Increase in national insurance rates for self-employed; new emphasis on vocational education Main rate of NICs for self-employed will rise to 11 per cent by 2019 New technical T-levels, backed by work placements, to boost skills £5m to encourage 'returnship' initiatives among employers Most self-employed individuals will pay increased national insurance contributions (NICs), it was announced in last week’s budget, as chancellor Philip Hammond aims to reduce the ‘tax advantages’ of opting out of full employment. Class 4 NIC rates... Continue reading

Thousands of ex-BHS staff will be offered the starting pension they were originally promised with higher than Pension Protection Fund (PPF) benefits, now that The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has agreed a cash settlement worth up to £363m with Chairman, Sir Philip Green. The arrangement will see Sir Philip provide funding for a new independent pension scheme to give pensioners the option of the same starting pension as they were originally promised by BHS, and higher benefits than they would get from the PPF. The announcement brings certainty to... Continue reading

Spot checks are to be carried out on employers across the UK to make sure they are complying with their workplace pensions duties. The inspections are part of The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) ongoing enforcement activity to ensure employers are meeting their duties correctly. Employers that The Pensions Regulator judges to be at risk of failing to meet their duties are being visited. As well as providing valuable insight into employer behaviour, the spot checks are to investigate any non-compliance, help employers get back on track or take enf... Continue reading

There is considerable variation in health and health-related employment outcomes across the UK, according to research undertaken by The Work Foundation. The North East, for example, shows the highest percentage of unemployment rates – 7.7% compared with a South West and South East rate of 3.8%. Meanwhile, Liverpool has a higher than England average percentage of working age population claiming Employment Support Allowance (10% compared with 5.6%). The most notable statistic, however is Liverpool’s percentage of individuals experiencing a ... Continue reading

The Brexit process offers an opportunity to embed equality into law and policy in the UK, says a new report published by the Women and Equalities Committee, ensuring strong equalities legislation after the EU exit. Since the Referendum in June 2016, one of the commitments that the Government has made is to ensure that the same laws and rules apply after the UK is no longer a member of the EU as before it leaves. The Government has specifically mentioned that general rights should be protected and maintained, and that there should be no regre... Continue reading