Category: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Government looks at consumer redress across the housing sector

Government will look at bold options to improve consumer redress across the housing sector, the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announced today (29 November 2017).

Speaking to an audience of housing professionals in London, the Communities Secretary set out his commitment to fixing the broken housing market and to build the homes the country not only needs – but the homes the country deserves.

Purchasing a home is one of life’s greatest financial investments, they are also the places we live our lives – it is vital that as housing supply increases, the quality of new build homes continues to improve.

Potential measures to address this issue could include introducing a single housing ombudsman to help provide more comprehensive redress for home owners, home buyers, tenants and landlords.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said:

Since 2010 this government has delivered over 1.1 million homes – and last week’s Budget set out our ambitious plans to fix the broken housing market so we get more homes built in the places that people want to live.

But we don’t have to choose between building more and building better – we can do both. Homes are not only the biggest financial investment in our lives, but also provide security, and so it’s only right that developers and builders are held to a higher standard.

That’s why we are looking at bold options to improve redress in the New Year – including whether housing, like other sectors, should have a single ombudsman. This could help drive up standards across the whole industry and increase protections for consumers.

Currently, there are 4 government approved providers of redress that cover some aspects of home buying and renting, but not all. Membership of ombudsman schemes is compulsory for some groups, but not for others.

In the New Year, the government will consult with consumers and the industry, and look at options to explore how the overlap between responsibilities can be improve. This would help to avoid the confusion faced by consumers over where to seek help.

Last week’s Budget set out a range of measures to boost the housing market, including:

  • £44 billion over the next 5 years in capital funding, loans and guarantees
  • a new National House Building Fund, with more than £15 billion of new financial support over the next 5 years
  • planning reforms to ensure more land is available for housing and maximise the potential of our cities and towns to build new homes whilst protecting the green belt
  • raising the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap by a total of £1 billion in areas of high affordability pressure for local authorities who are ready to start building new homes

Taken together with the reforms in the housing white paper, published in February 2017, the Budget puts the government on track to raise housing supply to 300,000 a year on average by the mid-2020s.

In the white paper we set out our ambition for a housing market that works for everyone. We expect all housing developers to deliver good quality housing, to deliver it on time, and to treat house buyers fairly.

Further information

Read the full speech.

A full consultation will take place in the New Year to assess the current redress provision and seek views on how access to redress for consumers could be improved.

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Link: Press release: Government looks at consumer redress across the housing sector
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Press release: Clean-up takes place following heavy rainfall

The Environment Agency has removed a large amount of debris from a County Durham dam following rain and high river flows.

Prolonged heavy rain saw river levels rise across the north east leading to Environment Agency field teams working through the night to keep the region’s rivers flowing.

Spring Gardens dam – which reduces the risk of flooding to West Auckland from the River Gaunless – prevented large amounts of debris from causing blockages further downstream.

This week the field team has been back out clearing up after the heavy rain resulted in 12 Flood Alerts being issued across the region.

Image hsows the cleared spring gardens dam

Alex Murray, Field Team Leader, said:

The dam is designed to hold back flood water during high flows, and then slowly release it once the threat has passed.

While it wasn’t necessary for it to operate during the heavy rain last week, it prevented debris from reaching downstream and creating blockages, which is equally important and helps reduce the risk of flooding to the town.

It resulted in a large build-up of debris so this week we’ve been clearing it up, along with our other flood defence assets, to ensure they are clear and in working order ready to do their job again.

Our Field Teams regularly carry out work to check and maintain our rivers right across the north east to make sure anything which is deemed a potential flood risk is removed.

Spring Gardens dam was built after West Auckland and South Church were badly affected by floods in 2000.

People are advised to check if they live in a flood risk area and sign up for flood warnings and find out how they can prepare for a flood


Link: Press release: Clean-up takes place following heavy rainfall
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Press release: Candidate selected for Ofcom Chair

The Government has announced that following an open recruitment process, Lord (Terry) Burns has been chosen as their the preferred candidate for Chair of Ofcom from 1 January 2018.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee will now hold a pre-appointment hearing with Lord Burns on 13 December 2017.

