Personal Money · Saturday, 31 October 2026

Medicare stand-alone drug plan premiums set to rise 50%, from 34 to 51 dollars a month in 2027, for members who do not switch, KFF finds

23 stories 32 sources

Signals on this beat

The bar and the word are our reading of how hard each one is pushing, and the arrow is where it is heading.

Health cover costing more High↑

Stand-alone Medicare drug plans rise 50% on average, from $34 to $51 a month. [1]
The benchmark US marketplace health plan rises 13% for 2027, after 26% for 2026. [6]
Nearly 40% of marketplace buyers took Bronze plans, with a lower premium and a higher deductible. [7]

Fuel still dear at the pump High→

A gallon of US petrol took 9.5 minutes of work in October, against 6.3 in February. [10]
Pakistan raised diesel again, to 402.96 rupees a litre. [18]
Petrol in Malawi costs $3.24 a litre, the highest in Africa. [21]

Housing taking more of income Building↑

The average UK five-year fixed mortgage reached 5.99%. [9]
Counting repairs, nearly 1 in 3 US homeowners spend too much of their income on housing. [16]
In Greece, 26.4% of people spend over 40% of their income on housing. [17]

Government help pulled back Building↑

Medicare's agency ended the subsidy that held drug-plan premiums down a year early. [3]
US marketplace buyers earning over four times the poverty line get no help with premiums. [6]
A teachers' union says 90,000 public workers are stuck waiting for loan forgiveness. [12]

The stories

23 stories on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

01
Medicare stand-alone drug plan premiums set to rise 50%, from 34 to 51 dollars a month in 2027, for members who do not switch, KFF finds

$34 to $51

the average monthly premium of a stand-alone Medicare drug plan, 2026 to 2027

if members keep the plan they have [1]

10.4 million

people in these plans who will pay more if they stay put

76% of members without low-income help [2]

$643

average deductible in these plans next year

up from $540 in 2026 [2]

$9

average drug premium in Medicare Advantage plans in 2027

up less than $2, against $17 for stand-alone plans [2]
What happened
- Stand-alone Medicare drug plans will cost 50% more a month in 2027, KFF found. [1]
- The average premium rises from $34 in 2026 to $51, for people who keep their plan. [1]
- Of those without low-income help, 10.4 million will pay more if they stay put. [2]
- That is 76% of them for 2027, against 56% who faced a rise for 2026. [2]
- 4.1 million now pay nothing a month, and no free plan exists in 2027. [2]
- 2.4 million will see their premium jump by more than $50 a month. [2]
- In 2026, only 38,000 people faced a rise that big. [2]
- Medicare's agency ended it in July, a year before it was due to stop. [3]
- The subsidy had cut the average plan's premium by $16 this year, KFF estimated. [4]
- Medicare Advantage plans, sold by private insurers, will charge about $9 a month for drug cover. [2]
- Their drug premium rises less than $2, against $17 for stand-alone plans. [2]
- Advantage plans can use rebate money from Medicare to cut their premiums. [2]
- Stand-alone plans have no such rebate to draw on. [2]
- 99.8% of stand-alone plan members will pay a deductible in 2027. [2]
- The average deductible in these plans rises to $643, from $540 in 2026. [2]
- Most members will pay coinsurance: a share of each drug's price, not a fixed fee. [3]
- For preferred brand drugs, the usual share in stand-alone plans is 25%. [2]
- A member's yearly spending on drugs is capped at $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100. [5]
- Medicare's agency projected a rise of only about $1, from $35 to $36. [2]
- KFF says the agency did not explain its method, and may have assumed people switch. [2]
- Robert Travis Scott, from Virginia, was told his plan would rise from $39.60 to $121.90. [3]
- He found a similar Humana plan for $19.30, saving about $1,000 next year. [3]
- National plans range from $6.50 a month to $204.50 for AARP Medicare Rx Preferred. [2]
Who is involved

