Soaring food costs and the energy bill crisis pushed inflation to 5.4% in the 12 months to December 2021, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.

The last time inflation was higher was in March 1992, when it stood at 7.1%. The current rate is far above the Bank of England's target of 2%.

Rising prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages contributed the most...

Owners of second homes who take advantage of a tax loophole by claiming their additional often-empty properties are holiday lets will have to follow new measures, the Government announced last week.

From April 2023, second homeowners will have to prove holiday lets are being let out for a minimum of 70 days a year to access small business rates relief, where they meet criteria.

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