Latest news with #NFUMutual
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
CAFRE Enniskillen campus gears up for Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend
CAFRE Enniskillen Campus will welcome pre-registered school groups on Friday, June 13, and will open to the public on Saturday, June 14 from 10:30am to 4pm for the Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend. Visitors can enjoy a range of family-friendly activities including self-guided farm tours, horse and machinery displays, seed planting, countryside games, farrier and beekeeping demonstrations, a treasure hunt, and a fun farm quiz. Organised by the Ulster Farmers' Union, with Bank of Ireland as the title sponsor, alongside platinum sponsor NFU Mutual, retail sponsor Asda, and event partners Livestock & Meat Commission NI, Pilgrim's Europe, Thompsons and the Irish Farmers Journal, the event aims to help the public - especially those from non-farming backgrounds - to better understand how our food is produced and highlight the importance of the local supply chain. This year's event will also spotlight the role farmers play in the community, the heritage of farming, diversification, and the nutritional benefits of locally produced food. Each participating farm, including CAFRE Enniskillen Campus, is a working or family farm not normally open to the public. On public open days, visitors receive a free behind-the-scenes pass to witness firsthand the care and dedication involved in food production. There's also the chance to meet the farmers and, on some farms, taste or purchase local produce - reinforcing the value of supporting your community by buying local. For full event details of participating farms and opening times, visit
Belfast Telegraph
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Mastermind duo who met in Belfast so glad that they made a pass at one another
A couple who travelled here as quiz show rivals ended up as lovers following the show — after chatting at the airport before their flight back to England. Claire Reynolds and John Robinson were both competing in the final of the famous programme, which was filmed in the city. The nailbiting episode took place in November, but was only broadcast this week on BBC Two. Claire (42), an actuary with NFU Mutual who is from Stratford-upon-Avon, was beaten by a point in the dying seconds. But rather than feeling resentful of victor John, also 42 and a teacher from Sutton Coldfield, in the end love won — with the the pair hooking up after discovering they had a lot in common. 'The show was shot in Belfast and we were both flying back to Birmingham and we were on a flight together,' John explained. 'After we filmed the final, we had some time to kill at the airport. So we had a few drinks together and then got the plane back together and stayed in touch. 'Although we started as friends, it's more than that now. It did generally just start with the two of us just going out and having a drink together over a pop quiz. We happened to be single. And then, naturally, one thing led to another, and we became a couple.' Now the Mastermind powerhouses like to quiz together. 'We've teamed up on a few occasions to do pop quizzes and stuff together,' explained John. 'So we've gone from being rivals on the show to working together as a team. Although I think I'm probably more competitive than Claire is.' To prove the point, John won £500,000 on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in 2019. Claire is also a regular on the local quiz scene. She said: 'I've always been a quizzer, and am part of a team on a Monday night. 'All my life I've done pub quizzes and always watched quiz shows on the TV. I still don't really know what possessed me, but at the start of 2024 I decided to apply for Mastermind.' And that one point loss continues to rankle for Claire. She said: 'It will always kind of be in the back of my mind because there were a few questions where I knew the answer, but because I was trying to answer quickly, the wrong thing came out. So that will always be there, but I don't mind, he was a very good quizzer.' Claire had scored 12 points and no passes on her specialist round on mathematician Emmy Noether, and 17 on general knowledge. John scored 12 and got one wrong with no passes on his specialist subject, the Empire State Building, leaving him needing more than 17 points in the general knowledge round to secure the win. Recalling the final, John said: 'I was the last to play and needed to beat Claire's score of 29, but you can't think about that, you just have to focus on the questions, really. By the time I got to the end I had no idea if I had beaten her, lost or drawn — there's no running score in the studio. 'It was only when presenter Clive Myrie said 'congratulations, you've done it, you've scored 30 points', that I finally realised.' After acing the online quiz and a video audition, and more cunning questions, Claire made her first appearance last August. She came second but had a high score as a runner-up and made it through the semis, which she won, and then on to the final — where she was at least lucky in love. Claire says her strengths are literature and geography, with food and drink and some sport being her weaker subjects. It takes her about two months swotting up to learn a specialist subject, which has to be pre-approved by the Mastermind team. It was announced in 2023 that Mastermind would be based, filmed and edited in Northern Ireland. The programme was previously produced from Salford.
