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Charity calls for cross-party support on scrapping retirement age

Monday, March 1st, 2010
All political parties should back the scrapping of forced retirement legislation, Age Concern and Help the Aged has said.The charity has issued a challenge to all parties in its pre-election manifesto after revealing that a quarter of million workers in their 60s could be forced to retire when they reach ... read more

Official figures point to house price increase

Friday, February 26th, 2010
Official Land Registry figures, which were published earlier today (February 26th), have confirmed that house prices continued to rise last month.Data from the latest Land registry House Price index has revealed that the average price of a property in England and Wales stood at £165,088.This represented a month-on-month growth of ... read more

Energy customers urged to improve home efficiency

Friday, February 26th, 2010
British energy customers have been urged to pay out for energy-efficient home improvements to negate the long term cost of rising energy prices.The guidance comes as many fixed-rate energy tariffs are set to expire leaving many customers facing prices that are much higher than when they last agreed a deal.Andrew ... read more

Declining pension schemes can have ‘ damaging economic effects’

Thursday, February 25th, 2010
The decline of the UK's pension schemes could have a "damaging effect" on the wider economy of the country.This is the view of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), which said the "rapid" decline is having an immediate impact as it is not just a problem of the future.Speaking ... read more

NAPF: Government should simplify tax treatment of pensions

Thursday, February 25th, 2010
The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has called on the government to simplify its tax treatment of the pension market.According to the industry body, the chancellor should adopt a budget for pension and increase the government's supply of index-linked and long-dated gilts.Joanne Segars, NAPF chief executive, said: "The next ... read more

Households ‘will struggle’ to pay energy bills

Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Energy prices are set to rise in the UK despite the wholesale cost of energy continuing to fall.This is the view of National Energy Action (NEA), which campaigns against fuel poverty, which said many households will struggle to cope with the rises after the recent cold snap.Lesley Tudor-Snodin, a spokeswoman ... read more

Pensioners turn to pawning belongings

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Pensioners are increasingly turning to pawn shops in a bid to raise money, it has been claimed.According to online pawn broker borro.com, pensioners now account for one-fifth of their clients after a 160 per cent rise in the last 12 months.The firm also said that on average pensioners borrow £2,126 ... read more

Increase in debt calls to CAB

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) dealt with 1.7 million debt problems during the final quarter of 2009, new figures have shown.According to the organisation, the figure represents a 20 per cent increase on the corresponding period of 2008.The CAB also said that since the start of the recession it has ... read more

Over 50s unaware of ISA allowance

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Britain's over 50s are losing out on valuable savings benefits as they are unaware of the amount they are allowed to save in ISAs, it has been claimed.A new report published by Co-operative Financial Services has revealed that 76 per cent do not know the amounts involved.The research also revealed ... read more

Carers need retirement support, charity says

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Britons who spend a lot of time caring for someone should be better looked after by the government, Carers UK has urged.Steven McIntosh, policy and public affairs officer at the charity, said that carers have reduced incomes while they are employed because they often need to take time off from ... read more