More than 70,000 home buyers across England are estimated to have missed the stamp duty relief deadline.
This sadly means they’ll be required to fork out thousands of pounds extra.
In case you hadn’t heard, up until yesterday (31 March 2025), anyone who was moving and had bought a home in the past was not required to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, better-known as just stamp duty, on the portion of the property price up to £250,000.
But from today (1 April), this threshold has now fallen back to £125,000, which unfortunately means that property purchasers are facing an extra £2,500 in moving costs, on average.
While the end of the stamp duty relief will mostly affect those Greater Manchester buyers who had already previously purchased properties, first time buyers are sadly not exempt from the deadline changes too, as their current stamp duty threshold of £425,000 has now fallen back to £300,000 as of today.
Person holding the keys to a new house in their hand / Credit: Maria Ziegler (via Unsplash)
Given that the average property price for a first time buyer-type home is currently around £227,965, according to Rightmove, the new £300,000 threshold may hit those purchasing properties in more expensive areas – particularly the South East.
A third of those estimated 70,000 home buyers who have missed the deadline are thought to be first time buyers.
Leading property platform Rightmove published an analysis in February into just how much of an impact the end of the stamp duty relief would have on home buyers, all while calling on the UK Government to announce a short extension to the deadline to help people in the middle of the property purchasing process avoid potentially thousands of pounds in extra moving costs.
But despite these calls from industry leaders, there was no extension to the deadline announced in the last week’s latest Spring Statement.
“It’s extremely disappointing that the Government has not used the Spring Statement as an opportunity to extend the impending stamp duty deadline for those currently going through the home-moving process,” commented Rightmove’s property expert Colleen Babcock.
“We estimate over 70,000 people are going to miss the deadline and complete in April instead, and a third of those are first time buyers.”
Featured Image – James Feaver (via Unsplash)
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Manchester is working to make residents with terminal illnesses exempt from paying council tax
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is aiming to become one of the UK’s major cities to exempt its residents with terminal illnesses from paying council tax.
After Marie Curie’s recent ‘Dying in Poverty’ report found that around 42% of working age and 30% of pension-age residents in Manchester die while living in financial hardship, Manchester City Council has announced that it’ll be working together with the UK’s leading end of life charity to ensure that those with terminal illnesses become exempt from paying council tax.
The Council says addressing this ‘profoundly important issue’ is at the heart of a larger plan to support the most vulnerable residents in Manchester.
New proposals set out a plan for the Council to change its Discretionary Council Tax Policy (DCTP) to explicitly include a commitment to support people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
To become exempt, clinicians will need to fill out a form to confirm that a person has a progressive disease, and consequently is expected to pass away within a 12-month period.
Manchester is working to make residents with terminal illnesses exempt from paying council tax / Credit: gov.uk
Using DCTP, the Council will then make up the difference of any shortfall in council tax, so that in any situation where a member of the household qualifies – whether an adult, child or non-dependant – the household will have nothing to pay.
The support will then apply to the household’s council tax bill until the date of the persons death.
The Council will also be working to ensure that a ‘tell us once’ protocol is in place so that, in the event of a claimant’s passing, no undue burden will fall upon their family, and steps will also be in place to retain the discount for the remainder of the financial year to provide additional support for the passed person’s family.
Once delivered, it’s estimated that this scheme could support around 175 residents in Manchester – the majority of which would be of working age.
A new policy will ensure that people living will a terminal illness will no longer have to pay Council Tax. This is part of the Council’s wider aim to prevent people slipping into poverty, and support our city’s most vulnerable residents.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) June 25, 2025
“The moment when you or your family member gets the devastating news of terminal illness is heartbreaking,” commented Manchester City Council leader, Cllr Bev Craig, as the plans were announced this week.
“The last thing you need to worry about is money and bills, but we know for too many people it takes up too much time and stress.
“Too many people are living in poverty in our city… and that’s why we are exempting people with a terminal illness from council tax, alongside a wider package of support with the cost of living, doing everything in our power to ensure families have one less thing to worry about during such a difficult time.
“We want to thank Marie Curie for their vital work, and as a Council want to do all we can to ease the burden at the end of someone’s life.”
Featured Image – Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
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Hotspur Press to be part-demolished following catastrophic fire
Daisy Jackson
Manchester’s historic Hotspur Press will be partially demolished following the fire that tore through the building earlier this week.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said that part of the centuries-old mill would need to be pulled down to enable safe firefighting.
The Hotspur Press building stands just off Whitworth Street West behind Oxford Road train station, and previously operated as a printing press.
It later became a home for artist studios and creative spaces until officially becoming derelict in the late 2010s.
Despite standing empty, the magnificent old mill has been an iconic and oft-photographed landmark in Manchester, and one of only a handful left in the city centre.
But that huge fire on Monday evening has gutted the Hotspur Press, and now it will be ‘partially’ demolished.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Firefighters continue to work hard to bring the fire at Hotspur Press to a safe conclusion. Alongside Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police and partners, a decision has now been made to partially demolish the Hotspur Press building over the coming days.
“This is to enable safe firefighting and excavation in areas that are currently inaccessible, mitigating any risk to life. This will also allow safe internal investigations to begin.”
Plans have been in place to turn The Hotspur Press into a student accommodation tower block, which had included a 35-storey student tower built out of the original mill facade.
The Manc has contacted property developers Manner, who own the Hotspur Press site, to see what will happen to the space following the blaze.
Emily Sergeant -
1st April 2025 