Medicare is the US government's health cover for older Americans. [3]
Nearly 25 million of them buy their drug cover as a separate, stand-alone plan. [3]
KFF, a US health information nonprofit, ran the analysis. [3]
Its head, Mehmet Oz, called the subsidy an insurance industry bailout. [3]
UnitedHealthcare sells AARP Medicare Rx Preferred, which costs $126 this year. [2]
Most stand-alone buyers, 24.1 million, are in traditional Medicare, the version the US government runs itself. [5]
- KFF a US health information nonprofit; its analysis found the 50% rise [3]
- Mehmet Oz head of the US agency that runs Medicare; he ended the subsidy, calling it an insurance industry bailout [3]
- UnitedHealthcare a US insurer; its AARP Medicare Rx Preferred plan rises from $126 to $204.50 a month [2]
- Traditional Medicare members premium up $17
- Advantage members up less than $2
- Donald Trump US president
- Juliette Cubanski KFF's director of Medicare policy; she said the stakes are higher this year for members who make no change [1]
How it unfolded

A 2022 law capped patients' yearly drug spending at $2,000 from 2025. [4]
That left insurers paying more of each bill, so a temporary subsidy eased the change. [4]
The US government paid that subsidy to stand-alone plans in 2025 and 2026. [3]
Last year, a projected rise to $44 ended at $34 once people switched. [2]
1. 2025 subsidy paid
2. 2026 subsidy paid
3. Now open enrollment
4. 7 December last day to change plan
5. 2025 a yearly cap on drug spending begins, and a temporary subsidy holds premiums down [4]
6. July 2026 Medicare's agency ends the subsidy a year early [3]
7. This week KFF finds the average stand-alone premium rising 50% [1]
8. 7 December last day to change plans for 2027 [1]
Why it matters

So the rise lands on traditional Medicare members far more than on Advantage members. [2]
Drug costs are a big worry for voters before the US midterms on 3 November. [3]

How it works

A deductible is what a member pays before the plan starts paying for drugs. [29]
Health economists call these parts cost-sharing: the premium, the deductible and the coinsurance. [2]
The truth
- What is really going on Medicare's agency ended a subsidy that held stand-alone drug plan premiums down, so 10.4 million Medicare members will pay more in 2027 unless they change plans by 7 December. [2][3]
- Why it works on people An average hides the spread: Medicare's own projection shows a rise of about $1 a month, while 2.4 million people face rises of more than $50. [2]
- On 28 October, President Trump told an Ohio rally US drug prices are the world's lowest. [3]
- Premiums and deductibles in many Medicare drug plans are rising anyway, KFF's figures show. [2]
- A Vanderbilt professor said dearer stand-alone plans could push people into private Advantage plans. [4]
- Who gains Insurers selling Medicare Advantage — Medicare's rebates let their drug cover average $9 a month against $51 for stand-alone plans, a gap that may pull members their way. [2][4]
- Who pays 4.1 million on free stand-alone Medicare drug plans — No free stand-alone plan exists in 2027, so each of them will pay a premium. [2]
- Nobody knows yet
  How many of the 10.4 million will switch plans by 7 December.
  
  Last year switching turned a projected $44 average into $34; this year's window has only just opened. [2]
- Nobody knows yet
  Why Medicare's projection and KFF's differ so much.
  
  The agency projects $36 a month and KFF $51; KFF says the agency did not explain its method. [2][3]
Good news
- Last year, Medicare drug-plan premiums were projected to rise to $44 a month and ended at $34, once members moved to cheaper plans.
What comes next

Open enrollment, the yearly window to change plans, runs until 7 December. [1]

02
US marketplace health plans rise again
What happened
- Open enrollment for US marketplace health plans begins on 1 November in most states. [6]
- The benchmark silver plan's premium rises an average 13% for 2027, KFF found. [6]
- That follows a 26% rise for 2026: 42% in two years. [6]
- Buyers earning over four times the US poverty line now get no help. [6]
- 9.2 million buyers, nearly 40%, chose Bronze plans for 2026. [7]
- Bronze plans trade a lower premium for a higher deductible. [7]
- Cigna is leaving all 11 states where it sells marketplace plans. [6]
Who is involved

Many self-employed Americans buy health cover there: about 28% of working-age buyers. [7]
How it unfolded

Extra federal help with premiums ended in 2026, and enrollment fell 12% by February. [6]

Why it matters

These rises land hardest on people who earn too much for any federal help. [6]
How it works

KFF calls it a worsening risk pool: healthier buyers drop out, so premiums rise. [6]
Why a low monthly premium often means a bigger bill at the pharmacy

Health economists call it cost-sharing: people pay for a plan each month, then again when they use it, through a deductible and coinsurance.