The Committee’s conclusions will be considered carefully before deciding whether or not to proceed with the appointment.

The term of the outgoing chair, Dame Patricia Hodgson, ends on 31 December 2017.

Lord Burns is Senior Adviser to Banco Santander and a non-executive member of the Office for Budget Responsibility. He is also a member of the House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee and Chairman of the Lord Speaker’s Committee on the Size of the House.

He was Chief Economic Advisor to the Treasury and Head of the Government Economic Service from 1980 to 1991 and Permanent Secretary to the Treasury from 1991 until 1998.

Previous appointments include Chairman of Santander UK plc, Channel 4 Television Corporation; Marks and Spencer plc, Welsh Water, the National Lottery Commission and The Royal Academy of Music.

From 2004 to 2006 he was Independent Adviser to the Secretary of State on the BBC Charter Review.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

  1. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.
  2. The Chair of Ofcom is appointed by the Secretary of State. Remuneration for this role is £120,000 for up to three days a week. The term of appointments will last for four years.
  3. In accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Lord Burns has declared no such political activity.

Link: Press release: Candidate selected for Ofcom Chair
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Press release: Creative industries’ record contribution to UK economy

  • Strong growth also in nation’s tourism, culture, sport and digital industries
  • DCMS sectors contribution to the economy up by 3.6 per per cent year-on-year to almost £250bn, accounting for 14.2 per cent of the UK’s Gross Value Added (GVA)

The UK’s booming creative industries made a record contribution to the economy in 2016, new statistics show.

Industries including advertising and marketing, arts and film, TV and radio, and museums and galleries are all part of this thriving economic sector, which is now worth almost £92bn, according to the figures published today by the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport.

The creative industries’ contribution to the UK is up from £85bn in 2015 and it is growing at twice the rate of the economy. The sector now makes up more than five per cent of the UK economy’s GVA. Much of the increase has been driven by a boom in the computer services sub-sector. While this includes video games, it also covers wider digital industries.

DCMS sectors’ contribution to the UK economy overall continues to rise, with GVA at £248.5 billion in 2016, up 3.6 per cent year-on-year and up 29 per cent since 2010. DCMS sectors now account for 14.2 per cent of the UK’s GVA.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Karen Bradley said:

Britain’s creative industries play an essential role shaping how we are seen around the world but as these new statistics show they are also a vital part of the economy.

The sector is now one of our fastest growing industries and continues to outperform the wider UK economy. This is a testament to the talent and drive of its workforce and we are working closely with them to make sure this fantastic success continues.

I am delighted to see the sectors my Department supports contributing so positively to people’s lives and helping strengthen the economy, as we work to build a Britain fit for the future.

The Government continues to back the creative industries sector. For example, dedicated tax relief to support high-end television productions, such as Game of Thrones and The Crown have seen a production boom worth £1.5 billion since the scheme was introduced in 2013. There was also £1 billion of inward investment in the film industry last year as a result of tax relief.

The government’s UK Games Fund, which helps video game companies grow with grants to support new projects and talent, has just been extended until 2020. The government has also recently announced the opening of a £80 million Creative Industries Clusters Programme competition which will boost innovation in the sector by part-funding research partnerships between universities and industry.

Britain’s thriving tourism sector has continued to grow and now makes up almost four per cent of the UK economy – worth a record £66 billion in 2016.

Sport’s value to the UK economy has also increased by 4.9 per cent year-on-year and by 28.6 per cent since 2010. Sport’s value, which includes sport equipment production and the operation of sports facilities, rose to £9 billion, although this does not include the sports broadcasting rights or sports advertising markets.

The UK’s world leading digital sector has seen its contribution to the UK economy increase by 5.8 per cent between 2015 and 2016, and by 23.3 per cent since 2010.

The Government recognises the value of the UK’s digital sector. Two weeks ago the Prime Minister and Chancellor hosted a tech roundtable and reception at Downing Street and earlier this year the Government published its Digital Strategy to help make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a digital business.

