trust finds. Two fifths of people who contacted the organisation for energy-related issues asked for advice on this kind of emergency support. Nationally, domestic gas use fell by 12.7% in 2022. Picture: PA. People seeking advice from Citizens Advice Scotland had an average energy debt of £2,500 while the average energy debt in rural Scotland is more than £3,100. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An additional 1,100 people sought advice about getting discretionary credit for their prepayment meters. Emma Jackson, head of social justice at Citizens Advice Scotland, said the polling 'echoes the evidence and insight we see from our advisers across all corners of Scotland'. She added: 'People are experiencing real harm with many living with constant dread and worry because of the financial situations they've been forced to live with. "It's encouraging to see a high level of support for our collective responsibility to maintain a safety net. Now we need action. If we're to see the changes to social security required to ensure dignity, fairness and respect for everyone, we need urgent action from politicians." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad SNP ministers blamed Scottish Conservative shadow secretary for finance and local government, Craig Hoy, said: 'It comes as no surprise that Scots are losing sleep over money worries, given the nightmare pressures piled on them by this SNP government. MSP Craig Hoy led the debate last week 'It's not just that they face the highest income tax rates in the UK. It's that the SNP's policies on energy and net zero, their failure to tackle waste, and their regulations on everything from rent to minimum unit pricing and heat pumps to LEZs, have piled additional costs on household budgets. 'More and more people also feel pressure to pay for services that, under the SNP, are no longer available or will have unacceptable waiting times. Meanwhile, the UK government is flatlining the economy and imposing their own cuts agenda. 'Scottish households want to keep more of their hard-earned income, to see public services run responsibly, and to get value for money for their taxes. But with two left-wing governments, they are likely to face more anxiety and sleepless nights.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Efforts 'undermined' by Westminster A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'We continue to allocate over £3 billion a year to policies which tackle poverty and the cost of living. READ MORE: The damning level of winter energy debt revealed in briefing to Scottish Parliament 'Additionally, we will allocate over £15m to support advice services such as Citizens' Advice Scotland, StepChange and others to provide vital support to those with money worries and debt. We are also encouraging public bodies to promote empathy and dignity for people struggling with debt, and our Housing Bill will improve renter's rights. 'The Scottish Budget for 2025-26 prioritises action to eradicate child poverty, including through investment in breakfast clubs, employability services and developing the systems needed to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child cap in 2026. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Energy debt is at an all-time high and we continue to call on the UK government to deliver a social tariff in the form of an automatic and targeted discount on energy bills.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The History Of Sound' Review: Paul Mescal And Josh O'Connor Make Beautiful Music Together In Moving Love Story
On questionnaires for movie research screenings they always ask 'Choose words that best describe the film.' Okay, here are the words I would write down to best encapsulate the new film The History of Sound which had its world premiere tonight in competition at the Cannes Film Festival: Meditative. Beautiful. Musical. Reflective. Heartbreaking. Love. Quiet. Soothing. Life Affirming. Haunting. Tasteful. Adult. Unforgettable. The title makes it sound rather academic, but it certainly isn't that. Perhaps more pointedly it should have been called The Sound of Music, but I think somebody already had that. Okay, how about The Sounds of Music? Actually the title they have fits perfectly once you get to the end, but will it sell tickets? That is the problem for the distributor (Mubi in North America; Universal/Focus Features international), but the film itself, directed by Oliver Hermanus and written by Ben Shattock from his own short story, delivers. Hermanus also did the terrific remake of Kurosawa's Living, and he has made a quietly masterful love story here containing a wonderful lead performance from Paul Mescal and an equally fine supporting turn by Josh O'Connor. It simply envelopes you into its unique world and washes over you with a songbook of America, and a lyrically haunting gay love story at its center, one that describes that person who will always be your great love, no matter how much time you had with them. More from Deadline Josh O'Connor On 'The Mastermind', 'The History Of Sound', His Secret Spielberg Film & How Harris Dickinson Has Inspired Him To Direct Cannes Film Festival 2025: Read All Of Deadline's Movie Reviews Carla Simón's 'Romería' Gets 11-Minute Ovation In Cannes Debut Set in 1917, music students David (O'Connor) and Lionel (Mescal) find mutual love of folk music at the Boston Conservatory one night and it becomes the start of a beautiful friendship, and later love affair, when after serving in World War I David returns and summons Lionel to join him on what is called a 'Song Collecting' walk through Maine's backwoods in order to collect and preserve in cylinders unique folk songs that might not ever have been heard unless they went knocking on these rural households where