Lloyds under fire over £5,500 church funds delay
Lloyds Bank faces criticism after parish church treasurer says £5,500 in funds is inaccessible, forcing borrowing for repairs and bills.
Category : Council Services
Three new council tax exemption rules now in force
Three new council tax disregards are now in force, protecting Armed Forces veterans, miscarriage of justice victims, and Scottish disability allowance recipients from reductions in their bills.
DWP urged to unfreeze LHA frozen since 2024
The DWP faces calls to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance, frozen since April 2024, as Baroness Lister warns it now covers rent on under 2% of advertised homes.
Birmingham children's services director Sue Harrison leaves
Sue Harrison has officially left Birmingham City Council after six months' absence. She earned £264,648 including pension in the last full year, and the council is now advertising her permanent replacement.
DWP Winter Fuel Payment one-week rule excludes pensioners
DWP confirms state pensioners can miss Winter Fuel Payment due to a one-week rule. Hospital stays and prison during qualifying week cause exclusion.
HMRC repayment change: 730,000 refunds unclaimed
HMRC's August 19 policy change means most taxpayers must actively claim P800 refunds. Over 730,000 refunds worth £855 on average went unclaimed last year.
Five simple ways to keep maggots out of Birmingham food bins
A Birmingham resident dubbed new food bins 'maggot bins' after finding infestations. BusinessWaste.co.uk shares five easy tips to prevent and remove maggots.
Birmingham council chief best-paid at £397k
Joanne Roney, Birmingham City Council's managing director, earned £397,097 last year, making her the best-paid local authority boss in the country.
New uniform rules cap branded items as pupils return
New Government rules cap branded school uniform items at three per school, with a possible fourth for ties, as pupils return next week. Second-hand options must be offered.
HMRC P800 tax refund: workers must claim cash online
HMRC has quietly changed P800 tax refund rules from August, meaning workers must now proactively request repayments online instead of receiving automatic cheques.
GMB's Lois Swinnerton announces break from Midlands show
Lois Swinnerton, Good Morning Britain's Midlands presenter, is taking a few months off for a personal adventure, with Nitya Rajan stepping in. She returns to ITV Central next year.
DWP appoints Prof David Strain as Chief Medical Advisor
The DWP has confirmed Professor David Strain will start as Chief Medical Advisor from the end of August, succeeding Dr Gail Allsopp and providing clinical leadership.
Sainsbury's halves Nectar prices on fruit and veg
Sainsbury's cuts prices by half on sweetcorn, peppers, mushrooms and mangoes for Nectar customers from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August.
Lisa Smart MP: Local wins on pollution, flooding and buses
MP Lisa Smart highlights local progress: United Utilities checks at Poise Brook, flood defence funding, Marple Locks vehicle removal, and a smaller bus for the 382 route.
DWP contacts Pension Credit claimants for bank statement reviews
DWP has started contacting Pension Credit claimants for case reviews, asking some for bank statements to verify correct payment amounts.
DWP benefit payment changes on Friday August 28
DWP moves Universal Credit, Housing Benefit and ESA payments to Friday August 28 due to the August 31 bank holiday. State pension also affected.
DWP confirms £965 early state pension payment this Friday
DWP will pay state pensioners with NI numbers ending 00-19 on Friday 28 August instead of Monday 31 August, with £965 maximum weekly new state pension.
Royal Mail delays hit 61 postcodes in West Midlands and beyond
Royal Mail has announced delivery delays affecting 61 postcodes, including parts of the West Midlands, Shropshire, and Staffordshire, due to local issues and staffing shortages.
HMRC confirms new company car fuel rates from September 1
HMRC has published updated advisory fuel rates for company car users, effective 1 September 2026, with changes to petrol, diesel, LPG and electric charging rates.
DWP £150 Warm Home Discount for Pension Credit claimants
State pensioners on Pension Credit, Universal Credit or Housing Benefit can get £150 off energy bills via the Warm Home Discount. You must be named on your energy bill by 23 August to receive it automatically.
TV Licensing exemptions: full list under Burnham and Nandy
TV Licensing confirms exemptions under PM Burnham and Lisa Nandy: over-75s on Pension Credit get free licence, blind people pay £90, black-and-white £60.50. Catch-up-only viewers may not need one.
Welsh Government reviews local authority funding formula
The Welsh Government has commissioned the Wales Centre for Public Policy to review the formula distributing funding to local authorities, focusing on education and social services, with changes possible by 2028-29.
British Gas court threat over £2,000 bill for disabled pensioner
British Gas threatened José Bell, 69, a disabled pensioner from Lewisham, with court over an incorrect £2,000 gas bill, despite its own estimate of £179.14. After Telegraph intervention, the firm re-billed, applied a credit, and apologised.
Birmingham Council's £144m Oracle system goes live
Birmingham City Council's new Oracle system, Brindley, went live on 18 August after a £144m overhaul, four years after the failed SAP-to-Oracle switch that triggered a Section 114 notice.
DWP early payments confirmed for August bank holiday
DWP will pay benefits early on Friday 28 August due to the bank holiday. State Pension, PIP, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance and more are affected.
Gorleston Road Fire Clean-Up Complete, More Work Needed
Birmingham City Council has completed the immediate clean-up on Gorleston Road after the August 13 fire, removing badly damaged trees, but says longer-term restoration of grounds and surrounding areas is still needed.
DWP: 8 benefits for over State Pension age
DWP confirms eight benefits available to people over State Pension age with illness or disability, including Attendance Allowance, Pension Credit and more.
Halifax closes 15 UK branches in September amid Lloyds rebrand
Halifax will close 15 branches across the UK in September 2026, including sites in Cannock, Woking, and London, as part of Lloyds Banking Group's wider network changes and rebranding to Lloyds.
British Gas pays household £38,000 by mistake
British Gas mistakenly paid a UK household £38,611.59 instead of £300 for solar feed-in tariff. The error took over seven weeks to reverse, and the customer still awaits their correct payment.
Hucknall residents urged to shape £20m spending
Hucknall residents can help decide how £20m Pride in Place funding is spent. Survey open until September 18, 2026, with £50 gift card incentive.
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