Rory Poulter

The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that benefit payments due on Monday, August 31, 2026, will be paid early on Friday, August 28, across the UK, including Scotland. The change covers the State Pension, Universal Credit, disability and carer benefits, and several other payments, helping recipients avoid delays over the bank holiday. The government also highlighted measures including expanded free school meals, childcare support, breakfast clubs, a planned £150 reduction in energy costs and a £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund for households facing financial emergencies.

Britons visiting Spain are being urged to protect themselves against mosquito bites after an 82-year-old man in Andalusia became the country’s first confirmed West Nile virus fatality of the year. Spain has recorded at least 19 human infections, mainly in Andalusia, with additional cases in Alicante and Extremadura, and experts expect August and September to carry the greatest risk. The virus is usually mild or asymptomatic but can cause serious neurological illness, particularly in older people and those with existing health conditions. Authorities recommend repellent, covering exposed skin, avoiding stagnant water and seeking medical advice for severe symptoms after travel. The situation remains below Spain’s severe 2024 outbreak, but climate and weather conditions could allow the virus to spread to additional regions.

UK holidaymakers are being warned that AI-generated fake Booking.com websites are increasingly convincing and can result in lost bookings, stolen bank details and no refund. NordVPN detected around 40 fake Booking.com sites a day during the February booking peak, with Booking.com accounting for roughly three-quarters of detected fake travel websites and Airbnb a distant second. Experts recommend typing website addresses manually, checking URLs, avoiding unusually cheap deals, paying by credit card where possible, never transferring money to unknown hosts, and comparing reviews and genuine guest photos across platforms.

More than one million additional UK taxpayers are expected to pay income tax or move into higher tax bands in 2026-27 as personal allowances and thresholds remain frozen. TaxPayers’ Alliance estimates that 500,000 people will become basic-rate taxpayers, 410,000 will enter the higher-rate band and 70,000 will enter the additional-rate band. It forecasts average taxpayers will pay £640 more than in 2024-25, while income tax receipts reach £347 billion. The Treasury says the policy does not raise headline tax rates, but critics argue that fiscal drag operates as a stealth tax and will increasingly affect workers and pensioners.