The twist

A plan's monthly price shows what a healthy member pays. A member who falls ill also pays the deductible and a share of each bill, up to the yearly cap.

The picture

$51Monthly premium
$643Yearly deductible
25%Share of each drug
What the average stand-alone Medicare drug plan member pays in 2027: a premium every month, then a deductible, then a share of each preferred brand drug.
Step by step
1. An insurer must collect enough to pay its members' expected bills
2. Part comes in as the premium, paid every month by every member
3. Part comes in as the deductible and coinsurance, paid only when care is used
4. For the same bills, a lower premium means a bigger share paid at use
5. So a plan that is cheap to hold costs more for members who are often ill
6. A yearly cap stops the share paid at use from growing past a set sum
The same force, elsewhere today

Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.
- US marketplace plans rise again
  
  When extra federal help ended, nearly 40% of buyers chose Bronze plans, taking a higher deductible to get a lower premium.
- Repairs push 1 in 3 US owners over budget
  
  The usual test counts only the monthly payment and leaves out the roof and the boiler, which come due when something wears out.
Where you've seen this

Car insurance

A bigger excess, the part the driver pays on each claim, buys a smaller yearly premium.

Home insurance

An owner who accepts a higher deductible pays less each year and more in the year the roof leaks.

Phone contracts

A cheap monthly plan can charge more for each gigabyte used beyond it.

Gym membership

A monthly fee covers every visit, while paying per visit costs nothing in a month with no visits.

The catch

The trade only holds for the same expected bills. Money from outside, such as Medicare's rebates to Advantage plans, can lower the premium and the share paid at use together, which is how those plans charge $9.

And the whole of it

In the years a member is well, they pay mostly through the premium. In the years they are ill, they also pay through the deductible and coinsurance. The insurer sees the whole pool of members, and each member sees only their own receipts.
The truth
- What is really going on On the US marketplace, premiums are rising 13% again after extra federal help ended in 2026 and healthier buyers left. [6]
- Insurers estimate these changes added about four points to 2026 premiums. [6]
- Who pays Marketplace buyers above four times the US poverty line — They get no federal help, so they pay every dollar of the 13% rise. [6]
- Nobody knows yet
  How many people leave the US marketplace in 2027.
  
  Marketplace figures after February 2026 are not out yet; budget officials project 13.1 million buyers, against 22.4 million in 2025. [6]
Good news
- New Mexico paid for all the lost federal help, and its enrollment grew. [6]
- New Mexico paid for all the federal health-premium help that ended in 2026, and its marketplace enrollment grew while the US total fell.
What comes next

US budget officials project 13.1 million buyers in 2027, down from 22.4 million in 2025. [6]

03
US savings bond rate rises to 5.51%
What happened
- New US I bonds will pay 5.51% a year from 1 November to 30 April. [8]
- That is up from 4.26% on bonds bought up to 31 October. [8]
- The rate has two parts: a fixed part and a part that follows prices. [8]
- The fixed part is 1.40%, the highest since 2006, and never changes after purchase. [8]
- The price-linked part is reset every six months, in May and November. [8]
Who is involved

I bonds are US government savings bonds, seen as nearly risk-free. [8]
How it unfolded

The rate hit a record 9.62% in May 2022, after the pandemic price surge. [8]
1. May reset
2. November reset
Why it matters

US prices rose 3.7% in the year to September, up from 3.4% in August. [8]

