The value of the government’s Help to Buy scheme has been called into question by MPs on the Public Accounts Committee. They say much of the money invested could have been better spent elsewhere. The Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme was introduced in April 2013 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
A wife was entitled to a financial settlement from her husband that reflected British law even though their divorce was granted abroad. That was the decision of the High Court in a case involving an Omani man and Lebanese woman. The couple had been married for 12 years and had lived a luxurious lifestyle in
The government has announced it will invest £600 million to build 50,000 new homes in England. Chancellor Sajid Javid says the homes will be built in high demand areas using money from the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF). Many potential sites across the country lack the infrastructure needed to make building homes on them viable. This
Tenants are being warned to be wary of being ‘ripped off’ by rogue letting agents who are flouting new consumer protection regulations. Two new laws, the Tenant Fees Act and the Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents, have recently come into force to provide significant new protections for tenants. Under the Tenant Fees Act,
A husband has failed to overturn what he considered an unreasonably generous divorce settlement imposed after a judge held that he had misled the court. The case involved a couple who married in 1995 and separated in 2016. They had three dependent children. The wife had looked after the home and worked part time. She
A council manager has been held personally responsible for compensating a work colleague he subjected to racially abusive comments. The case involved Mr A Leader, who worked for Leeds City Council as an environmental action operative. He described himself to the Employment Tribunal as black Afro-Caribbean. During one shift, he was a passenger in a
Pregnant women and new parents are set to receive extended legal protection against being made redundant after they return to work. The move is part of the government’s ‘Good Work Plan’. It follows a consultation which found that new parents continue to face discrimination. The research suggests that up to 54,000 women a year felt
A diabetic bank manager was discriminated against after being dismissed following an incident that saw him lock a customer in the branch. Mr B Kuppala was employed by HBOS for 14 years and worked his way up to manager of its Oxford Street Halifax branch. However, due to his diabetes, he made numerous security errors
A security officer at Heathrow airport was unable to hold his employers liable for a racially offensive image he was subjected to on his colleague’s social media account. Mr O Forbes said he suffered harassment, victimisation and discrimination after fellow security officer Deborah Stevens posted to her personal Facebook page a picture of a ‘golliwog’
An NHS director who was suspended after he made controversial comments based on his religious beliefs has failed with his discrimination claim. Richard Page was a non-executive director of an NHS and social care trust, and held a position as a lay magistrate in the family court. He was a practising Christian and had strong