Last week’s Budget included more than £500m of investment in technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and full fibre broadband. This was followed by Government’s Industrial Strategy earlier this week, which committed to transformative investment in pioneering immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality with £33m from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. This investment is also designed to capture new global audiences and grow our leading market position in creative content.

Notes to editors

  • Gross value added measures the value of goods and services produced without associated costs.
  • This release provides estimates of the contribution of DCMS sectors to the UK economy, measured by gross value added (GVA).
  • The 2016 figures are provisional and are subject to change when ONS National Accounts are published next year.
  • Link to statistics here.

Media enquiries:
DCMS News and Communications team on 020 7211 2210 or out of hours on 07699 751153.

Link: Press release: Creative industries’ record contribution to UK economy
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Press release: Number of workless households falls by 49,000 in a year

The number of workless households in the UK is now just 3 million (14.5%). The number of households with at least one working adult has also risen by 126,000.

The figures, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), also show that the number of children in a workless household has fallen by 41,000 since last year, while the proportion of lone parents in work has risen to 68.9%. Nearly 9 in 10 children now live in a home with at least one working adult.

Minister for Employment, Damian Hinds said:

We know that being in work is one of the best ways people can improve their family’s lives, and under Universal Credit people are moving into work faster and staying in work longer than the previous system. Unemployment is currently at its lowest level in over 40 years, and 3 million more people have found work since 2010.

On Universal Credit people’s benefits reduce gradually as they take on more hours, ensuring that it always pays to be in work.

Recent employment figures show that there are a near-record 32 million people in work, and the unemployment rate (4.3%) is the lowest since 1975.

Separate figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions on 29 November 2017 also show there were 1.9 million children living in a household where a parent or guardian is receiving out of work benefits in May 2016. This represents a decrease of 76,000 thousand since May 2015.

More information

View the working and workless household figures from the Office for National Statistics

This report provides new figures for July to September 2017. ONS advise that these estimates can only be compared to the same July to September period in other years, to avoid including seasonal effects. Therefore, only short-term comparisons are possible, back to July to September 2014.

However, estimates for April to June 2017, previously published by ONS and repeated in today’s release, can be compared back as far as April to June 1996, enabling us to measure long-term records.

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 3267 5118

Press Office

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Tothill Street
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Link: Press release: Number of workless households falls by 49,000 in a year
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Press release: M25 Wisley improvements set out

Under the plans, the interchange between the M25 and the A3 will be redesigned to create four dedicated link roads for all drivers making left turns at the junction while drivers turning right will use a new enlarged junction roundabout.

The A3 will also be widened from three lanes to four between Ockham and Painshill in both directions with two lanes remaining over the M25. The improvements will create extra capacity at the junction and, on opening, will shave up to seven minutes off journeys made at the junction during the morning peak.

Two options were put to the public for views between December 2016 and February 2017, and today’s announcement considers feedback made during the consultation and ongoing discussions with key stakeholders and residents.

The plans also include improved routes for pedestrians and cyclists, a green bridge linking Wisley and Ockham Commons, and better, safer access to RHS Garden Wisley via a new bridge and link road to the east of the A3. The proposals minimise the impact on trees within RHS Garden Wisley and ancient woodland near Ockham.

Highways England Regional Delivery Director for the South East Chris Welby-Everard said:

This busy junction is used by more than 96,000 drivers every day, and the M25 and the A3 which run through it have a further 173,000 and 57,000 journeys respectively every day. The plans we are putting forward today will make a real difference to all those journeys while respecting the protected environments nearby. I would like to thank everyone who took part in our consultation and helped shape these proposals.

We will continue to work with stakeholders and residents in working up the details of our design and t here will be a further opportunity for people to have their say in another consultation next year.

The M25/A3 interchange is a key congestion pinch point on the strategic road network and has one of the highest recorded collision rates across the Highways England network. The proposed plans will help to reduce delays, make journeys more reliable, ease congestion and improve safety.