How it works

A bond tied to prices pays more when living costs rise faster. [8]
The truth
- The US Treasury does not explain the fixed part, so it is harder to predict. [8]
- Who gains New buyers of US I bonds — Bonds bought from 1 November pay 5.51%, with a fixed part of 1.40% kept for the bond's life. [8]
04
UK house prices barely grow as loans pass 6%
What happened
- UK house prices rose just 0.5% in the year to October, Nationwide says. [9]
- That is the slowest yearly growth in more than two years. [9]
- The yearly rise had been 0.8% in September. [9]
- The average five-year fixed mortgage rate reached 5.99% on Thursday, Moneyfacts says. [9]
- It is the first time in three years the average has reached about 6%. [9]
Who is involved

Nationwide, a UK lender, puts the average home at 273,566 pounds, flat on September. [9]
- Buyers pay more to borrow
- Sellers see fewer new buyers
- Tom Bill Knight Frank, estate agents
How it unfolded

The Bank of England has held its rate at 3.75% since last December. [9]
Swings in bond markets pushed up the swap rates lenders use to price fixed loans. [9]

Why it matters

Higher rates mean bigger borrowing costs, and new buyer inquiries stay weak. [9]
The truth
- Knight Frank's Tom Bill said loan costs outweigh any help in this week's UK Budget. [9]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether the Bank of England raises its rate next week.
  
  Expectations of a rise to 4% are growing, but the vote has not happened. [9]
What comes next

Many expect the Bank of England to vote next week to raise its rate to 4%. [9]
05
A gallon of US petrol takes 9.5 minutes of work
What happened
- In October, a typical US worker earned a gallon of petrol in about 9.5 minutes. [10]
- In February, before the Iran war, it took 6.3 minutes. [10]
- A gallon of regular petrol cost $4.12 on 26 October, up 47.4% since February. [10]
- Diesel, used by trucks and buses, rose 66.8%, to $6.35 a gallon. [10]
Who is involved

Pew Research Center, a US research group, worked it out from fuel and wage data. [10]
- Pew Research Center US research group
How it unfolded

Counting inflation, June 2008 was dearer: $6.18 a gallon in today's money. [10]
In July 2008 a gallon took 16 minutes of work. [10]

Why it matters

74% of Americans are very concerned about fuel prices, up from 43% in January. [10]

How it works

Pew measured fuel in minutes of work so prices and wages are compared together. [10]
The truth
- The minutes use August's $26 median wage, as later wage data was not yet out. [10]
06
Teachers' union sues over loan forgiveness delays
What happened
- The American Federation of Teachers sued US education secretary Linda McMahon on Friday. [11]
- It says her department blocks loan forgiveness that tens of thousands of public workers have earned. [11]
- 88,000 borrowers were waiting for a buyback decision this spring, a court filing showed. [11]
- Some borrowers' payment counts fell without explanation, in one example from 116 to 109. [12]
- The US Education Department says it is fixing coding errors made under President Biden. [11]
Who is involved

The union represents about 1.8 million members. [11]
- American Federation of Teachers teachers' union
- Linda McMahon US education secretary
- Education Department blames earlier coding errors
How it unfolded

Public Service Loan Forgiveness cancels government and charity workers' student loans after 120 payments. [11]
A buyback lets borrowers pay for months missed during a pause, to reach 120. [11]

Why it matters

Elizabeth Schoepflin said: "Every month this drags on is another payment I shouldn't have to make." [11]
The truth
- While they wait, borrowers cannot move that money to homes or their children's college savings. [12]
- Who pays Public workers waiting on loan forgiveness — They keep making payments while their buyback requests wait for a decision. [11]
- Nobody knows yet
  How many public workers are waiting on loan forgiveness buybacks.
  
  A court filing counted 88,000 waiting this spring; the teachers' lawsuit says 90,000. [11][12]
What comes next

The case, Weingarten v. McMahon, is in the federal court in Washington, DC. [11]
07
Trump team weighs $9,000 for stay-at-home parents
What happened
- The Trump administration is considering $9,000 a year for parents who stay home with children. [13]
- The plan is known from a New York Times report. [13]
- The money would come from federal funds that usually help single mothers and low-income families. [13]
- One Texas mother said daycare for her children cost more than their mortgage. [13]
Who is involved

Vice-president JD Vance is reported to have put the idea forward. [13]
- JD Vance US vice-president
- Single parents lose funds
- Married couples gain
How it unfolded

52% of US families have two working parents, against 31% in 1975, Pew found. [13]
40% of households spend an outsized share of income on childcare, a Georgetown report says. [13]

Why it matters

Moving the money would shift help from single parents to married couples. [13]
The truth
- "Families of all compositions need help right now," said Chandra Childers, a policy analyst. [13]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether the $9,000 payment for stay-at-home parents will happen.
  