authenticity lies. This relationship also finds them falling in love in a surprisingly casual way unusual for the times. It was meant to be and it was a life-altering trip, but after it was over both of their lives changed. Lionel went back to university in the UK, David stayed behind. Despite writing several letters and getting nothing back over the course of two or three years, Lionel would never hear from David again — or so he thinks. RELATED: In the meantime Lionel gets serious with a college student, Clarissa (a spirited Emma Canning), who encourages him to keep going at university. But when word reaches him that his mother (Molly Price) is dying he announces he is going back to Kentucky where he is from, and not coming back. Soon he will discover some startling truths as the music comes back into his life. Deliberately paced and gorgeously shot by Alexander Dynan, The History of Sound may unfold slowly but give it a chance and it will wrap you up and take you places movies don't often go these days. I realized watching this how few of these movies there are now in a time that doesn't want to finance films like Malick's Days of Heaven which is what this reminded me of in terms of visual sumptuousness and pace. Musically it is a wonder, with both O'Connor, and especially Mescal, proving they have the pipes to pull off a soundtrack of American folk obscurities that make this a must-have download. Lyrically the songs tell stories of everything from murder to love to morality to everyday emotions and feelings, and have been spectacularly arranged by famed recording artist Sam Amidon, who specializes in this area. 'Sweet Is The Day Of Sacred Rest,' 'Forked Deer,' 'The Unquiet Grave,' 'Fourteen Wildcat Scalps' and 'Across the Rocky Mountain' are just a sampling of titles, but the collective power of this music sweeps you away directly into this world of the road not taken. This may be Mescal's best work in films yet. You just ache for this guy who found the great love of his life only to let him slip through his hands without quite knowing it. His performance, like O'Connor's, whose character is ever-present even with far less screen time, is nicely understated and all the more effective for it. Both serve up haunting portrayals. Chris Cooper turns up near the end of the film to play a much older version of Lionel and is quite moving. Hadley Robinson also makes a strong impression in one key scene where a lot of revelations occur. Ultimately, The History of Sound belongs to Mescal and O'Connor, who both committed to it pre-pandemic well before either became Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning major stars. They stuck with it through all the delays and should be rewarded for their loyalty to Hermanus, who has made a film that will stay in your head for a very long time. It's that good. Producers are Lisa Ciuffetti, Hermanus, Andrew Kortschak, Sara Murphy, Thérèsa Ryan and Zhang Xin. Title: The History of SoundFestival: Cannes (Competition)Distributors: Mubi (North America); Universal/Focus Features (International)Director: Oliver HermanusScreenwriter: Ben ShattockCast: Paul Mescal, Josh O'Connor, Raphael Sbarge, Hadley Robinson, Emma Cannining, Molly Price, Tom Mills, Michael Schantz, Chris Cooper, Gary Raymond, Sam Breslin Wright, Stephanie FayermanRunning time: 2 hr 7 mins Best of Deadline Broadway's 2024-2025 Season: All Of Deadline's Reviews Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize Winners Through The Years Deadline Studio At Sundance Film Festival Photo Gallery: Dylan O'Brien, Ayo Edebiri, Jennifer Lopez, Lily Gladstone, Benedict Cumberbatch & More
NDTV
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Cannes 2025: Paul Mescal, Josh O'Connor's The History Of Sound Receives Six-Minute Standing Ovation
Los Angeles: Hollywood stars Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor's gay romance by Oliver Hermanus, titled The History of Sound earned a six-minute standing ovation. While Mescal received a standing ovation when walking in, O'Connor had to miss the premiere because he was finishing filming his part in Steven Spielberg's upcoming film and couldn't make it. 'This has been one of the most wonderful creative collaborations of my very, very short career, but this has been a testament to the genius of Paul Mescal,' said director Hermanus, reports Also in attendance were stars such as Gracie Abrams, who is dating Mescal, Jenny Slate, who is married to screenwriter Ben Shattuck, Michelle Rodriguez, Cara Delevingne and John C. Reilly. Based on Shattuck's short story of the same name, 'The History of Sound' follows the relationship between two men who travel to New England together in the summer of 1919 to record the folk songs of their rural countrymen. Alongside Mescal and O'Connor, the film stars Chris Cooper, Molly Price, Raphael Sbarge, Hadley Robinson, Emma Canning, Briana Middleton and Gary Raymond. South African director Hermanus directed and penned the screenplay. 'The History of Sound' marks Hermanus' sixth feature, with his most recent being 2022's 'Living' starring Bill Nighy. The last time Hermanus was in Cannes competition was in 2011 with his sophomore film 'Beauty,' which followed a closeted man coming to terms with his sexuality. The film won the festival's Queer Palm and was selected as South Africa's Oscars entry for best foreign language film, but did not ultimately make the shortlist. Mescal, the 'Normal People' and 'Gladiator II' star who is set to play Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes' four-part Beatles biopic, was most recently at Cannes with the 2022 coming-of-age drama 'Aftersun.' 'The History of Sound' marks the first Cannes visit for Emmy winner O'Connor, who also stars in another film in competition with Kelly Reichardt's 'The Mastermind.'