The plans being taken forward include:

  • an elongated roundabout to add more road capacity and improve safety with provision of dedicated free-flow left turns for all traffic leaving and joining the M25. The existing roundabout will be retained for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
  • widening of the A3 between Ockham and junction 10, and Painshill and junction 10, in both directions
    The proposals were referred to as Option 14 during the consultation. The other proposal, known as Option 9, was a four-level flyover with dedicated free-flow slip roads for traffic accessing the M25 from the A3 and was rejected due to strong concerns about the negative impact on the surrounding environment.

Anyone interested in the scheme can sign up to receive updates via the project page on the Highways England website, where they can also download the consultation report, announcement flyer and see visualisations outlining the preferred option.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Link: Press release: M25 Wisley improvements set out
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Press release: Largest rise in National Minimum Wage rates for young people in a decade

Updated: Link to LPC 2017 Report added

Today the Low Pay Commission (LPC), the body that recommends the rates of the National Minimum Wages (NMW), including the National Living Wage (NLW), launches its detailed annual assessment of the labour market and explains the rationale for its recommendations.

Read the Low Pay Commission’s 2017 report.

The Government has accepted all of the LPC’s recommendations, including for the largest increases in a decade for the rates that apply to 18-20 and 21-24 year olds.

On 1 April next year (2018) these rates will increase by 4.7 per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively. These are greater percentage increases than both that of the National Living Wage, which will increase by 4.4 per cent, and forecast average earnings growth of between 2.5 and 3 per cent. (See table below for full details of the current and future rates).

The new rates will boost the earnings of between 260,000 and 360,000 young workers directly, and many more young workers will benefit. This is for two reasons: firstly, these increases lead to ‘spillover’ effects further up the pay distribution; secondly, even though they are not entitled to it, some young workers benefit from increases in the National Living Wage. We estimate that up to 45 per cent of 18-24 year old workers – or 1.3 million young people – could receive a higher pay increase than they would have done in the absence of the NLW.

In the years following the recession the LPC recommended lower increases in the NMW for young people to protect their employment position. This is because young people are more at risk of unemployment than older workers in the event of an economic downturn. Periods out of work can cause ‘scarring’ effects for young people, whereby their earnings and employment chances are still affected years later.

When making those recommendations, the LPC also made commitments to restore any lost ‘relativities’ once economic conditions improved. The LPC judged that there was sufficiently strong evidence to justify being more ambitious for the youth rates:

  • Employment in the UK continues to grow more strongly than forecast and is at record levels.
  • Unemployment has fallen to its lowest rate since 1975.
  • There have been ongoing improvements in the employment and unemployment rates of 18-24 year olds, despite two increases in their NMW rates in quick succession in the last year.
  • Wage growth for those aged 18-24 has been higher than for those aged 25 and over for the last three years. As a result, the bite, which is the NMW as a percentage of median earnings and a key measure of pressure, has fallen for workers of these ages.
  • Both employers and unions raised the importance of fairness and employee relations between age groups in the workforce.

The LPC recommended slightly lower increases for 16-17 year olds at 3.7 per cent, or 15 pence, from £4.05 to £4.20. The reason for this is that earnings and employment chances have not improved as fast as for the other age groups. But, while this increase is lower than for the other rates, it is still the highest in 10 years for this age group.

Commenting on the analysis, LPC Chair Bryan Sanderson said:

The LPC is pleased that the Government has accepted our recommendations to increase the NMW rates for young people. Many thousands will benefit directly and thousands more will benefit from the increases to the NLW.

If economic conditions, particularly the labour market for younger workers, remain positive or improve then there will be grounds for further increases in NMW rates for younger workers in the future.

The Government also accepted the LPC’s recommendation for the National Living Wage to increase it to £7.83 in April 2018. The LPC’s approach is different for the National Living Wage and the other National Minimum Wage rates. On the former, the Government has given the LPC a target to reach 60 per cent of median earnings by 2020, subject to sustained economic growth. On the latter, the LPC is asked to make recommendations that lift rates as high as possible without damaging employment. It was the LPC’s judgement that the evidence was consistent with the NLW remaining on its path to 60 per cent of median earnings with the April 2018 uplift.

