UK economy news and explainers in plain English: inflation, interest rates, the Autumn Budget, jobs, house prices and the official figures from the ONS and the Bank of England, translated into what they mean for your money. Updated as the data lands.
UK CPI inflation rose to 3.5% in September 2026, up from 3.1% in August, driven mainly by fuel, the ONS said on 21 October. Core CPI rose to 2.8%. What the figure means for savings rates, mortgages ahead of the 5 November Bank Rate decision, and the April uprating link.
TL;DR: Driving test waiting times in Great Britain eased in September 2026. The DVSA measure of booking availability fell to 19.7 weeks, below 20 weeks for the first time since January 2025, and a record 191,682 tests were carried out in the month. The wait is still long, and it still varies hugely by area:…
TL;DR: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined Wayfair £4.8 million, Appliances Direct £1.2 million and Gold’s Gym £45,000 for misleading sales tactics. Appliances Direct and Gold’s Gym customers will share around £440,000 in refunds. The two firms will contact the customers affected, so nobody needs to make a claim. What happened: Wayfair fined…
TL;DR: Car finance compensation payments are delayed again. The legal challenges to the FCA compensation scheme will be heard from 16 to 26 February 2027, with judgment expected in the months after, and until the legal process ends lenders do not have to calculate or pay compensation under the scheme. You can still complain to…
TL;DR: DWP has published new official guidance on its Eligibility Verification Measure, the system under which banks share limited account information to help check benefit claims. It covers Universal Credit, Pension Credit and New Style ESA. Banks can share balances and account details, but never your spending or full statements, and every decision is made…
TL;DR: The IMF has raised its UK growth forecast for 2026 to 1.3%, up from 1.0% in July. But it expects growth to slow to 1.2% in 2027, with inflation averaging 3.3% this year and 2.8% next year, still above the Bank of England 2% target, as higher energy prices and long term interest rates…
TL;DR: The government opened a consultation on 12 October 2026 on the Clean Heat Market Mechanism, the scheme that sets heat pump targets for boiler manufacturers. It proposes raising the target from 8% this year to 18% by 2030/31, and running the scheme to March 2032. Nothing is decided yet, and no charge on households…
TL;DR: The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) published its Green Budget 2026 analysis on 12 October and warned that Chancellor John Healey faces spending pressures of around £35 billion ahead of the Autumn Budget on Wednesday 28 October 2026. Nothing has been announced or changed today. This is independent analysis of the choices the Chancellor…
TL;DR: The government has granted development consent for the Steeple Renewables Project, a solar farm in Nottinghamshire with about 450MW of solar generation and about 150MW of battery storage. Developer RES estimates £224 million of local investment during building and operation, supporting about 400 jobs, with a community benefits package of about £13 million over…
TL;DR: The Prime Minister told the Innovation Nation Summit in Manchester on 9 October 2026 that the government will bring in a law so non-compete clauses no longer block hiring at the UK’s most promising startups and growing firms. He also said workers in everyday jobs should not be stopped from moving, and that options…