Leader Live
21-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
DWP Universal Credit, State Pension, Child Benefit changes
Monday May 26 is the second bank holiday in May, where payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) won't be made. If you are due to receive a DWP benefit payment, you may find you receive it early. While this may be positive for some claimants, others may find it harder to budget, with longer until their next payment is due. Payments due on Monday 26 May will usually be made on Friday 23 May. If your payment is due on a different day, it will arrive in your account as normal and the amount you are due to be paid will remain the same. These are the benefits that may be affected by the two May bank holiday weekends: Attendance Allowance Carer's Allowance Child Benefit Disability Living Allowance Employment and Support Allowance Income Support Jobseeker's Allowance Pension Credit Personal Independence Payment (PIP) State pension Tax Credits Universal Credit While you may be paid earlier in some cases, the money will also have to last you longer, as payment dates will return to normal afterwards. Recommended reading: Fiona Peake, Personal Finance Expert at Ocean Finance, says: 'Getting your money on Friday instead of the Monday might feel like a win going into the long weekend, but it means you'll have three extra days to stretch it. "That can throw your budget out, especially if you're living week to week. It's not always easy to hold back spending when your account's just been topped up but blowing through your benefit early could leave you short when it really matters. 'Most benefits hit accounts in the early hours, but if yours hasn't arrived by midday Friday, check your bank again before panicking. If nothing shows up, get on the phone. Don't wait until after the bank holiday when lines will be jammed. Contact Universal Credit, PIP or your relevant benefits line before 5pm Friday so there's still time to get help. 'Some people get caught out by thinking they'll always get their benefits early around a bank holiday. That's not the case. If your next due date falls on a normal working day, your payment will be back to its usual timing and if you've spent early, you might already be playing catch-up.' Five easy ways to make your money last over the bank holiday Freeze your card on payday: 'Sounds extreme, but if you've got a habit of splurging as soon as money lands, hit pause," says Fiona. "Most banking apps let you freeze your debit card instantly. It gives you a cooling-off period before impulse buys.' Treat Friday like Monday: 'Don't think of the early payment as a bonus. It's not. Treat Friday 23 May like it's your usual payday and plan your week as normal.' Check your direct debits: 'The early payment might not line up with when your bills go out, and that can leave you short just as rent or utilities come calling. Log into your bank now and check your direct debit dates. Shifting them by a few days can help you avoid missed payments and overdraft charges.' Stock up on cupboard staples: 'If you've got a bit of wiggle room, grab extra essentials like pasta, rice, and tinned goods. That way, if money's tight in the last few days before your next payment, you've got back-up.' Use the 'spare change' trick: 'Round up every spend to the nearest pound and stash the difference using an app or savings pot. It might only be a few quid, but it adds up fast and it's perfect for emergencies.' How about other bank holidays in 2025? These are the bank holidays in 2025, and the expected payment dates. (Image: DWP) Public holidays in Scotland and Northern Ireland Your payment might be delayed if the bank is closed for a public holiday on the day HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) pays you. Local holidays in Scotland Your payment might be delayed because of local holidays if you live in the following places: Glasgow - local holiday on 29 September Edinburgh - local holiday on 15 September Dundee - local holiday on 6 October Check with your bank for the date you'll get your payment.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘History of Sound' Director Oliver Hermanus on Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor's Deep Romance, Gay Sex Scene Discourse and His Alexander McQueen Biopic
Acclaimed director Oliver Hermanus ('Beauty,' 'Living') is back at the Cannes Film Festival after almost two decades, ready to bring some movie star heat and stir emotions with a lush romantic drama starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor. 'The History of Sound,' first conceived in early 2020 before the onset of coronavirus, instantly generated social media buzz on announcement. At the time, Mescal and O'Connor were fledgling internet boyfriends starring on prestige shows 'Normal People' and 'The Crown,' respectively. Five years later, and they're two of the most in-demand actors in show business. More from Variety Paul Mescal, Diane Kruger and More Toast to Rising Talent at Variety and Golden Globes' Cannes Breakthrough Artist Party India Cine Hub Drives Film Production Growth, International Collaboration Kevin Spacey to Make Surprise Appearance in Cannes to Accept a Lifetime Achievement Award at Better World Fund Gala (EXCLUSIVE) Adapted from a collection of short stories by author Ben Shattuck, the film follows Lionel (Mescal), a talent singer from rural Kentucky with big dreams. Attending the Boston Music Conservatory in 1920, he meets David (O'Connor), who is eventually drafted