The April 2017 uprating of the National Living Wage again delivered a substantial increase in earnings for workers. It increased by 4.2 per cent, double the average wage growth for all workers aged 25 and over of 2.1 per cent. Despite the April 2017 uprating being lower than the previous year, when the NLW was first introduced, (30p and 4.2 per cent compared with 50p and 10.8 per cent) its ‘spillover’ effects are greater. We estimate that the NLW indirectly raised the earnings of up to 7 million workers as employers sought to maintain a pay differential with the NLW.

These differential effects occur when employers try to maintain a pay gap with the NLW for other staff, for example the manager or team leader of a group of minimum wage workers. Employers tell us this is a major challenge because of the cost. Their concern is that the squeezing of these differentials is causing problems around motivation and progression – when differentials are low employer struggle to encourage staff to apply for managerial or supervisory roles.

Notes:

  1. The Low Pay Commission is an independent body made up of employers, trade unions and experts whose role is to advise the Government on the minimum wage. The National Living Wage is the legally binding pay floor for workers aged 25 and over. The other minimum wage rates comprise: the 21-24 Year Old Rate, the 18-20 Year Old Rate, the 16-17 Year Old Rate and the Apprentice Rate.
  2. The LPC’s remit prescribes different requirements in relation to the NLW than for the four other bands of the minimum wage. For the NLW we are asked to make recommendations on the pace of increase towards a target: an ‘ambition…that it should continue to increase to reach 60 per cent of median earnings by 2020, subject to sustained economic growth’. For the other rates we are asked to ‘help as many low-paid workers as possible without damaging their employment prospects’.
  3. Our full recommendations for April 2018 and underpinning analysis were published in our 19th report. The rationale for our recommendations is also included in a letter from the LPC Chair to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
  4. We said in our report in March 2016 that, in the absence of economic shocks or other strong evidence, we thought that the default for the NLW would be a straight line rolling path to the 60 per cent target – evenly spreading our (annually updated) estimate of the increase in relative value needed to hit the target over the remaining years to 2020. Our recommendation for the NLW reflects this approach, and the cash level is in line with the indicative figure we set out last October – £7.85.
  5. The new NLW rate will increase pay for typical minimum wage workers (working 30 hours per week) by just over £500 per year. An increase of 4.4 per cent is, after the introduction of the National Living Wage in April 2016, the largest increase in the main rate of the minimum wage since 2006.
  6. We estimate that the £7.83 rate will raise coverage – the number of workers paid at or below the NLW – by up to 530,000, from 1.6 million jobs (6.4 per cent of the cohort) in April 2017 to 2.1 million (8.6 per cent) in April 2018. Looking at progress towards the 60 per cent target, we estimate that the £7.83 rate will represent an increase in the relative value of the NLW for workers aged 25 and over of 1.1 percentage points, up from 56.9 per cent of the value of typical earnings (October 2017) to 58 per cent (October 2018).
  7. Rates for workers aged under 25, and apprentices, are lower than the NLW in reflection of lower average earnings and higher unemployment rates. International evidence also suggests that younger workers are more exposed to employment risks arising from the pay floor than older workers. Unlike the NLW (where some consequences for employment have been accepted by the Government), the LPC’s remit requires us to set the other rates as high as possible without causing damage to jobs and hours.
  8. Employment and unemployment rates for 18-24 year olds not in full-time education have seen quarter-on-quarter improvement for the last two years or longer. As a consequence, in June 2017, the employment rate for 21-24 year olds was 8 percentage points higher – and the unemployment rate 7.5 percentage points lower – than in June 2013. The employment rate for 18-20 year olds was 2.0 percentage points higher – and the unemployment rate 4.3 percentage points lower – than in June 2015. These continuous improvements were maintained despite the relatively large increases in the NMW in October 2016.
  9. We have also provided an indicative rate for the National Living Wage from April 2019. This is inevitably uncertain because pay forecasts are likely to change, but using those available in October we project that the on-course rate will be £8.20. Using OBR forecasts published last week, the projected figure is £8.18. For 2020, the LPC’s projected rate for 60 per cent of median earnings is £8.61, within a range of £8.55 to £8.66. Using its forecasts published last week, the OBR wage growth projections give a slightly lower estimated figure for 2020, of £8.57.
  10. The National Living Wage is different from the UK Living Wage and the London Living Wage. Differences include that: the UK Living Wage and the London Living Wage are voluntary pay benchmarks that employers can sign up to if they wish, not legally binding requirements; the hourly rate of the UK Living Wage and London Living Wage is based on an attempt to measure need, whereas the National Living Wage is based on a target relationship between its level and average pay; the UK Living Wage and London Living Wage apply to workers aged 18 and over, the National Living Wage to workers aged 25 and over. The Low Pay Commission has no role in the UK Living Wage or the London Living Wage.
  11. The members of the Low Pay Commission comprise:
  • Bryan Sanderson, Chair
  • Sarah Brown, Professor of Economics at the University of Sheffield
  • Kay Carberry, TUC
  • Neil Carberry, Managing Director, People and Infrastructure, CBI
  • Clare Chapman, Non-Executive Director & Remuneration Committee Chair at Kingfisher PLC
  • Richard Dickens, Professor of Economics, Sussex University
  • Peter Donaldson, formerly Managing Director, D5 Consulting Ltd
  • John Hannett, General Secretary, Usdaw
  • Brian Strutton, General Secretary, BALPA

