Independent news, explained properly
The Energy Ombudsman has been the only approved dispute service for complaints against energy suppliers since 2008. Ofgem has now had an application from a would-be rival and is also planning for disputes involving energy brokers and comparison sites.
The Security Industry Authority has released its first practical tools for premises and events that will fall under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, and is taking feedback on them until 23 December.
Owners of English-licensed monohulls of 8 metres and under that have no bass authorisation can apply until midnight on Monday 21 December. Successful vessels will be allowed to land bass caught by hook and line.
Same-day company name changes and software incorporations need to be in by 12pm on Christmas Eve, and the contact centre closes for four days over Christmas and three over New Year.
Draft guidance published on Friday sets out which sponsorship and image rights payments to employees, mostly in professional sport, will count as employment income. Deals a player strikes alone with a brand will often stay outside the rule.
The Department for Work and Pensions is consulting until late January 2027 on guidance that explains trustees' existing fiduciary duties, from climate and AI to members' future cost of living. It does not change the law.
The government's response to its designs consultation also plans new powers for the Intellectual Property Office to check whether a design is genuinely new, a 30-month deferment option and clearer protection for animated designs.
The Financial Conduct Authority has published the final rules for firms that rate companies on environmental, social and governance grounds. Applications open on 24 June 2027, with the larger providers asked to apply first.
The discount brings the cost down to between £80 and £125 plus VAT for businesses not certified in the past four years. Separate free certification is coming for suppliers to more than 230 organisations.
The charge applies to distance sales 'at risk' of entering the EU. Parcels moved under the UK Carrier Scheme as 'not at risk' do not pay it.
The Office for the Internal Market is using Faster Payments and Bacs data to see how organisations in the four nations trade with each other.
The regulator expects applications from mid-January and a result before the end of February 2027, with a reserve price of £5m for the single lot.
The Chancellor and Business Secretary have written to regulator chief executives asking for proposals by spring 2027, with refund models and sandboxes among the ideas to be examined.
More than 10.7 million director, LLP member and PSC appointments had a verified identity by the end of September, up from 49.68% three months earlier.
New rules for the Hull area start on 1 November and run for five years. Ofcom says most homes there now have an alternative fibre network, but 10% to 20% still depend on KCOM alone.
The top speed was previously limited to newer fibre lines or trial areas. On cable, downloads average 2Gbps but uploads stay at about 100Mbps, and the monthly price is already set to rise twice.
The provider of NHS-funded hip, knee and spine surgery in Yorkshire and the East Midlands expects half-year earnings to beat last year's level, and says its first purpose-built surgical hub will open next spring.
From April 2028 every company will have to file its accounts using commercial software, and the web and paper routes will close. Small companies can keep their profit figures private.
The Treasury says the extension and a package of reporting changes will save businesses almost £800 million a year, with a consultation on further suspensions opening in November.
How the VAT registration threshold is measured, the deadlines for registering with HMRC, and the simplified schemes that can make VAT easier to run.
The rateable value, the multiplier and the reliefs that decide a business rates bill, plus how to check and challenge a valuation you think is wrong.
How administration works under UK insolvency law, what it means for staff, suppliers and customers holding gift cards, and who gets paid first.
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