The foreign aid budget is to be slashed by £4billion a year, Rishi Sunak will announce today. Spending will fall to around £10billion next year for the first time in almost a decade as the Chancellor struggles to fill the black hole in the nation’s finances. Rather than making it a one-off cut, ministers will … Read more
British companies may have fraudulently claimed up to £4 billion intended for furloughed workers – with £2 billion being taken by organised criminals – a damning report has found. The National Audit Office (NAO) estimated that fraud and error on the furlough scheme could have ranged from five to 10 per cent on claims totalling £39.3 billion. … Read more
Working parents are forfeiting £250 million in earnings every week as the continuing closure of schools and nurseries force them to cut down on work to look after their children, Money Mail can reveal. Families are losing an average of £36 per week from their household income as they struggle to cope with increased childcare … Read more
During a rocky period on the stock market, investors would usually take solace in a guaranteed stream of dividend payments. But the coronavirus pandemic has required companies to take desperate – and at times unprecedented – measures to protect their finances. A staggering £4.2billion of dividends have been axed or deferred so far this month, … Read more
Planned £4bn renovation of Parliament could be postponed in favour of a smaller project lasting just a year The Palace of Westminster was due to undergo a multi-billion-pound face-lift £4 billion restoration would have seen MPs and lords move to temporary home But that project could be reduced to less than a £200 million budget … Read more