  It is known only from a New York Times report that the Trump administration is considering it. [13]
08
An hour's pay buys fewer Halloween sweets
What happened
- An hour of US work buys 15.79 candy bars this year, S&P Global says. [14]
- In 2019 the same hour bought 17.46. [14]
- Prices for candy and gum rose 7.7% in the year to September. [14]
- Prices in general rose 3.7% over the same year. [14]
- Popular Halloween chocolates cost 15.3% more than last year, two US research groups found. [15]
- One Halloween fan's $200 of sweets in 2024 cost $283 this year. [14]
How it unfolded

Cocoa, the bean chocolate is made from, passed $10,700 a tonne in January 2025. [15]
Shops are still selling chocolate made from cocoa bought at those prices, a Columbia professor said. [15]

Why it matters

Wages have grown slower than prices for six months, so treats take more of pay. [14]
The truth
- S&P Global says shoppers keep spending by using credit cards and saving less. [14]
09
Repairs push 1 in 3 US owners over budget
What happened
- Counting repairs, nearly 1 in 3 US homeowners spend too much of their income on housing. [16]
- By that test, 22.7 million owners, or 26%, were burdened in 2023. [16]
- Adding routine repairs and big replacements raises the count to 28.4 million. [16]
Who is involved

Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies presented the early findings on Friday. [16]
- Joint Center for Housing Studies Harvard research centre
How it unfolded

Owners' routine repair spending rose 61%, from $65 billion in 2019 to $105 billion in 2023. [16]
Home insurance premiums rose 72% and property taxes 31% from 2019 to 2025. [16]

Why it matters

A new roof does not appear in the monthly bills most affordability figures count. [16]

How it works

The usual test calls owners burdened if housing takes over 30% of income. [16]

The usual test counts only the monthly payment and leaves out the roof and the boiler, which come due when something wears out.
The idea, in story 02: Why a low monthly premium often means a bigger bill at the pharmacy →
The truth
- Most big US housing surveys never ask owners what they spend on repairs. [16]
10
Greece tops Europe's housing cost list
What happened
- 7.7% of EU residents live in homes spending over 40% of income on housing. [17]
- Greece is highest, at 26.4%, more than three times the EU average. [17]
- Denmark follows at 14.7%, and Germany at 11.2%. [17]
- Cyprus is lowest, at 2.4%. [17]
Who is involved

Eurostat calls this the housing cost overburden rate; the figures are for 2025. [17]
- Private renters heaviest burden
How it unfolded

EU house prices rose 69% on average from 2015 to mid-2026. [17]

Why it matters

Among people at risk of poverty, the EU rate rises to 29.1%. [17]
In Greece, 82.6% of people at risk of poverty are overburdened. [17]

How it works

Housing costs include rent or mortgage interest, energy, water and regular charges. [17]
The truth
- Private renters usually carry the heaviest burden, an ETH Zurich researcher said. [17]
11
Pakistan raises diesel again as gas cylinders double
What happened
- Pakistan raised diesel by 2.29 rupees a litre on Friday, to 402.96 rupees. [18]
- Petrol stayed at 377.91 rupees a litre. [18]
- Pakistan's government takes 114 rupees a litre in taxes on petrol and 100 on diesel. [18]
- An 11.57kg cylinder of cooking gas now sells for 6,000 to 7,200 rupees. [19]
- The regulator's official price is 3,296 rupees. [19]
Who is involved

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif set up a committee of ministers to review gas policy. [19]
- Shehbaz Sharif Pakistan's prime minister
- State firms would import and price gas
- Dealers oppose it
How it unfolded

