Costs of leasing "continue to increase.

19 November 2010 update at 00: 03 GMT demand for rooms for rent is growing, according to industry Frustrated buyers are continuing to raise the price of a property rental United Kingdom, according to a survey.

The average cost increased for the ninth month to £ 691 per month in October, according to LSL real estate services.

The price is rising potential first time buyers are struggling to get a mortgage loan and to continue to rent.

A separate survey of Spareroom.co.uk suggests that seven people were hunt each room for rent.

Home sharing site Web said that is the highest level of demand since it launched six years ago.

Rentals

The LSL survey revealed that the average rent was 0.4% higher than in the previous month October and 4.5% more than in October.

Demand was also headed by buyers waiting that they expect continue to decline of home prices.

Owners were also unable to expand the supply of rental properties because the mortgage drought makes it difficult for them to expand their property portfolio.

"" Rents were creeping upward, month, month of last year and now stand a few timid books £ 700 per month, "said Estate Agency Director General LSL David Newnes."

"Recent increases are likely to stable slightly in the run up to Christmas - traditionally a slower time for the marché.Mais strong underlying growth will remain as is focused on the key market dynamics also rises."

Rent increases were strongest in the southeast of England, but the average rent fell slightly in the Yorkshire and Humber in October.

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Recovery of mortgage not within the view

November 21, 2010 09: 00 GMT updated new buyers are being squeezed more, partly due to demand huge deposits banks and building societies told the BBC they expect any significant recovery in mortgage loans next year.

Validation of new mortgage loans processes could "restricted place... ready cement", refusing to much the possibility of purchasing the houses they want, they added.

The warning comes after figures showed new mortgages last month, making £ 12, were lowest for a decade.

First time buyers are more affected by the drought of loan.

Mortgages are barely one-third of the level of personal finance BBC correspondent Simon Gompertz said three years ago.

For accession, many of those that could easily allow monthly payments on a mortgage is prevented from buying that deposits are so strong, he added.

Average payment for new buyers is 24% of the price.

Room prices

Meanwhile, financial supervision, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has developed banks and companies building on notice that it will take more stringent assessments of applicants mortgage loan income and ability to pay, especially if there is a significant increase in interest rates.

Lenders warn that this stricter regime would prevent half of recent borrowers to get a mortgage.

Last week the Council of mortgage loans said mortgage lenders continue to be mastered.

Total mortgage in October the same as in September was but figure lowest October since 2000.

After picking up even earlier this year, sales of property and real estate prices have declined since the summer surveys such Bank of Halifax showed.

In the meantime, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (to) has pinpointed a surplus from sellers to buyers as a key factor in the recent drop in price.

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Single tax.

11 November 2010, 14: 19 GMT by Anthony Reuben Business reporter, BBC News Update Iain Duncan Smith was a big job ahead of him Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith proposes to combine benefits related to work in a single universal credit 30.

He says that the current system is hugely complex, expensive to administer, and vulnerable to fraud, but some would argue that the same could be said for the tax system.

The winner of the Nobel Laureate economist Sir James Mirrlees described the system of tax UK "unnecessarily complex and opaque", in a report by the Institute for financial studies (IFS).

The Mirrlees review issues including why it is necessary to have two separate taxes on the income tax on income and insurance.

It also highlights the current defect rates of tax on income that appears with an income of £ 100,000.

Personal allowance on which no tax is payable is beginning to be removed once people are earning £ 100,000. above, people lose £ 1 each £ 2 that they earn their compensation, which means that, between £ 100,000 and £ 112,950, people pay an effective tax rate of 60%.

Another anomaly in the system is displayed once brought government rules mean people pay taxes higher rates to receive family allowances.

This means that the effective tax paid for taking a person above £ 43,875 1 £ will be thousands of percent.

In addition to the income tax, employees also pay contributions from national (NI) 11% until their earnings reach the level at which 40% fee starts versée.Après insurance it is paid at 1%, although the two rates will be at a point percentage in April.

"If you talk to employers, simplifying tax revenue and national insurance at the top of the list of their application," says John Whiting, Director of tax policy Chartered Institute of taxes, who works for new tax simplification Government Office.

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there is a danger that he would serve as an excuse to raise tax "

end quote Chas Roy-Chowdhury Association of Chartered Certified Accountants" in a perfect world they should be combined, or at least the definitions used for the two could be made of the same.»

At the moment, for example, if make you a contribution to a pension plan, it reduces your income tax on income, but not for national insurance purposes.

A link to the pension

One of the arguments against combining the two is that insurance premiums are related to the receipt of benefits and pension from the State.

But business Secretary Vince Cable has already proposed a flat-rate pension would be unrelated to national insurance contributions.