Our recommendations comprised:

Current rate Future rate (from April 2018) Increase
NLW £7.50 £7.83 4.4%
21-24 rate £7.05 £7.38 4.7%
18-20 rate £5.60 £5.90 5.4%
16-17 rate £4.05 £4.20 3.7%
Apprentice rate £3.50 £3.70 5.7%
Accommodation offset £6.40 £7.00 9.4%

Press enquiries

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Link: Press release: Largest rise in National Minimum Wage rates for young people in a decade
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Press release: Free helplines for Universal Credit claimants

All DWP Universal Credit phone lines are now free and nobody will be charged when they need to call to get help with their Universal Credit claim.

In October, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions David Gauke committed to making all DWP helplines Freephone numbers by the end of the year.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions David Gauke said:

We’re building a welfare system that is fit for the modern world where people increasingly manage their affairs online.

The vast majority of people apply for Universal Credit online, setting up an account that they can access 24 hours a day to manage their claim.

Work coaches are also there to support people with their online account but we know this is a big change for many, and we want to make sure people can get the extra help they need, without worrying about paying for a phone call. That’s exactly why we’ve set up the new Freephone numbers, which are available from today.

The key Universal Credit Freephone numbers include:

  • Universal Credit live service: 0800 328 9344
    (this replaces 0345 600 0723)
  • Universal Credit full service: 0800 328 5644
    (this replaces 0345 600 4272)

Anyone calling the old numbers will hear a message informing them of the change and the new number to call.

Freephone numbers for other DWP benefits and services are set to follow, with all numbers switched over by the end of 2017.

More information

99% of applications to Universal Credit are made online.

Universal Credit claimants can update any changes in circumstances, check on their payments and rearrange appointments 24 hours a day through their online journal.

Previously, calls were charged at local rates set by providers and were free for many people as part of their call package. If someone had been concerned about the cost, they could request a free call back.

Anyone calling the old numbers will hear a repeated message informing them of the change and the new number to call. They won’t be charged for listening to this pre-recorded message as long as they hang up before the call is terminated. The message will be clear about the need for the caller to end the call before they are cut off.

Contact Press Office

Press Office

Caxton House

Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA

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Link: Press release: Free helplines for Universal Credit claimants
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Press release: Do your Self Assessment online, don’t miss the deadline

Twenty years since HMRC took its first step into the digital age with the birth of electronic Self Assessment (SA), the department is reminding customers to complete their online tax return ahead of the 31 January deadline.

