HLAS

Following Royal Assent of the new Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, the Transport Secretary has revealed that South Western Railway’s services will be the first to transfer into public ownership in May 2025. C2C will be transferred in July 2025, with Greater Anglia following in autumn 2025. The Department for Transport expects to transfer all passenger services that are currently being operated under contracts to public ownership within the next 3 years. The publicly run services will eventually be run by Great British Railways (GBR), a body that the government will set up, but initially will be handled [...]

In the runup to Small Business Saturday last week, a new Disability Finance Code was launched. Research indicates that if opportunities were improved for disabled founders, it could unlock an additional £230 billion for the UK economy in growth and jobs. Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest have all signed up to this new scheme that is designed to help more disabled entrepreneurs get access to finance and support to start their own business. Joseph Williams, CEO and co-founder of small business Clu said: “When disabled entrepreneurs are given equal access to finance, society gains in ways that go far beyond [...]

New changes come into effect from January 2025 where online platforms, such as eBay and Airbnb, will start sharing some user sales and personal data with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Although these reporting requirements have caused concern, HMRC have confirmed that there are no changes to the tax rules for someone selling unwanted possessions online. Angie MacDonald, who is HMRC’s Second Permanent Secretary and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: “We cannot be clearer – if you are not trading and just occasionally sell unwanted items online – there is no tax due.” HMRC have advised that anyone who sold [...]

The government’s promised new Fair Payments Code was launched last week to try and tackle late payment problems that can be particularly harmful to small businesses. How will the Fair Payment Code help? The code introduces a gold, silver, and bronze system that smaller firms can use to identify business partners who have made themselves accountable to pay fairly and within certain time limits. The three award tiers have the following requirements: Gold award: for businesses paying at least 95% of all invoices within 30 days. Silver award: for businesses paying at least 95% of all invoices within 60 days, [...]

If you trade as a limited company, then you will likely know that balancing salary and dividends is key to extracting profit from your company in the most tax-efficient way. Both methods have distinct implications. and the right mix will depend on your specific circumstances. The Autumn Budget, with its changes to employers national insurance rates and the employment allowance has further complicated the picture. Here we set out some of the factors you need to keep in mind. Salary: What to consider A salary is a straightforward way to pay yourself from your company, and it offers a few [...]

The UK government has announced that it remains fully committed to a Deposit Return Scheme and expects to launch the scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in October 2027. The UK government will be working with the Scottish government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland to bring about these changes. The Welsh government has announced a delay in their applying a Deposit Return Scheme, as they look at options that will support already ongoing initiatives. Wales is ranked second in the world for recycling. It is hoped that a Deposit Return Scheme will [...]

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) recently released annual statistics for 2023/24 reveal the challenges being faced by employers in managing work-related ill health and injuries. Stress, depression, anxiety, and workplace injuries continue to be issues affecting the health and wellbeing of workforces. Key insights from the report  Work-related ill health: Around 1.7 million workers suffered from work-related ill health, with 776,000 cases attributed to stress, depression, or anxiety. Workplace injuries: 138 workers lost their lives to work-related accidents, and 604,000 sustained non-fatal injuries. Economic costs: Work-related ill health and injuries cost the economy £21.6 billion in 2022/23, with an [...]

5,000 additional construction apprenticeship places are to be made available annually as part of a £140 million initiative aimed at addressing workforce shortages and meeting housebuilding targets. Central to this plan is the establishment of 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs, which are designed to accelerate training. What will the Homebuilding Skills Hubs offer? The hubs, which will be purpose-built training centres, will aim to provide a fast-track route into key construction trades such as bricklaying, roofing, plastering, scaffolding, and carpentry. These centres will replicate realistic working environments, offering apprentices hands-on experience. Notably, the fast-track apprenticeships available through these hubs can [...]

People staying overnight in Wales may soon have to pay a small charge in changes proposed by the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill. The levy would be set at 75p per person a night for hostels and campsite pitches. For all other accommodation types the levy will be £1.25 a person a night. The decision on whether to set a levy or not will rest with the local authority for the area. The legislation also includes a requirement to establish and maintain a register of visitor accommodation in Wales. A statutory registration scheme for all accommodation providers [...]

The government has unveiled some significant reforms to employment support, underpinned by a £240 million investment. The measures aim to address deep-rooted issues of unemployment, economic inactivity, and barriers to work, as detailed in the newly published Get Britain Working White Paper. Figures quoted in the government’s announcement made for sobering reading. 1.5 million are unemployed, 9 million are economically inactive, and a record 2.8 million are out of work due to long-term illness. Young people, in particular, are disproportionately affected, with one in eight not in education, employment, or training. The UK is apparently the only major economy that [...]