There are potential problems with combining tax income and insurance according to Chas Roy-Chowdhury, head of taxation at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

"There is a danger that he would serve as an excuse to raise tax", he explains.

Mr. Roy-Chowdhury feared that a single income tax would not, said he would reduce the competitiveness of the United Kingdom, especially when combined with the fee of 60% and 50% rates now pay over £ 100,000.

In addition, employers are national insurance contributions must be transformed into a sort of tax on wages.

Also, independents have different rules for NI and the income tax is payable on the economies, but NI is not.

Tax tip

But if the Government has decided to start combining taxes, there are other possibilities as well.

In some countries, all direct taxes are collected at the outset of remuneration, which avoids the situation where Council Tax is for example, paid on earnings on which income tax and NI have already been paid.

"It's just a collection mechanism which is fine, long" explains Mr. Whiting, although there are concerns about how central collection could be local accountability.

But there are also discussions about Council Tax replacement with a local tax, which would indeed have to collect centrally.

Calman funding the Scottish Parliament proposals discussed more funds for the Scottish Government in the system of tax on the revenu.Le Scottish Parliament has the power to increase or decrease 3% income tax rate in the book, so national and regional variations are clearly possible.

There are clearly issues that will need to be treated if taxes had to be combined, but if the Government can combine 30 benefits in a unique advantage, combining a few taxes will be a breeze.

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Implementation of weapons.

November 12, 2010 11: 03 GMT by Ian Pollock Business reporter, BBC News Update military pension arrangements are quite different from other public sector employees an armed forces pressure group hopes to stop the Government cut the value of pensions for the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the country.

Company pensions forces, with 40,000 alumni and members of the armed forces, is angry about the imminent changes to inflation proofing in the armed forces pension scheme.

In June, budget Chancellor George Osborne, said that in the future of State and public sector pensions should increase in the consumer price index (CPI) instead of the index faster growth of prices at retail (IPD).

The Government aims to save taxpayers money and Friday, he rejected the idea of a special treatment for the armed forces.

However, forces pension company estimated that, in some cases, cost individual members change more than half a million pounds each to lost income of pension, between leaving the armed forces and the end of their natural environment.

"Our IPC beef is the amount that it will devalue pensions, especially of those who retire early being sixty," says major General John Moore-Bick, Secretary General of the society.

Losses

Society considers modification of indexing for inflation could mean armed forces – including those already in retirement - pensioner's £ 40,000 in their lives to the age of 85.

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may lose £ 566,000 during the last years of his life due to a difference of 1% between the ICC and IPD "

end quote major General John Moore-Bick Forces pension company of calculation assumes IPD to an average of 2.7% and 1.7% inflation averaged."

Things will be much worse for the youngest members of service staff who is sixty out.

Major General Moore-Bick gives an example of a 27 punishment, years, which has now artificial legs to have those genuine offshore in active service-blown.

"He may lose £ 566,000 during the last years of his life due to a difference of 1% between the ICC and IPD," he said.

Taking into account the additional income for life who receive invalid soldiers in the system of compensation for the armed forces, whose payments are also linked index.

What about people who retire normally and leaving the armed forces in 40 after service 22 years, a much more common situation?

"Here is a major who is retiring and re-directs to another career," says major General Moore-Bick.

"It would be a pension of approximately £ 16,000 per year and the rest of his life at the age of 85, he will lose £ 319,000 in cash.

Snowball effect

The average pension payment in the armed forces, including pensions for widows, is currently about £ 8,000 per year.

Major General John Moore-Bick, former gc (General officer commanding officer) in Germany

Why is it so much money is at stake?

The reason is simple.Le schema is unlike any other in the public sector.

Not only is it paid tax (non-capitalized) is non-contributory, it is also designed to encourage people to the average age retirement so forces are staffed largely by individuals who are capable and youth.

What is known as the first departures can be paid a modest income if the Member is at least 18 years of service and is more than 40 years.

This means that they receive payments much earlier than elsewhere in the public sector employees.

Most other United Kingdom, public or private pension plans have a statutory minimum pensionable age 55.

The regime of the armed forces is also designed to pay pensions to soixante-quatre at a very young age and to pay pensions to widows or widowers very soon too.

If the effect of a less generous method inflation proofing for men and women will snowball over several years.

Legal challenge?

Literature granted to members of the regime forces refers to pensions is adjusted in detail.

The company wanted to take the Government before the courts to challenge his imminent change, which will come into force next April.

But legal advice of the company are that the Government may cancel the "legitimate", members of "substitution because of the public interest".

-Firmly in the private sector – BT pension scheme recently announced it will adopt CPI in detail to adjust pension, and stated that this change could hit £ 9bn 2 off the coast of its deficit.

However, a recent survey of the actuarial firm Aon Hewitt has shown the importance of using the index of inflation or another is barely understood by the general public.

