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Welcome to the DPC round up of the latest business news for our clients for 2nd December 2024.
Please contact us if you want to talk with out team of experienced Stoke-on-Trent accountants about how these updates affect your business. We are here to support you!
THIS WEEK…
Guidance to help trustees protect their charities from fraud and cyber crime
With last week being Charity Fraud Awareness Week, the Charity Commission has unveiled updated guidance to help trustees protect their charities from fraud and cyber crime. This follows the regulator revealing that it opened 603 cases related to fraud and 99 cases involving cyber crime in the past year.
Both guides replace older, more complex versions and were developed in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Half of all scam reports in the last year were fake tax rebate claims
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have issued a reminder to be careful about scam attempts that target people filing Self Assessment tax returns. In the last year, nearly 150,000 scam attempts were referred to HMRC, a 16.7% increase on last year. With the 31 January 2025 filing deadline approaching, fraudsters are likely to step up their activities.
HMRC reports that around half of all scam reports in the last year were fake tax rebate claims. Fraudsters are usually aiming to get hold of personal information and banking details.
Getting people back into the workforce
The government has unveiled some significant reforms to employment support, underpinned by a £240 million investment. The measures aim to address deep-rooted issues of unemployment, economic inactivity, and barriers to work, as detailed in the newly published Get Britain Working White Paper.
Figures quoted in the government’s announcement made for sobering reading. 1.5 million are unemployed, 9 million are economically inactive, and a record 2.8 million are out of work due to long-term illness. Young people, in particular, are disproportionately affected, with one in eight not in education, employment, or training.
New fast-track route into key construction trades such as bricklaying, roofing, plastering, scaffolding, and carpentry
5,000 additional construction apprenticeship places are to be made available annually as part of a £140 million initiative aimed at addressing workforce shortages and meeting housebuilding targets.
Central to this plan is the establishment of 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs, which are designed to accelerate training.
The hubs, which will be purpose-built training centres, will aim to provide a fast-track route into key construction trades such as bricklaying, roofing, plastering, scaffolding, and carpentry. These centres will replicate realistic working environments, offering apprentices hands-on experience.
Safeguarding employees’ physical and mental health
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) recently released annual statistics for 2023/24 reveal the challenges being faced by employers in managing work-related ill health and injuries. Stress, depression, anxiety, and workplace injuries continue to be issues affecting the health and wellbeing of workforces.
The figures highlight a dual responsibility for employers: safeguarding employees’ physical health and addressing the increasing prevalence of work-related mental health challenges.
New levy to be used to support local tourism activity and infrastructure
People staying overnight in Wales may soon have to pay a small charge in changes proposed by the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill.
The levy would be set at 75p per person a night for hostels and campsite pitches. For all other accommodation types the levy will be £1.25 a person a night.
The decision on whether to set a levy or not will rest with the local authority for the area.
Reducing littering of single-use containers
The UK government has announced that it remains fully committed to a Deposit Return Scheme and expects to launch the scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in October 2027. The UK government will be working with the Scottish government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland to bring about these changes.
The Welsh government has announced a delay in their applying a Deposit Return Scheme, as they look at options that will support already ongoing initiatives. Wales is ranked second in the world for recycling.
It is hoped that a Deposit Return Scheme will help to reduce littering of single-use containers, while also increasing recycling rates.
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