It’s April Fools’ Day but a raft of price hikes due to come into force today are no laughing matter. As workers welcome the introduction of the new mandatory National Living Wage (NLW), a slew of changes to taxes and household charges will mean fewer pounds in people’s pockets.
Among the cost increases are water bills, up by £2 a year in England and Wales. Air Passenger Duty rises by almost 3 per cent on long-haul flights to £73, and prescription charges increase to £8.40 in England. Meanwhile, the cost of an NHS dental check-up goes up 5 per cent to £19.70, and some mobile phone customers of Three, O2 and EE will see higher bills for monthly contracts.
As for stamp duty, landlords and buyer and second homes will pay a 3 per cent surcharge from today. These changes appear to have bolstered the UK’s house price growth in March – with the annual rate accelerating to 5.7 per cent – up from 4.8
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