David Marsh, a former Captain and Commander in the Navy pension expert company, points there was no consultation on change.

"Don't needlessly penalize a group of people because you don't think correctly about it," said.

"It is the most vulnerable are those invalided touchées.ceux."

Obtaining of activists

The company is the closest thing the armed forces was a Trade Union.

Staff with serious injuries more survive to become the early retirees

Major General Moore-Bick was even meetings with trade union representatives at the TUC, headquarters to discuss potential Lord Hutton's proposals to amend the public service pension plan.

Society gave briefings to members of the armed forces, as well as lobbying of MPs and Ministers, but with little impact on the Government for the moment.

"The Ministers just garbage digits and does address the point, major General Moore-Bick explains.

"I think that Chancellor believes that it is all a jolly good idea".

The company is now rethink the possibility of public events.

"Current retirees are very angry and complain, we are not enough - they want a Whitehall walk", he explains.

While the company really wants?

David Marsh, said that the Government should concentrate on those who retire early and make a clear exception of its plans.

"I think it would be prudent for the Government not to increase pensions by the ICC for those older than 55 years of age."

However, the Defence Minister Andrew Robathan said that it would be impossible to deal with armed forces differently from other employees.

"Taking into account economic wreckage left by labour, difficult decisions have had to cope with the budgetary challenges, the country is facing," he said.

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Decrease in continuous possession

11 November 2010 update at 10: 44 GMT mortgages remain relatively good markets, compared to recent years, the number of homes continues the United Kingdom possession in the fall to help homeowners keep pay their mortgages at low interest rates.

Lenders have seized 8 900 homes within three months of October - a decrease of 5% versus the previous quarter, said the Council of mortgage lenders (CML).

It was the fourth quarter in a row that has dropped since they reached a peak of 12,200.

However, the CMA has warned that the trend of possession may be reversed.

Arrears

There was little change in the number of borrowers who fell on the repayment of the mortgage.

The CMA figures showed that 176,100 mortgage arrears of 2.5% or more of the outstanding balance .c ' is in a bit of 178,200 three months earlier and 203,800 a year earlier.

"Despite the seriousness of the economic slowdown and the probability only slow and prolonged rise, a combination of low interest rates and the commitment of borrowers, lenders, and government debt advisors has helped to keep mortgage payments problems check so far," said CMA Director General Michael Coogan.

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many households are skilled to adjust their spending and their priority bills"

end quote Michael Coogan CMA Director-General "but we can't take arrears of falls and possessions for granted and can reverse the recent welcome."Expenditure trends

The CMA figures show that the number of owners with the lowest level of backlog - where payments are behind by between 1.5% and 2.5% of the loan outstanding - dragged slightly by 100 to 83,300.

But there is a dip of 1,700 in proportion with high levels of between 2.5% and 5% of the outstanding loan arrears mortgage holders.

The number of people with larger - disabilities of outstanding arrears for more than 10% of the loan outstanding - slightly increased.

Coogan said that some but not all, households would be able to cope with any future increase in interest rates.

Many households are concerned about the economic situation

"Many households are adept at adapting their expenses and bills to handle their path successfully in periods of temporary difficulty priority," he said.

"But the ability to do this will depend on particular circumstances, in which income falls measurement or increased costs of mortgage and how as soon as they can get back to full employment."

Future image

It has 28,400 possession so far this year, suggesting that the end of the year the number will be less prediction of the CMA of 39,000 houses this year, and certainly down from its previous forecast of 53,000 possession.

However, figures from the Department of justice indicate that the number of owners involved in the previous steps of an action for recovery in the courts in England and Wales County increased slightly.

In the third quarter of the year, the number of requests for possession launched by lenders was 4% versus the previous quarter to 18,931.

Some mortgage 14,138 possession claims led to orders made by the courts, which was 5% more than in the previous quarter.

More than half of all orders are always was suspended by the courts generally to give time to house owner to pay.

Campbell Robb, CEO of housing charity Shelter, said that some people have been hung in their homes "by the skin of their teeth".

"With so many homeowners in serious difficulty, pressure could become too and unless we take emergency measures we can well faced with a sudden increase in people at risk of losing their homes in the coming months," he said.

Separate figures of the CMA has shown that there are 50,000 mortgage loans for the purchase of the House of peak in September - identical to the previous month - displaying a continuing appetite for mortgage lending in the United Kingdom lack.

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Mortgage "always controlled.

18 November 2010 update at 11 p.m. GMT mortgages will be mastered at least months, lenders say mortgage loans continue to be mastered, the Council of mortgage lenders (CML) said.

Total mortgage in October was taken from the same as in September, £ 12, but October the lowest figure since 2000.