Diesel cost 281 rupees before the US-Iran war began on 28 February. [18]
It peaked at 520.35 rupees on 3 April. [18]

Why it matters

A party leader, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, threatened a mid-November march against the fuel tax. [18]
The truth
- The proposed policy lets state firms import cooking gas and set its price; dealers oppose it. [19]
- Who pays Pakistani families cooking with bottled gas — A cylinder sells for 6,000 to 7,200 rupees, against an official price of 3,296. [19]
What comes next

The committee has one month to report to the prime minister. [19]
12
UAE cuts petrol prices for November
What happened
- UAE petrol prices will fall in November. [20]
- Super 98 drops 5.5%, from 4.40 to 4.16 dirhams a litre. [20]
- Diesel falls 1%, to 4.75 dirhams. [20]
- Yet Brent, the main world oil price, rose 15% in October, to $117.64 a barrel. [20]
How it unfolded

Prices are still about 80% higher than in February, before the Iran war. [20]
Since 2015, UAE pump prices have followed the world oil market. [20]

Why it matters

Drivers pay less this month even though crude oil got dearer. [20]
The truth
- Analysts had told The National they expected UAE pump prices to rise again in November. [20]
- Who gains Drivers in the UAE — Super 98 falls 5.5% in November, though Brent oil rose 15% in October. [20]
Good news
- It is the first cut in four months. [20]
- UAE petrol prices will fall in November, the first cut in four months: Super 98 drops 5.5%, to 4.16 dirhams a litre.
13
Malawi's petrol is the dearest in Africa
What happened
- Petrol in Malawi costs $3.24 a litre, the highest in Africa, GlobalPetrolPrices says. [21]
- That is more than twice the world average. [21]
- On the black market, a litre sells for as much as $11.50. [21]
- The country needs about $49 million a month in foreign currency for fuel. [21]
Who is involved

Malawi, in southern Africa, is a largely poor country. [21]
- McDonald Kachule motorcycle taxi rider
How it unfolded

It has had fuel shortages for years, which Malawi's government blames on lacking foreign currency. [21]
Officials say the Iran war made it worse, and some suppliers want payment up front. [21]

Why it matters

A taxi rider in Lilongwe, the capital, said he spends more time queuing than working. [21]

How it works

Fuel is bought abroad in dollars, so a country short of dollars runs short of fuel. [21]
The truth
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether Malawi can find the dollars to buy fuel.
  
  It needs about $49 million a month, and some suppliers now want payment up front. [21]
14
US charges Kenyans in $130m student aid fraud
What happened
- US prosecutors announced the first charges in a $130m student aid fraud on 29 October. [22]
- Prosecutors say criminals used stolen identities to enrol fake students and collect their federal aid. [22]
- The inquiry, Operation Ghostbusters, has 5 indictments involving Kenyans and 40 more open cases. [22]
- Stolen personal details sold online for $4 to $8. [22]
- He allegedly kept 30% of the money and sent the rest to Kenya. [22]
Who is involved

Francis Mogambi, a Kenyan, was indicted in Nebraska on 19 October and is in custody. [22]
- Low-income Americans identities taken
- Francis Mogambi charged in Nebraska
Why it matters

Fraudsters picked low-income Americans who had never been to college. [22]
Hundreds of people had their personal details used to claim the aid. [22]
The truth
- Taxpayers carry the $130m loss, and Mogambi has not commented on the charges. [22]
15
Home sellers' $711m settlement is still unpaid
What happened
- A settlement fund for US home sellers held over $711m on 30 September, court papers show. [23]
- The administrator has processed about 2.7 million claims. [23]
- The fund earned over $17m in interest in the first nine months of 2026. [23]
- The administrator had billed the fund nearly $33m for its work by June 2025. [23]
How it unfolded

Three years ago a Missouri jury found estate agents' commissions were pushed up unfairly. [23]
The National Association of Realtors' settlement won final court approval almost two years ago. [23]
1. Three years ago jury verdict
2. Almost two years ago settlement approved
Why it matters

The administrator is in the middle of a court-ordered audit. [23]
The truth
- Sellers still do not know when they will be paid, or how much. [23]
- Who gains The settlement administrator — It had billed the home sellers' fund nearly $33m by June 2025, while sellers wait. [23]
- Nobody knows yet
  When US home sellers get paid from the $711m fund.
  