In 1997, the Inland Revenue introduced an electronic option for tax returns. Agents were sent floppy disks to help complete their SA which was then returned to the department. This year, two decades on, more than 10 million customers are expected to complete their tax return online.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC Director General of Customer Services, said:

Twenty years ago, filing Self Assessment returns on a mobile phone would have been unimaginable. Today, completing your Self Assessment via your Personal Tax Account can be done anywhere or at any time; on the bus, in a coffee shop or while watching TV, using your phone, a tablet or a computer. With our videos and webinars with hints, tips and live support it’s now easier than ever before.

The deadline for returning your Self Assessment, and paying any tax owed, is 31 January 2018 – do it now and enjoy the festive period.

HMRC now has online webchats, live webinars, YouTube videos and social media support for customers which can be accessed at any time, and on any device, to help them fill in and file their returns.

Notes for Editors

  • The deadline for Self Assessment returns is 31 January.
  • If you are filing your 2016/17 Self Assessment return online for the first time, you will need to create a Government Gateway account if you haven’t already got one. It’s easy to do here
  • Help is available from the GOV.UK website or from the Self Assessment helpline on 0300 200 3310.
  • Always type in full online address to obtain the correct link to file your SA return online securely and free of charge.
  • An audio clip for broadcast is available upon request.
  • Follow HMRC on Twitter @HMRCgovuk
  • HMRC’s Flickr channel can be found here

Any press enquiries, please contact:

Patrick O’Brien
Tel: 03000 585 024
Email: patrick.o’brien@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

Out of hours
Tel: 07860 359544

Link: Press release: Do your Self Assessment online, don’t miss the deadline
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Charity Commission welcomes NAO report commending regulator’s significant progress and improvements

The Charity Commission, the regulator for charities in England and Wales, today welcomes a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) that recognises the progress it has made in becoming a more effective regulator, including in its digital transformation. The report follows the NAO’s previous reports into the effectiveness of the Commission in 2013 and 2015.

The report commends the progress that the Commission has made in a number of key areas of its transformation including:

  • becoming a more risk-based regulator – referencing the launch of its Risk Assessment Unit and its refreshed risk framework
  • securing new powers and using them effectively – evidenced by the reduced challenges it faces in the First Tier Tribunal (Charity) and the reduction in the average length of its investigations
  • the improved services it offers – including the launch of a new registration system that has reduced waiting times despite significant increases in registration applications
  • working more effectively with others – including improved external engagement with charities on key projects and an increased number of memoranda of understanding with key partner organisations and agencies

The report also makes a number of recommendations as to how the regulator can continue to make improvements and regulate more effectively.

It stresses that a sustainable funding model will be crucial to the Commission’s continuing transformation and suggests a public consultation may be required to agree a shared position between government, the regulator and the sector as to the level and source of longer term funding.

The Commission expects this report to end the NAO’s formal engagement with the Commission, following its initial investigation in 2013.

William Shawcross, Chairman of the Charity Commission, said:

I am delighted this report recognises the huge strides we have made in the last five years to become a more effective, risk-based regulator. There is still work to be done but as my time at the Commission comes towards an end, we can rightly be proud of the transformation we have gone through. Huge credit must be given to our incredible staff who have been central to this throughout.

Helen Stephenson, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, said:

This report chimes with my initial reflections of the Commission – that of a team who are hardworking, innovative and strive to continuously improve in order to achieve the best to protect charities and the public. Great progress was made in transforming our systems, processes, approach and attitude under Paula’s leadership to become a truly digitally focused, modern regulator. I look forward to continuing that progress in line with this report’s positive recommendations in the coming months, including the pressing matter of securing a sustainable funding model for the years ahead.

Ends

PR 76/17

Notes to editors

  1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see our annual report.
  2. Search for charities on our check charity tool.

Press office

Link: Press release: Charity Commission welcomes NAO report commending regulator’s significant progress and improvements
Source: Gov Press Releases