New Laws that may affect you in place today

[sammy13]

The abolition of the paper tax disc

The paper tax disc, first issued on January 1, 1921, has finally had its day. Now cameras are used to enforce most road laws and they detect number plates rather than paper tax discs.
Also, the DVLA has digital records of who has and has not paid vehicle tax, again, rendering paper records unnecessary.

So from October 1, 2014 you no longer need to display your paper tax disc on your car. In fact, you can remove and destroy it, even if it is months away from its expiry date.

However, you still need to pay vehicle tax and the DVLA will send you a renewal reminder when your tax disc is about to expire.

If you buy or sell a car, your old tax disc can no longer be transferred. You will need to get new vehicle tax for a new car before you can start driving.

If you sell a car after October 1 and you have told DVLA, you can get a refund for any remaining months left on the vehicle tax.

You can now pay your vehicle tax by direct debit, either monthly, annually or biannually, but be a five per cent surcharge will apply to biannual and monthly payments.

National minimum wage

From October 1, national minimum wage will rise to £6.50 for people age 21 and over (up 19p), to £5.13 for 18-20 year-olds (up 10p),

 to £3.79 for those under 18 (up 7p) and to £2.73 for apprentices are in their first year or aged 16-18.

HMRC

From now on, if you file a return on paper (form SDLT1, 3 and 4), you need to enter a valid Local Authority code if you don’t, your return will be rejected.

Children and Families

Prospective fathers or a mother’s partner can now take unpaid time off to attend up to two antenatal appointments.

This is part of the Children and Families Act, which was given royal assent earlier this year.

Help to Buy

As of today, all Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee loans will have to have a loan of income ratio of 4.5 to one.

Mortgage lenders will be prevented from extending more than 15 per cent of new mortgages at a loan to income ratio of 4.5 to one or greater.

Victims of aggressive commercial practise

There will be a new set of rights for victims of misleading and aggressive commercial practices. People can now take their own civil actions to try and get compensation where they have lost out.

Alcohol

Home Office measures come into force on alcohol licensing which ban pubs and clubs from promoting irresponsible drinking games, as well as a range of other measures intended to promote responsible drinking. They include requiring bar staff to tell customers that smaller-size drinks such as 125ml glasses of wine are available.

Inheritance

The so-called Rules of Intestacy, which govern what happens to the money of someone who dies without a will, have undergone their first major change since 1925. They mean larger inheritences for spouses and less for the parents and children of the deceased, while common law partners are still entitled to nothing.

[Bob]

Oct 1, 2014 21:17:28 GMT sammy13 said:

Victims of aggressive commercial practise

There will be a new set of rights for victims of misleading and aggressive commercial practices. People can now take their own civil actions to try and get compensation where they have lost out.

I believe you now also have 90 days to cancel any agreements made with full refund as well ??

[Q]

my wife tried to tax her car on-line yesterday but couldn't because the site was 'overloaded', she has just sorted it out today and was looking for the direct debit option... it wasn't there!!
After further investigation it seems that "After 1st Oct the option to pay by direct debit will be available for all taxation starting 1st Nov"
They sure know how to make simple things complicated

[toots]

Haha Q you want to try getting anything sorted out over here, took me 6 years to get one thing with the council office sorted

We'd sold an apartment and for 6 years they wouldn't believe us and were trying to charge us all the rates & rubbish collection fees on that apartment. We own another 3 apartments and because we refused to pay the charges on the apartment we'd sold they wouldn't let us pay the fees on the other 3 apartments

[Deleted]

And from April 1st all smoking (and vaping) is banned on NHS grampian premises I found out today.....even in the grounds!!!

[sammy13]

Oct 2, 2014 12:09:41 GMT Q said:

my wife tried to tax her car on-line yesterday but couldn't because the site was 'overloaded', she has just sorted it out today and was looking for the direct debit option... it wasn't there!!
After further investigation it seems that "After 1st Oct the option to pay by direct debit will be available for all taxation starting 1st Nov"
They sure know how to make simple things complicated

Just seen an article on that now -

uk.news.yahoo.com/dvla-online-crashes-hundreds-flood-tax-discs-100932958.html#qpSnVhy

If your car is taxed until December right now with a tax disc in the window, do you have to do anything? Register anywhere?

[sammy13]

Oct 2, 2014 12:45:28 GMT @johanino said:

And from April 1st all smoking (and vaping) is banned on NHS grampian premises I found out today.....even in the grounds!!!

They haven't got a hope banning it in the grounds.

Every hospital you visit there are patients on drips, crutches, in wheelchairs - outside , just away from the doors puffing away.

[sammy13]

Oct 2, 2014 12:15:34 GMT toots said:

Haha Q you want to try getting anything sorted out over here, took me 6 years to get one thing with the council office sorted

We'd sold an apartment and for 6 years they wouldn't believe us and were trying to charge us all the rates & rubbish collection fees on that apartment. We own another 3 apartments and because we refused to pay the charges on the apartment we'd sold they wouldn't let us pay the fees on the other 3 apartments

The Spanish have 2 speeds, slow and stop

They are so laid back it's a wonder they don't fall over , great lifestyle though, providing you are not in a hurry for something.

[charliehorse]

Oct 2, 2014 19:40:20 GMT sammy13 said:

Oct 2, 2014 12:09:41 GMT Q said:

my wife tried to tax her car on-line yesterday but couldn't because the site was 'overloaded', she has just sorted it out today and was looking for the direct debit option... it wasn't there!!
After further investigation it seems that "After 1st Oct the option to pay by direct debit will be available for all taxation starting 1st Nov"
They sure know how to make simple things complicated

Just seen an article on that now -

uk.news.yahoo.com/dvla-online-crashes-hundreds-flood-tax-discs-100932958.html#qpSnVhy

If your car is taxed until December right now with a tax disc in the window, do you have to do anything? Register anywhere?

No you don't need to do anything or register anywhere.
In fact, when your reminder comes through the post as usual, you can still go to the post office and pay for it there rather than online if you prefer, though I dont think that you can pay monthly by direct debit if you do it at the post office, just the usual 6 month or 12 month option.

[mybad]

Oct 2, 2014 12:45:28 GMT @johanino said:

And from April 1st all smoking (and vaping) is banned on NHS grampian premises I found out today.....even in the grounds!!!

How can they ban something that's NOT illegal in a place that is owned by the public.

[Q]

Oct 2, 2014 20:35:00 GMT charliehorse said:

Oct 2, 2014 19:40:20 GMT sammy13 said:

Just seen an article on that now -

uk.news.yahoo.com/dvla-online-crashes-hundreds-flood-tax-discs-100932958.html#qpSnVhy

If your car is taxed until December right now with a tax disc in the window, do you have to do anything? Register anywhere?

No you don't need to do anything or register anywhere.
In fact, when your reminder comes through the post as usual, you can still go to the post office and pay for it there rather than online if you prefer, though I dont think that you can pay monthly by direct debit if you do it at the post office, just the usual 6 month or 12 month option.

But what you CAN do (if you wish) is take your tax disc out & throw it away, although I heard that they could become collectors items, an original from the first year of taxation is now worth thousands