Business News Wales
16-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Business Owners Urged to Plan Ahead of Changes to Business Property Relief
A commercial insurer is urging family-owned businesses to prepare for potentially higher inheritance tax bills before proposed changes to Business Property Relief (BPR) come into force. As of April 2026, 100% Business Property Relief (BPR) – which allows qualifying business assets to be passed down free of inheritance tax – will be capped at £1 million per person. Only 50% BPR will be available on any excess value, meaning half the excess value will be included in the owner's inheritance tax calculation. Sean McCann, Chartered Financial Planner at commercial insurer NFU Mutual, said: 'While many of the headlines have focused on the impact of the Budget changes on the farming community, the cap on Business Property relief from April 2026 will have a huge impact on many business-owning families – including diversified agricultural and rural businesses. 'Business Property relief was introduced to protect and encourage the continuation of trading businesses, ensuring that on the death of the owner the family wasn't forced to sell assets or borrow money to pay inheritance tax. The changes to BPR are therefore understandably causing significant anxiety among many business owners. 'There are a number of steps business owners can do to mitigate the impact of the changes, and they should be proactive in preparing themselves for the future.' Three Top Tips for Business Owners Make use of both spouse's allowance Sean said: 'The £1 million Business Property Relief allowance is per person not per business. If you are married or in a civil partnership it can make sense from an inheritance tax planning perspective to ensure that each spouse is able to pass on part of the value of the business to the next generation on their death. 'Unlike the standard £325,000 tax free allowance and the £175,000 residence nil rate band that is available if leaving a share in your family home to a 'direct descendant', the £1 million 100% BPR allowance cannot be transferred to your spouse on death. If it isn't used it is lost. 'Every family and every business are different, so it makes sense to take advice based on your own circumstances.' Bring forward your succession plans Sean explained: 'It's likely as a result of these changes that many business owners will bring forward their succession plans. Any gifts made more than seven years before death normally escape inheritance tax. 'Although gifting assets or shares in a business can trigger a capital gains tax liability, it may be possible to claim gift holdover relief which can defer any capital gains tax until the new owner disposes of the assets or interest in the business. 'Currently, a business that qualifies for 100% Business Property Relief can be left free of inheritance tax without limit. Any capital gain that has accrued is wiped on the owner's death. This means should the family sell shortly after they can potentially escape both inheritance tax and capital gains tax. 'It's important to discuss with the next generation what their plans are. From next April there is the potential for a double tax hit if you gift the business during lifetime, die within seven years which triggers an inheritance tax bill, the family then sell shortly after your death and that triggers a capital gains tax bill on the held over gain. 'Whatever your plans, it's important to take advice on the options and the implications.' Check your partnership or shareholder agreements to avoid a nasty shock Sean said: 'Some partnership and shareholder agreements contain clauses that mean the ability to claim Business Property Relief is lost, which can lead to significantly higher inheritance tax bills. 'An agreement that contains a 'binding contract for sale' – meaning on the death of an owner the surviving business owners must buy the deceased's share of the business and the deceased's family must sell – will lead to the loss of Business Property Relief. The good news is this clause can be replaced with an 'option' agreement, which would give the surviving business owners the option to buy and the deceased's family the option to sell, which would preserve the relief. 'It's important to get your partnership or shareholder agreement reviewed to ensure you maximise the relief available and don't pay more inheritance tax than necessary.'
Agriland
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Agriland
Farmers urged to prioritise safety as first-cut silage begins
Farmers are being urged to prioritise safety as first-cut silage gets underway across Ireland and the UK. The warning comes from NFU Mutual as last year's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics on fatal farm accidents in the UK show the risks of working with tractors and other farm vehicles. Of the 27 people tragically killed in farm accidents in the UK last year, nine of the deaths related to transport, including operating agricultural vehicles or machinery, runover incidents, rollover incidents, and crush incidents. A further two fatal accidents involved machinery and power take-off ( PTO) shafts. NFU Mutual's head of engineering, Bob Henderson said: 'Silage-making accidents, blockages, and breakdowns tend to happen when people are tired, machinery is pushed too hard, or work continues in unfavourable conditions. 'It's vital to make sure that machinery is kept well-maintained and that staff have the skills and the training to do their job safely to avoid accidents and breakdowns.' Evita van Gestel, of NFU Mutual Risk Management Services added: 'After last year's record wet winter and spring, conditions are likely to be easier for this year's first cut but regular maintenance checks on brakes, tyres, trailer couplings, and hydraulic pipes and brakes are just as important when the going seems easy. 