Official figures show more than four million people remain on furlough
12 May 2021 • 3:48pm
The furlough scheme has been extended to September by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as some industries will remain closed up until June 21.
The Job Retention Scheme, known as furlough, has acted as a lifeline to millions of households. It was initially extended for a month after England was placed in a four-week lockdown at the end of last year. However, Mr Sunak has been forced to keep the scheme running for longer to protect jobs and livelihoods.
Employees receive 80pc of current salary capped at £2,500 per month until the scheme ends, with employers asked for a small contribution from the end of July.
Private medical cover has many benefits - but is it worth the cost?
12 May 2021 • 3:08pm
There are a number of benefits to be had from private medical insurance. Private cover will typically give you access to increased medical resources, reduced hospital waiting times and a wider range of specialist treatments, as well as a private room.
However, there are downsides to consider – not least the sometimes eye-watering cost of insuring yourself and your family against ill health.
Premiums can be expensive and the costs are going up every year. Dan Hutson, of comparison website Compare the Market, said: “Typically speaking, health insurance premiums tend to increase by around 3-5pc per year, partly because of the increasing cost of treatment, and partly because people are living for longer.”
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark has today announced the Government’s next steps to reduce merchant service fees, that banks charge businesses when customers use a credit or debit card to pay, which is estimated to save New Zealand businesses approximately $74 million each year.
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Slap a mandatory safety standard on sunscreens
Kiwis having fun in the sun shouldn’t have to feel the burn from suspect sunscreens.
That’s the NZ Medical Association’s call to lawmakers considering the Sunscreen (Product Safety Standard) Bill.
NZMA Chair Dr Alistair Humphrey says New Zealanders need to know the sunscreen they’re applying to themselves and family members is safe.
“Sunscreen needs to do what it says on the bottle,” Dr Humphrey says. “Recent experience indicates that’s not always the case.”
In 2020,seven of 12 sunscreens tested by Consumer NZ failed to meet their SPF label claim, while three of the seven failed the requirements for broad-spectrum protection.
At the World Economic Forum Agenda Dialogues, Dr Okonjo-Iweala said vaccine policy was crucial to helping the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.