The end of summer will trigger a number of laws and rule changes, including the introduction of a new standard petrol, a ban on halogen light bulbs and the ending of furlough for two million workers.
And households face a string of price increases, with those on standard variable energy tariffs facing a £139 increase in their bills from October 1.
As the country takes steps out of out the restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus and it enters further into a post-Brexit way of life, people are being urged to prepare for numerous changes, reports the Mirror
For example, driving licences due to expire during lockdown which had expiry dates extended, will need to be renewed, with many up for renewal in September. However, motorists do not need to apply to renew their licence until they receive a reminder, but those who fail to renew face a £1,000 fine.
Motorist will also have to get used to the new E10 fuel, which is replacing regular E5 petrol – meaning some older vehicles may not be able to run on the new formula. Cars made after 2011 should be fine to fill up with E10, as well as most vehicles made since the late 1990s. Incompatible vehicles will have to run on super grade E5 unleaded instead.
The country switches over from E5 unleaded fuel to E10, which is more environmentally friendly
Elsewhere, from October 1 those on universal credit will lose the £20 uplift introduced at the height of the pandemic last year to help families hit hard by Covid. Once withdrawn, the average adult on the standard allowance will see their payments drop from £411.51 to £324.84.
Shoppers will also see a change in their contactless cards, with the limit rising to £100. The limit went up from £30 to £45 last spring as contactless payments soared because lockdown forced a change in how we spent our money in the shops.
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There will be new banking rules coming in, aimed at preventing the surge in fraud. Debit and credit card providers will be required to verify online payments with customers from September, with a £25 trigger in place to detect “abnormal” transactions. It means lenders and loan providers will start contacting customers more frequently to verify payments. If a company cannot contact you for verification, card payments could be declined.
Those who bank with M&S are being reminded that they have less than a week left to switch their current account before all accounts are shut down as the banking arm of the supermarket closes all current accounts on August 31.
Customers need to switch banks by this date and ensure their money is moved over.
In order to close an account via the M&S website, people will need to have a balance of zero – and clear any overdraft.
Those who still have money in their M&S account after August 31 will effectively have it frozen and they will need to contact M&S to transfer the balance.
Changes in the law will affect what we spend and how we spend it
Furlough ends at the end of September, and government contributions for workers on the job retentions scheme will come to a close. This month, Treasury support fell from 70 to 60 per cent, with employers taking up the balance, plus national insurance and pension contributions on top.
And parents claiming child benefit have one week left to update the taxman on any changes in their child’s education. Families have until August 31 to tell HMRC if their 16-year-old is going to start working or stay in full-time education or training. If a child starts work, the parents can no longer claim the benefit.
With autumn and cooler weather approaching, consumers are going to face energy price rises of around £139. Gas and electricity prices will increase for 15 million customers on October 1, in line with the latest energy price cap. E.on, SSE and EDF have already increased their prices.
Ofgem said the increase is driven by a record rise exceeding 50 per cent in energy costs over the last six months. Households struggling to afford the rises are being urged to use price comparison websites to find cheaper tariffs. Experts say shopping around for a better deal can save up to £100 a year.
However, struggling households can apply for one-off payments worth £140 to help toward the cost of their energy bills with the Warm Home Discount. But the money for successful applicants for the Warm Home Discount Scheme is normally paid directly to the energy supplier, which then applies the discount to energy bills. The discount is applied between October and March.
Halogen light bulbs are to be banned from September, the Department for Energy has confirmed, meaning retailers will no longer be able to sell most halogen bulbs for general household use in the UK.
Those who have halogen light bulbs at home can still use them but will not be able to replace them when they stop working. A ban on the sale of lighting fixtures with fixed bulbs that can’t be replaced will also come into force on the same day.
New laws aim to prevent some school practices over the branding of school uniform
(Image: Robin Worrall)
Finally, new laws are coming in to stop some school practices regarding branded uniforms. The Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Bill will see certain schools told they must keep branded items to a minimum. It means parents should not be faced with a price lottery when shopping for branded uniform.
And parents who are worried about the price of school uniform have just days left to check if their council is able to help with back-to-school costs. Under the Education Act 1990, councils can provide financial help toward the cost of school uniform through the School Uniform Grant.
In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all local authorities are required to offer assistance but it’s discretionary in England.
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