'To reduce the risk of accidents it is important to make sure all drivers are trained to operate the machinery they will be using and are warned about any hazards in the fields including steep slopes, wet patches and slippery lanes.' NFU Mutual silage safety checklist Before silage harvesting: Make sure you have identified and assessed the hazards on the farm, in the field and the tasks that will be conducted during silage harvesting, and know how to manage the risks; Walk silage fields before cutting to identify wet spots and any potentially dangerous slippery slopes; Put in place a system for keeping in contact with lone workers; Make sure new staff are properly inducted and trained for the work you give them – in particular the dangers of working with and around farm machinery; Teach staff about the principles of 'Safe Stop' – make sure the handbrake is fully applied; controls and equipment are left safe; stop the engine; and remove the key, before leaving the vehicle or accessing the machine; Put in place measures to ensure children are kept away from working areas; Make sure staff know the safe working loads of trailers and do not allow trailers to be overfilled; Ensure vehicles and trailers are road legal with fully maintained and working brakes, lights, indicators, and flashing beacons; Regularly check the age, condition, and pressures of tyres; Consider using a third party to inspect trailers, with accreditation such as the 'Tilly Your Trailer' scheme; Consider letting local people know when you will be taking silage trailers on local lanes via neighbourhood social media sites, to help people reroute journeys. This will cut delays and incident risks. Working in the fields: Make sure tractors have sufficient power and braking capacity to control trailers on slippery hill fields; Regularly check moving parts of mowers, tedders, forage harvesters, and balers, including guards and PTO shafts for wear or damage; Switch off engines and ensure parts have stopped before clearing blockages or carrying out maintenance – remove keys as well to prevent accidental starting (Safe Stop!); Make sure drivers are aware of the locations and heights of overhead power lines and check that your machinery will safely pass under wires and restrictions, especially where there is a risk of overturn with vehicles potentially being at a different angle; Take special care to check for vehicles following behind before turning right into fields or yards, as this is a common cause of accidents; Regularly clear up any mud deposits from roads and alert drivers with signage where mud may be present; Be aware of potential walkers in fields with public rights of way and stop the vehicle if people are in close proximity; Keep a mobile phone on you at all times – not left in a tractor or pick-up cab; Use the What3Words App to help emergency services can find your location easily; Take regular breaks to eat, drink and rest, to stave off tiredness, stress, and mental ill-health symptoms. Working on silage clamps: Keep people away from moving vehicles; Ensure a filling plan is followed and that sight rails are visible at all times; Never overfill a silage clamp as this increases the risk of vehicles overturning when rolling or filling; Only use vehicles that are suitable for the task — fitted with an approved safety cab or Roll over Protection Structure (RoPS), well-lugged tyres, suitably weighted, etc.; For indoor clamps, keep away for the first 72 hours, as this is when dangerous nitrogen dioxide gas can form in large quantities; Keep clear of the edge of the clamp (at least 1m) when (un)sheeting or removing tyres. If possible, use mobile access equipment or a hook or a pole to carry out the task safely.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Frozen tax thresholds will drag MORE people into child benefit tax trap
Thousands more families will face higher taxes by 2028 as higher wages and frozen thresholds mean they will reach the child benefit threshold, figures shared exclusively with This is Money reveal. Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt raised the threshold at which the Government starts to claw back child benefit from £50,000 to £60,000, last year. He said that the change to the high income child benefit charge (HICBC) would mean 170,000 households fewer families would have to pay the higher marginal tax rate. However, new figures reveal frozen income tax thresholds and increasing wages will actually see more families affected. An additional 50,000 families will pay the HICBC by the 2028-29 tax year due to rising incomes, according to a freedom of information request by NFU Mutual. The Government claws back child benefit from households where the highest earner has an income above £60,000, and withdraws it completely when they earn over £80,000. Frozen income tax thresholds mean that any increase in wages will drag more people into paying higher tax, and also have to pay HICBC. The FOI shows that 376,000 families will pay HICBC tax by 2028-29, up from 325,000 in the last tax year. The total amount it raises will increase from £268million in 2024-25 to £384million within four years. While more families are set to be affected in the coming years, figures revealed with This Is Money last week showed that fewer households are currently having to pay the charge. In the 2023/24 tax year, 75 penalties for 'Failure to Notify' were issued, down from 7,007 the year before. The total value of the penalties fell from £4.5million to £45,443. The collapse in penalties suggests the threshold change has made a material difference and growing awareness may have prompted some parents to salary sacrifice into a pension to avoid the charge. However, the frozen tax thresholds will soon mean that more and more people are caught in the child benefit tax trap as they will earn between £60,000 and £80,000. If the highest earner in the household has an adjusted net income of more than £60,000, they have to start repaying child benefit at a rate of 1 per cent for every £200 of income over £60,000. Once their adjusted net income reaches £80,000 they must repay all child benefit received and at this stage many families simply opt out of receiving it. Sean McCann, chartered financial planner at NFU Mutual said: 'Many are still unaware of the need to inform HMRC once their income exceeds £60,000 and pay any child benefit tax charge due. 'There have been numerous cases where significant arrears have built up over several years, resulting in unexpected five figure tax bills. 'The onus is on the individual with the highest income in the household to pay any child benefit tax due, this can cause issues with couples who don't normally share details of their earnings with each other.' Since its introduction a decade ago, the HICBC has faced criticism for placing an extra burden on working parents, particularly single parents. A household with two parents each earning £59,000 - a total of £118,000 - will receive child benefit in full, while a household with a sole parent earning £60,000 would see some or all of the benefit withdrawn. Hunt had pledged to significantly reform the charge and consult to move to a system based on a household, rather than individual income by 2026. However, the Government quietly shelved the plans and will no longer proceed with the HICBC reforms. Instead, it has pledged to reduce the administrative burden by allowing affected families to repay the charge via PAYE from this summer, rather than completing a tax return. A Treasury spokesman said: 'It is right that we target child benefit at the families who need it most to ensure the sustainability of our public finances and protect our vital public services. 'We have taken the decisions to repair our public finances which has help us to get NHS waiting lists down and roll out free breakfast clubs through our Plan for Change.'
