Government

Only two peer-to-peer lending platforms out of 94 are currently able of offer the new Innovative Finance ISA following its launch this week, as rigorous checks by the regulator have held up the approval process.

Homeowners living in flood-prone parts of the UK are now able to obtain substantially cheaper home insurance under a Government-backed scheme, in some cases slashing thousands off their costs. But everyone else will be expected to stump up an average of £10 a year if insurers decide to pass on associated costs.

Chancellor George Osborne has announced a range of tax cuts for individuals, with the headline news being that the level at which people start to pay income tax will rise to £11,500 in April next year.

Savers will be able to save £20,000 a year in an ISA from April 2017, Chancellor George Osborne announced in today's Budget.

People who make extra cash by selling on eBay, renting a room out on Airbnb, or through odd jobs will benefit from two new £1,000 tax breaks from April 2017.

Motorists have been spared a rise in fuel tax after the Chancellor announced he would freeze the duty for the sixth consecutive year.

Those who enjoy fizzy drinks, cigarettes and wine will be hit by tax changes announced in the 2016 Budget – but taxes on cider, beer, whisky and other spirits have been frozen.

Chancellor George Osborne has unveiled a new Lifetime ISA for the under-40s which will pay savers a 25% bonus on up to £4,000 saved per tax year.

MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis and the StepChange Debt Charity have called on the Government to fix the rules for people struggling with temporary debt. The move comes as new figures show one in five people making unsecured debt repayments have been left unable to afford food.