UK minister says government must do more on cost of living
January 28, 2022, 9:23 am

UK minister says government must do more on cost of living

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The BBC reported that the a UK minister has said, government needs to do "a lot more" to help people struggling with the cost of living, as some Tory MPs call for a rise in National Insurance to be delayed.

Defence Minister James Heappey said people were "feeling the squeeze" of rising prices and the government was in "listening mode".

But he said the tax hike, to fund health and social care, was right.

No 10 says there are "no plans" to scrap the rise, which is due in April.

When asked about the increase on Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "We have to fund the Covid backlog, we have to fix social care."

But Conservative MP Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons Education Select Committee, said the funds should be raised through other means, telling the government to "go back to the drawing board".

And senior backbench MPs Robert Jenrick and Mel Stride called for the increase to be delayed, with Mr Jenrick saying 2022 would be "exceptionally hard" for families.

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Under the plans, employees, employers and the self-employed will all pay 1.25p more in the pound for National Insurance (NI) from April 2022 for a year - after which the extra tax will be collected as a new Health and Social Care Levy.

The increase will see an employee on £20,000 a year pay an extra £130 in tax. Someone on £50,000 will pay £505 more.

People earning less than £9,564 a year, or £797 a month, don't have to pay National Insurance and won't have to pay the new levy.

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Critics have said the increase will have a higher impact on the lower-paid and could contribute to inflation at a time when household budgets are under pressure.

And business leaders have warned that firms could offset the tax rise by raising prices.

Source: BBC

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”