  The administrator is under a court-ordered audit, and objectors could still appeal to the US Supreme Court. [23]
What comes next

Objectors could still take their appeals to the US Supreme Court. [23]
16
UK side earnings allowance to triple to 3,000 pounds
What happened
- From April 2027, Britons can earn 3,000 pounds a year tax-free from side work. [24]
- The allowance is 1,000 pounds now. [24]
- 1.4 million people could benefit, and 400,000 will pay less tax. [24]
- Those 400,000 save 380 pounds each on average. [24]
- About 100,000 will no longer need to report the income at all. [24]
- 2.6 million people sold goods through sites like eBay, Vinted and Etsy last year. [24]
Who is involved
- Tutors small earnings
- Dog-walkers small earnings
- Resellers small earnings
How it unfolded

In 2024 the figure was just 450,000. [24]
Platforms must now tell HMRC, the UK tax office, about their sellers. [24]

Why it matters

Tutors, dog-walkers and resellers with small earnings can skip the tax paperwork. [24]

How it works

Selling belongings for less than they cost is not taxed, because there is no profit. [24]
The truth
- Who gains UK side earners — About 400,000 will pay less tax when the allowance triples to 3,000 pounds, saving 380 pounds on average. [24]
Good news
- From April 2027, about 400,000 people in the UK with small side earnings will pay less tax, saving 380 pounds each on average.
17
Avanti paid 20m pounds in delay refunds in a summer
What happened
- Avanti West Coast paid over 20m pounds to delayed passengers in three months this summer. [25]
- In the four weeks to 25 July it paid 9.3m pounds, nearly a year's profit. [25]
Who is involved

Avanti is one of Britain's intercity train companies. [25]
- Long-distance passengers claim the most
How it unfolded

Fewer than half of Avanti trains ran on time in July, during heatwaves. [25]
Delay refunds across Britain's railway rose 8%, to 150m pounds, in 2024-25. [25]

Why it matters

Long-distance passengers claim most, as their delays more often reach the 60-minute full refund. [25]

How it works

On Avanti, passengers get 25% back after 15 minutes, and the full fare after 60. [25]
The truth
- Taxpayers carry the cost, because the UK government now takes train companies' ticket income and losses. [25]
- Who pays UK taxpayers — The UK government keeps train companies' ticket income and losses, so Avanti's refunds come out of public money. [25]
Good news
- Refunds are now more automatic, and some companies repay delayed passengers without a claim. [25]
- Avanti West Coast paid more than 20m pounds back to delayed passengers in three months this summer, and more train companies now refund delays automatically.
What comes next

Avanti moves into public ownership next year. [25]
18
Young UK investors miss sales pressure tricks
What happened
- 65% of young UK investors called 'this is your only chance' a horror-film warning sign. [26]
- Only 36% said a 'last chance to buy' investment would make them more careful. [26]
- 37% said they would feel pressure to buy quickly. [26]
- Just 5% would be wary of a rising price graph. [26]
- 29% said friends' excitement in group chats would reassure them. [26]
- One in four of them own cryptocurrency. [26]
Who is involved

The survey was by the FCA, the UK's financial regulator. [26]
The survey asked 666 people aged 18 to 40 on 9 October. [26]
Why it matters

About half of them hold a stocks and shares ISA, a UK tax-free investment account. [26]

How it works

Hype, urgency and fear of missing out all sway investors, said the FCA's Lucy Castledine. [26]
19
Most council tax band appeals change nothing
What happened
- A record 71,320 council tax band challenges were settled in England and Wales in 2025-26. [27]
- That was up from 38,180 the year before. [27]
- In England, 65% of challenges left the band unchanged. [27]
- Just 15% in England, and 18% in Wales, won a lower band. [27]
- Fewer than 1% ended in a higher band and a bigger bill. [27]
Who is involved

