Posts by cardelladmin
Stamp duty boost for first-time buyers of shared-ownership homes
Stamp duty for first-time buyers of shared-ownership homes costing up to £500,000 has been abolished by Chancellor Philip Hammond. Shared ownership is the system in which a person owns a percentage of a property, typically between 25 and 75%, and a housing association owns the rest. The scheme makes it possible to buy all…
Read More‘Giveaway budget’ but no rise in inheritance tax allowances
Chancellor Philip Hammond surprised political commentators by producing what’s been described as a “giveaway budget” featuring tax cuts and increased public spending. While many people will welcome the increase in personal tax allowance and extra funds for services like the NHS, there was also some disappointment that there was no increase in inheritance tax…
Read MoreSisters allowed to correct error to benefit from family trust
Two sisters have been allowed to correct an error in a family trust that would have prevented them from benefiting in the way intended when the document was drawn up. The sisters were aged 58 and 56. When their mother died in 2005, they had inherited equally her 50% share of the house that…
Read MoreCourt settles siblings’ dispute over sale of family home
The High Court has settled a dispute between four siblings who couldn’t agree over the sale of their parents’ house. The issue arose after the parents died having left their family home in equal shares to their four children. The parents had expressed a wish that if one the children wanted to continue living…
Read MoreLack of preparation for old age threatens our future well-being
Most people in the UK are putting their future well-being at risk by neglecting to make legal preparations for their old age, according to a new report. The research shows that Britain is experiencing a ‘dementia crisis’, with an estimated 13 million people unprepared for the possibility that they may be suffering from some…
Read More£1 billion fund created to help build thousands more homes
A new fund is being created to help speed up the delivery of thousands of new homes across England. Housing Secretary James Brokenshire says the government is entering into a partnership with Barclays Bank to provide £1 billion of loan finance to help support small and medium sized developers. Support, ranging between £5…
Read MoreHousing Minister announces homes boost for rural families
The government is making it easier for developers to convert agricultural buildings into family homes. Currently developers are permitted to create a maximum of three homes from agricultural buildings on farmland. This is set to rise to five. It’s part of the government’s plan to meet local housing needs more efficiently. The new measures will…
Read MoreNearly 70,000 first-time buyers benefit from stamp duty cut
Nearly 70,000 first-time buyers have benefited so far from the abolition of stamp duty on homes costing less than £300,000. The figures, released by the government, cover the period up to 31 March this year. The changes to stamp duty were made by Chancellor Philip Hammond in the autumn Budget last November. The stamp duty…
Read MoreLasting powers of attorney can help protect dementia sufferers
Prime Minister Theresa May has announced a new drive to use technology and artificial intelligence to tackle debilitating diseases like dementia. Speaking at the beginning of Dementia Week, organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, Mrs May said: “The United Kingdom will use data, artificial intelligence and innovation to transform the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of…
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