State pensioners aged 74 and over could receive £192.40 per week from April 2027 after Andy Burnham vowed to keep the triple lock, with wage growth at 4.1% likely to decide the hike.
Dudley Council's £14m underspend sparks clash as Reform UK claims cuts have become 'manufactured neglect' and Labour says services are still failing.
Wage growth at 4.1% beats inflation at 2.9%, likely triggering a £515 state pension boost under Andy Burnham, but four groups will not receive the increase, experts warn.
Andy Burnham's triple lock pledge could deliver £770 monthly to basic state pensioners born before 1953, as wage growth at 4.1% likely decides April 2026 hike.
Reform UK has pledged to ban foreign nationals from claiming DWP benefits, targeting 1.3 million migrants on Universal Credit as of May 2026, aiming for £5 billion in savings.
Campaigners push to raise Universal Credit savings thresholds, frozen since 2006, which cut payments for 830,000 families and strip 1.2 million of support entirely.
Walsall Council will serve an enforcement notice on The Bridge Tavern in Willenhall after the upper floor was converted into flats without planning permission, following a June inspection.
Jeremy Clarkson's pub The Farmer's Dog has kept its garden green during the hosepipe ban thanks to a private borehole, which is legal as it doesn't use treated mains water.
Reform Party plans to replace PIP and Work Capability Assessment with a means-tested Health Security Allowance, cutting 55p per £1 earned above thresholds, aiming to save £5bn.
UK inflation rose to 2.9% in July, driven by energy price cap reset and reduced discounting, according to ONS. Services inflation eased to 3.4%, core to 2.6%. Economists expect peak later this year or early 2027, with potential impact on interest rates an
The DfE will encourage schools to offer more after-school clubs from September 1 to combat rising Friday absences, which have increased nearly 25%.
A petition urges the DWP to raise Universal Credit savings thresholds to £10,700 and £28,500, reflecting inflation since 2006, and to introduce annual uprating.
Reform UK marks 100 days in power in Walsall with major savings, policy shifts, and controversies, including scrapping climate emergency and National Anthem vote.
A former HMRC office in Liverpool city centre will be converted into 95 flats after revised plans addressed daylight issues that led to rejection of the original 106-apartment scheme.
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has triggered the public buyout of National Express West Midlands, which runs 94% of local bus services, to prevent a collapse that could have left millions stranded. The deal protects 4,800 jobs and 750 buses daily.
Manchester's local plan proposes up to 60,000 new homes by 2039, with a core growth area taking 42,000 homes and 1.4 million sqm of office space. Public consultation runs until September 28.
Walsall Council will serve an enforcement notice on The Turquoise Island pub after flats were created without permission, following a planning investigation.
Newport Council leader Dimitri Batrouni says relocating the ONS to the city centre would boost regeneration, and urges revisiting the M4 Relief Road and more transport investment.
Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb warns the private pension access age could rise to 60, citing Labour's lack of fondness for pension freedoms, despite current plans for 57 by 2028.
Labour's scrapping of the two-child benefit cap means larger families on Universal Credit can claim extra payments. Households with three children get £304 more monthly (£3,648 yearly), and those with four get £608 more monthly.
Birmingham City Council has decided the future of the 130-year-old former Central Library building on Chamberlain Square, with plans to transform it into a mixed-use development.
A 4.1% wage rise would lift full state pension to £1,004 a month, but basic rate trails at £770, leaving a £234 gap under Andy Burnham's triple lock pledge.
Andy Burnham confirms Triple Lock, likely boosting full state pension to £251.19 weekly for younger retirees, based on wage growth data.
The Ulster Farmers' Union calls on PM Andy Burnham to fully reverse inheritance tax changes for farmers, citing a need to protect family farms and reset relations.
West Midlands unemployment rose to 5.6% in the latest figures, above the national average, reflecting a challenging job market in the region.
Reform plans to bar non-UK citizens from Universal Credit, targeting 660,000 claimants not in work. IFS says savings depend on citizenship responses.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's triple lock pledge likely to raise full state pension by £515 to £13,062 annually, based on wage growth.
State pensioners face a 4.1% rise next April due to Triple Lock, adding £395 a year for those born before 1953. Wage growth drives increase.
100 days after Solihull Council elections, the Conservatives run a minority administration, facing opposition scrutiny chairs and Reform UK challenges, while one defection narrows their majority gap.
Reform plans would let five conditions automatically qualify for the highest PIP and Universal Credit support, says Robert Jenrick.