Continuous loan rationing was the main factor behind the recent price homes fall.

The CMA said ready in the coming months would probably lower that it was a year ago.

"Annual comparison on the month is probably continue to decline slightly in the coming months, because the underlying volumes loans has increased considerably in the latter part of 2009 as borrowers rushed to take advantage of the stamp duty concession before the end of the year", said the CMA.

Slowdown

Brian Murphy, Bureau Board of mortgage, mortgage brokers said that he was there "slightly encouraged" was no fresh fall in loans between September and October.

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lenders continue to require sums for deposits and it is simply not feasible for thousands of people "

back Quote Jonathan Moore Easyroommate.co.uk" borrowers are nerve, even more so since the expenditure review and confirmation of some half a million public loss of jobs, "he said."

"This fear for their personal situation certainly contributed to the decline in mortgage applications", he added.

After pick up even earlier this year, sales of property and real estate prices have declined since the summer.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (to) has pinpointed a surplus from sellers to buyers as a key factor in the recent drop in price.

According to large lenders such as the Halifax and the Nationwide, prices are now only slightly higher than they were a year ago.

And with mortgage strict rationing still in force, sales declined slowly in months more.

Jonathan Moore, rental easyroommate.co.uk, said that it is the first time buyers who were being squeezed the most website.

"Lenders continue to require sums for deposits and it is simply unattainable for many thousands of people waiting to go to the scale of the property", he said.

"As a result, housing, competition is fierce as ever, and rents continue to rise."

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Hide energy savings online bills

19 November 2010 update at 00: 01 GMT by Kevin Peachey Personal finance reporter, BBC News the cost of gas for many households increased this winter new energy declarations are omitted to specify that some customers could save hundreds of pounds on fuel bills.

Statements, which will be offered to all UK homes at the end of the year, will explain the discounts available on customer's current tariff.

But they will not detail the savings that can be manufactured by switching to a plan on the internet.

Figures show a difference £ 239 a fee online with payment by cheque of the arrival of a Bill.

Statements

Suppliers have learned by the regulator Ofgem to begin to send statements annuelles.Ils are intended to help consumers understand their energy consumption and what cost them.

They should include information such as the name of tariff for a customer and a reminder that the client can change of provider, as well as advice on how to do so.

They must also report any discounts that apply to the tariff, the client is on when compared with standard tariff direct debit from the same supplier.

But they will not display available rates online for cheaper transactions.It's transactions on the internet that use emails instead of paper invoices and require customers to enter online meter readings.

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the important thing is that consumers understand that these plans [Online] continue to be very competitive "

end quote Ann Robinson Uswitch.com currently approximately 13% of UK households are on an energy plan online."

The controller did not request these transactions cheaper being reported, because he told direct debit - not a line - plan is "accessible to the majority of customers cheapest payment".

The reason why, according to a spokesman for the concession is that these transactions are often limited in time or other conditions - in other words, they are a mobile feast.

Debate

Which had the support of watchdog Consumer Focus, who said that it might be difficult to put a precise price cheaper trafficking on annual statements.

And energy providers say that statements will be better equipped in all cases of consumers.

"The best way to ensure that you are the best deal from your provider is to speak to their direct - there is no solution unique.Mais it is also important to shop to see if other companies could offer an agreement that suits you best," said a spokesman for energy UK, which represents the major energy companies.

"Annual statements provide useful information on the use of cost and energy, making it easier for customers to make comparisons with available offers both their existing suppliers and other companies".

Customers will be informed on their statement on how to change service providers

The argument does not seem to have convinced the Ministry of energy and climate change (DECC). in accordance with the provisions of the coalition agreement, it provides a change in next year's Act require service providers to include the details of the cheaper agreement on the record.

This gesture according to Ann Robinson, Uswitch, price comparison website leads to a narrowing of the gap between the annual cost to pay when they receive an invoice paper and those on a tariff line.

She said: "the proposal that providers will have to demonstrate their tariffs cheaper on all household bills may be initially to rethink their strategy price."

"Currently, more than 1 in 10 of us are on energy plan concurrentiel.Si online providers make it to the attention of all their customers, this number could fusée.clairement providers are concerned about the impact it could have on their bottom line and can therefore look to see how it out framed."

"The important is that consumers understand that these plans continue to be very competitive and from plans fixed price offer an easy way to protect you from the impact of rising prices for the winter."

Uswitch calculated figures for the BBC showing the difference between the average standard plans (payment receipt) and the average price online suppliers United Kingdom dual-fuel gas and electricity bills.

This amounted to £ 143 every year in November 2007 and extended to £ 179 a year later and £ 265 in November 2009.

However, slimmed down difference to £ 239 per November this année.Le typical online price was £ 956 compared to £ 1,195 for average standard bill.

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