Author: News Desk

Childcare vouchers firm won’t refund £2,800 accrued since pandemic struck | Childcare There is no original title provided. During the pandemic I did not reduce my monthly payments for childcare vouchers. As a result I have nearly £2,800 in my tax-free childcare account. I now work remotely and don’t need them but have been told I can’t get a refund.I was paying the maximum £243 a month via salary sacrifice into my KiddiVouchers account. This worked until Covid hit but my employer has switched to permanent home working so I no longer need wraparound childcare.I explained my change in circumstances…

Infected blood scandal: How will the UK pay £10 billion in compensation? The Infected Blood Inquiry chairman has urged the government to pay billions of pounds in compensation to victims of the scandal which led to the deaths of thousands of people. Sir Brian Langstaff said the UK must pay up immediately after the probe found politicians, doctors and civil servants were involved in a chilling cover-up of the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS. More than 30,000 people were given “life-shattering” infections of HIV and hepatitis via blood transfusions, most of which “could and should have…

Boys are facing challenges with reading, leading to higher dropout rates from the education system and lower likelihood of obtaining a higher education diploma. However, they compensate for this with their self-confidence. Deputy Minister of Education Katarzyna Lubnauer discusses a new “educational gap” that is emerging. The Education ministry is planning changes to encourage Polish boys to read more. The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk enacted the ban against required homework this month amid a broad discussion about the need to modernize Poland’s education system, which critics say puts too much emphasis on rote learning and homework, and not…

Should the two-child benefit cap be scrapped? Join The Independent Debate Charities have long called for an end to the two-child benefit cap, and with the issue hitting the headlines again we want to know your views. On Sunday, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting came to the defence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, after he criticised the cap as “cruel.” The policy sees families claiming benefits who have a third or subsequent child after April 2017 denied more than £3,000 compared with families whose kids were born sooner. Justin Welby said the limit was neither “moral nor necessary” and it…

Paula Vennells: key questions the ex-Post Office boss must answer | Post Office Horizon scandal There is no bias in the title provided. It is a moment wrongly convicted post office operators have waited years for. From Wednesday the former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells will appear before the long-running inquiry into how hundreds were pursued in the courts, fined and jailed over accounting shortfalls that were actually the fault of the Horizon IT system. Vennells, who held the top job between 2012 and 2019, has become the highest-profile face of the scandal since the ITV drama Mr Bates…

Harry to skip Hugh Grosvenor wedding to avoid William as he celebrates with Meghan in LA – latest news There is no bias in the title provided. The Duke of Sussex is set to swerve the Duke of Westminster’s wedding next month to avoid clashing with his brother the Prince of Wales, who is serving as an usher. Hugh Grosvenor, 33, will marry 31-year-old Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral on 7 June in a 400-strong guestlist celebration. One of Britain’s youngest billionaires, Grosvenor is a godfather to Harry’s first-born child, Archie, who turned five earlier this month. However, according to…

NHS trusts across England say cost of living crisis has worsened health | NHS Almost every NHS trust across England surveyed has seen health worsen in their area as a result of poverty and the cost of living crisis, research has found. The survey, conducted between February and March 2024, spoke to leaders at 72 NHS trusts, accounting for a third of all trusts in England. The trusts surveyed included acute, mental health, ambulance and community. Ninety-six per cent of NHS trusts surveyed said the cost of living crisis had worsened health in their local area, with more than half…

Gove’s extremism warning as antisemitism incidents rise by 147 per cent Michael Gove will today warn that the rise of antisemitism in Britain is a sign that the country is “descending into darkness”. The community secretary is set to speak to the Jewish community in London amid huge concerns at the way there has been a 147 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents since 2022. The number has risen from 1,662 in 2022 to 2,699 incidents in the UK during the period on or after 7 October 2023 – the day when Hamas terrorists slaughtered and kidnapped hundreds of Jews…

Wales's 20mph default limit to be debated in Senedd this week after mammoth petition There is no bias in the title provided. The petition collected more than 450,000 signatures – the most in Senedd history The article discusses the impact of climate change on global food security. Researchers warn that rising temperatures and extreme weather events are threatening crop yields and food production worldwide. The changing climate is also leading to increased food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in vulnerable communities. Urgent action is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture and ensure a sustainable food supply for…

UK risks ‘descending into darkness’ of antisemitism, Michael Gove to say | Antisemitism Michael Gove is to warn that Britain risks “descending into the darkness” if it fails to tackle growing antisemitism in the wake of the 7 October attacks. In a major speech, the communities secretary will say the safety of the Jewish community in the UK is the “canary in the mine” for the health of the whole political system. “When Jewish people are under threat, all our freedoms are threatened,” he will say on Tuesday. “The safety of the Jewish community is the canary in the mine.…