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Chain says it has experienced operational disruption after hackers gained access to its IT systemsOne of the UK’s largest vet groups has told regulators about a possible breach of personal information after it was hit by a cyber-attack.CVS Group said hackers had gained unauthorised external access to a limited number of its IT systems. The company continued to have problems with slow-running systems on...

Food Standards Agency advises consumers with dairy and fish allergies to check labels carefullyPeople with dairy and fish allergies are being advised not to buy vegan products without checking the label carefully as they may contain animal products due to cross-contamination.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a campaign to make consumers aware of the dangers after research released by the regulatory body showed...

In London, Tube and bus fares are being frozen and prices reduced during rush hour and on FridaysRail fares in England and Wales will rise by 4.9% on Sunday, adding hundreds of pounds to annual travel costs for many commuters.Campaigners said passengers would be “rightly angry” at the latest increase, above the current inflation rate of 4%, despite the government arguing that it had...

Annual letter from Teachers’ Pensions, which administers scheme for DfE, asks about new relationshipsPartners of retired teachers who have died are repeatedly being asked to confirm whether they are in a new relationship, in a process described as “humiliating and intrusive” by teaching unions.Those who fail to reply promptly face losing their dependant’s pension. Continue reading...

Payments halted four times and left Eileen McGrath without income over ChristmasA retired teacher has had her pension payments stopped four times because her pension provider repeatedly refuses to accept that she is not dead.Eileen McGrath, 85, was left without income over Christmas when Teachers’ Pensions, which administers payments on behalf of the UK government, wrongly matched her with a deceased stranger. Continue reading...

Clare Buchanan left empty-handed after a MacBook Air from Amazon went missing in ‘known scam’A grieving mother was left distraught by Amazon after a laptop bought to plan her child’s funeral disappeared in an alleged scam – despite the website claiming to protect the purchase with a one-time password.Clare Buchanan ordered the £800 MacBook Air the day after the death of her 11-year-old son...

Consumers buy more items – including plenty of parsnips and sprouts – to beat last year’s spend by 7%UK shoppers spent £13.7bn on groceries in the run-up to Christmas – 7% more than a year before – as they sought out bargains and switched to discounters to try to offset price inflation.The number of items bought rose by 2% in December as prices climbed...

Some big retailers stay shut as Black Friday overshadows traditional sales and people watch their budgetsShoppers are expected to spend £3.7bn this Boxing Day – but that’s 3% less than a year ago as the sales are now overshadowed by Black Friday events and shoppers remain cautious about their budgets.The fall in spend marks a big drop in the volume of items being bought,...

Decades after shared appreciation mortgage launch, case brought by law firm due to reach high courtIt was one of a list of “millennium products” lauded by the then prime minister, Tony Blair, as an example of “the very best of British innovation, creativity and design”.But, almost 25 years later, the shared appreciation mortgage (Sam) is effectively going on trial at the high court, accused...