The Valuation Office decides each home's council tax band. [27]
Why it matters

So a challenge can raise a bill, though that is rare. [27]
The truth
- Only about one in seven challenges in England cut the bill, Which? found. [27]
20
California says Los Angeles broke a housing law
What happened
- California's housing agency says Los Angeles broke state law by rejecting 398 homes. [28]
- The plan, with 97 homes for very low incomes, was at a Woodland Hills country club. [28]
- City planners refused it in August, citing habitat for an endangered mountain lion. [28]
How it unfolded

A three-year-old state law lets affordable homes go on commercial land by right. [28]

Why it matters

Cities use loopholes like this to stall new homes, the report says. [28]

How it works

By right means approval without a case-by-case vote. [28]
The truth
- Penalties under a newer law, AB 712, could follow if the city loses in court. [28]
What comes next

Los Angeles must reply by 25 November. [28]
21
Italy's prices rise 5.4% as energy bills jump
What happened
- Prices in Italy rose 5.4% in the year to October, up from 4.2% in September. [30]
- Energy prices in Italy were 31.4% higher than a year earlier. [30]
- Regulated energy tariffs, the ones not set by the market, rose 59.5% in a year. [30]
- A basket of the food and household goods Italians buy most rose 2.5%. [30]
- Prices rose 4.9% in Spain and 2.8% in Germany. [30]
Who is involved

Istat, Italy's statistics office, published the first estimate on Friday. [30]
- Istat Italy's statistics office
- Italian families pay more
- Italy's economy did not grow
How it unfolded

Germany's inflation fell from 3.3% after it cut fuel taxes on 1 October. [30]

Why it matters

Italian families pay more for food and travel while the economy did not grow last quarter. [30]

How it works

Economists call rising prices in a stagnant economy stagflation. [30]
The truth
- Germany's fuel tax cut brought its inflation down, but it ends with the year. [30]
What comes next

The EU's statistics office publishes the figure for the whole euro area next week. [30]
22
Iran war adds $471 per American at the pump
What happened
- From 1 March to 14 October, Americans paid $160 billion more for fuel, CREA estimates. [31]
- That is about $471 extra for each person. [31]
- The cost per person rose more in the US than in any other country. [31]
- Driving a petrol car 100 miles rose from $11.23 to $16.69 in five months this year. [31]
- An electric car went the same distance for about $5.80. [31]
Who is involved

CREA, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, is a research group in Finland. [31]
- CREA research group in Finland
How it unfolded

It compared fuel prices with January and February, before the US and Israel struck Iran. [31]

Why it matters

US pump prices rose about as much as elsewhere, but Americans burn far more fuel. [31]

How it works

The more fuel a household burns, the more each price jump costs it, CREA says. [31]
The truth
- Tax credits that cut thousands off a US electric car's price were removed last year. [31]
23
Water costs a Port Sudan mother a month's pay
What happened
- In Port Sudan, Amina Khalafallah spends 10,000 Sudanese pounds a day on water. [32]
- That is about $1 a day at the street exchange rate. [32]
- Over a month it comes to 300,000 pounds, her whole monthly salary. [32]
- The city's water supply meets less than 40% of demand, the African Development Bank says. [32]
- A 50,000-litre water tanker now costs 1.5 million pounds, against 450,000 before the war. [32]
Who is involved

Port Sudan, in eastern Sudan, has been fairly safe from the country's war. [32]
How it unfolded

Her home has no piped water, so she buys 18 litres for 1,000 pounds from vendors. [32]
The Arbaat Dam, which gave the city half its water, collapsed in floods in August 2024. [32]

Why it matters

The war has pushed Sudan's average incomes back to early-1990s levels, the UN says. [32]
The truth
- Families who cannot pay may drink untreated water, raising the risk of cholera, a doctor warned. [32]
Good news
- UN repairs to boreholes and pipes could supply water to nearly 230,000 people. [32]

Medicare stand-alone drug plan premiums set to rise 50%, from 34 to 51 dollars a month in 2027, for members who do not switch, KFF finds

23 stories on this beat today.

Why a low monthly premium often means a bigger bill at the pharmacy