to war. Their attraction is instant and blossoms into a meaningful but fleeting romance, which Lionel reflects on throughout the course of a celebrated life and career. Variety caught up with Hermanus on the ground in Cannes to discuss the breathless road to production, current depictions of gay sex and intimacy on screen and the anticipated biopic he's got coming next. It's quite strange because, 14 years later, it feels very much the same. Everyone's got money, there's a lot of screaming and things are overpriced. Josh and I have the same agents in the U.K., and he read the short story around the same time as I did. We had a conversation, but then the world went into COVID lockdown and I went back to South Africa. He said to please keep him in my brain when I have a screenplay ready. That was easy to do. I met Paul when I cast him in 'Living,' which he wound up not having time to do. He and Josh also met around the same time. The film was always almost falling apart, but it worked out for us in a nice way and their careers have obviously skyrocketed. I went door-to-door with this movie to all the obvious places. So many people crunched the numbers. I'm pretty sure there's a literal machine at A24, a heavy old Oracle that shoots out a fax with a number. It always says '$8 million,' no matter what. I really couldn't do it for $8 million. Sara Murphy came on as a producer in late 2020 and we went to AFM and places like that [to raise money]. People said to me, 'These guys are wonderful, but they're TV stars.' Talking about Josh on 'The Crown' and Paul in 'Normal People.' Then Josh got 'Challengers' and Paul got 'Gladiator.' Somewhere around the Oscars in 2023, Paul and I were both there and talked to anyone who would listen about this movie. Miraculously, this came together before they got way too old to play these roles. Do you think? I make really sad movies. Yes, it's a very romantic story. It's a profound concept of nostalgia and using the metaphor of sound for how we retain feelings. Before the 20th century, that wasn't possible. How might it feel to hear your parents' voices long after they're dead? And yearning. It's an interesting thing to try to understand. We confuse yearning for obsession and unrequited love. You can long for someone, and not just because they aren't there. It's 2025, and queer audiences want more. We've all seen a lot of tropes, especially when it comes to biopics. I'm working on one right now about Alexander McQueen. He was a gay man, HIV positive, artist, genius, living in the world of fashion with addiction, and then there's suicide. I remember watching [Ryan Murphy's] 'Halston,' and seeing there is a path of queer people being successful and celebrated and flying too close to the sun. They are incinerated in some tragic ending. I think it sticks in our heads that that our lives could potentially go down this path, when our sexuality and lifestyles have a danger or sadness to them. All the secrecy and repression. I've made one, my film 'Beauty.' But I'd like to offer audiences something else, a different queer experience. Can you restore it, though? The cat's out the bag. I love films that have raw sexuality, it'll take a lot for me to be shocked or feel endangered by queer sex. I made a TV show in 2023 called 'Mary and George,' and we would stand on set trying to think of new sex positions. I would turn to Nicholas Galitzine and say, 'What have you not done?' He would go, 'I got fucked that way yesterday. I already did an orgy with that guy the other day. I topped that guy and bottomed for the other.' The intimacy coordinator would come over with an iPad and flip through new positions. It was the point where I was just trying to differentiate a French orgy from a British one, like Legos. There are moments, but I was very determined to not have the assumptions of sex scenes be pivotal, or gear changes in their relationship. That's not the film. They stick together from the first day they meet. What I love is the moments that bring sex about, and then the moments after. Josh's character has this amazing thing where he keeps collecting all the feathers that are falling out of Paul's pillow and stuffing them back in. That's romance. Tradition is such an interesting American theme. We think of America as a young country compared to Europe, but there's a long history and it's fascinating to see these roots. You find things like the songs Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone sang, the songs that Joni Mitchell sang. They all come from this process of other people coming from Ireland and England and Africa to the U.S. to converge into a tapestry. The music goes way back and carries religious and racial context, especially roots in slavery. It shows you how rooted America is in being a country of immigrants. I inherited this after it was in development for many, many years. I've started from scratch. My friend Harry Lighton [director of this year's Cannes entry 'Pillion'] wrote the screenplay for me. McQueen is a hard one. How do you make a biopic about a man who defies a biopic? It has to be form and genre bending. The great Sandy Powell, who I worked with on 'Living,' she and I have been talking a lot about McQueen. If the art of the movie is fashion, that's a really meta moment for someone like Sandy to achieve. It's one of our biggest challenges. If you did a movie about Da Vinci, do you just print out the Mona Lisa? Or do you have someone repaint it? Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
