Millions of workers in the UK will begin to pay higher contributions to National Insurance (NI) from today.
In what is said to be part of a plan to raise billions of pounds for the NHS and social care, the government announced the 1.25 percentage point increase in National Insurance as part of its 2021 Autumn Budget last year, and insists it is “necessary, fair and responsible” that the rise still be introduced, despite growing pressure for it to be put off in the wake of the wider cost of living crisis.
From today, annual earnings above £9,880 will be liable for 13.25% NI contributions, and for those above a higher threshold of £50,270, the rate will be 3.25%.
Employers’ National Insurance contributions will also go up by 1.25 percentage points.
The government predicts that the tax rise will raise £39 billion over the next three years to help reduce the COVID-induced backlog within the NHS, and then later reform adult social care for the long-term.
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From Wednesday 6 April, the Health and Social Care Levy will begin to raise funds to help tackle Covid backlogs and reform services.
Over the next three years £36 billion will be invested in the health & social care system to ensure it has the long-term resource it needs.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 3, 2022
It has been confirmed that lifetime care costs will be capped at £86,000 from October next year, and there will also be a change in the assessment of individual assets that people have to be eligible for help with care costs, as currently, only those with assets of less than £23,250 receive help, but this will go up to £100,000
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the levy was the “necessary, fair and responsible next step, providing our health and care system with the long term funding it needs as we recover from the pandemic”.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak added: “This government will not shy away from the difficult decisions we need to take to fix our social care system and slash NHS waiting times.”
Health Secretary @sajid tells @KayBurley the National Insurance rise can only come from two sources, 'directly from people today' or borrowing it from 'the next generation'.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid also defended the move to increase NI contributions in an interview live on Sky News this morning, explaining: “All of the funding raised from it is going to go towards the extra £39 billion we are going to put in over the next three years to health and social care.
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“It’s going to pay in the NHS for activity levels that are some 130% of pre-pandemic, it’s going to be nine million more scans, tests and procedures, meaning people will get seen a lot earlier [but] why is any of this necessary, whether it is for health or social care?
“It’s because of the impact of the pandemic. We know it is unprecedented. It has been the biggest challenge in our lifetime.
“The impact of that is going to continue for many years.”
Leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, has called the NI price hikes “the wrong tax at the wrong time” in an interview on Good Morning Britain this morning, adding that: “The sad reality is a lot of the money gathered through this tax increase, in the end, is going to be filling a blackhole.”
Featured Image – National Insurance (gov.uk)
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Sankeys nightclub is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
It’s officially happening: iconic local club Sankeys is coming back to Manchester city centre almost a decade on from its gutting closure.
The iconic ‘Sankey’s Soap’ nightlife space – which started out over in Ancoats during the mid-’90s – enjoyed numerous stints during its time in the clubbing world, as well as opening multiple partnered venues in the country and even overseas.
Now, approaching nine years after the shutdown, Sankeys is returning to Manchester in the new year, and Mancs are currently losing their minds.
Whether you are one of those who ‘remember it when’, or someone who sadly missed out on the halcyon days in the old Beehive Mill, we assure you that everyone is in agreement that this is nothing short of massive news…
First teasing the comeback back in July, as our city and the world at large were gripped by ‘Britpop Mania’ 2.0, the largely dormant Instagram account posted: “This week Manchester, and the UK, has been blessed with a homecoming of our very own, Oasis.
“We think Manchester deserves another homecoming… Definitely, maybe?”
The North West corners of the internet and veteran revellers alike were understandably quick to get excited by the potential revival, but nothing else had been said for months – until now.
Confirmed on Tuesday, 25 November, the infamous and storied nightclub’s social media team began by writing, simply: “The Legend Returns” and beckoning “a new era for Sankeys”.
It is still unclear as to where exactly the new and improved club(s) will be, but we do know that the events will be in the city centre. However, we do know we’ll be getting a familiar matrix grid installation as part of the design once again.
They will also be enforcing a strict new no-phones policy, which has become increasingly popular across the scene, thanks to the likes of Amber’s right here in Manchester.
Sankeys first opened in Manchester as "Sankeys Soap" in June 1994.[3] It was so called due to its residence inside Beehive Mill, Ancoats, which once was used to manufacture soap. The basement of the mill was transformed into a club and live music venue#pub#historypic.twitter.com/cnM6Nt23uZ
Sankeys may have remained an active promoter in the days since the building on the corner of Radium and Jersey Street (M4 6JG) closed – going on to become an unsuspecting office development – this will be the first event of the aforementioned next chapter in a flagship venue.
Promising a limited capacity of no more than 500 people, Sankeys is set to make its landmark return on
“We will only be open one night a week on Saturday. There will be no VIP or phones allowed on the dancefloor — everyone is a VIP. People need to stop taking pictures and start dancing to the beat.”
Hordes of clubbers, ravers, students and more are already signing up for early access and general admission tickets for the first two nights on Friday and Saturday, 30-31 January 2026 go on sale at 9am this Friday (28 Nov).
Get ready to grab yours HERE and party like it’s, well, 1994, 2017 – take your pick.
Manchester set for its busiest weekend of the year with people urged to ‘plan ahead’
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is gearing up for what’s set to be its busiest weekend of the year, and people traveling into the city centre are being urged to ‘plan ahead’.
It’s officially a month to go until Christmas Day is here, and with the festive countdown now well under way, especially with Black Friday coming up at the end of this week (28 November) too, shoppers will be eager to bag a bargain and get some Christmas gifts for their loved ones – heading to the city centre shops or Christmas Markets.
This weekend, and Saturday (29 November) in particular, is traditionally one of the busiest of the year, and even saw the highest footfall in the city centre last year.
As well as people heading to the city centre to shop, there are also several other events happening across the weekend.
Manchester City host Leeds in a 3pm kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, while Bad Omens, and Sonny Fodera play Co-op Live on Friday and Saturday night respectively, while Wolf Alice are also set to return to Manchester for a Black Friday performance at the AO Arena.
Manchester city centre is set for one of its busiest weekends of the year with Black Friday shopping, festive markets, football at the Etihad, and major gigs at Co-op Live and AO Arena.
To keep the city moving, We're offering: ✔ Park & Ride carparks with shuttle buses ✔… pic.twitter.com/zy0bnWCDDw
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Manchester City Council, and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are all working together to manage the volume of people expected into the city centre this weekend – but even despite their efforts, people are still being urged to plan ahead, especially when it comes to transport.
Anyone looking to beat the traffic is encouraged to make use of the Bee Network, with trams and buses being both the quickest and cheapest way to travel this weekend.
TfGM says roads are expected to be ‘very busy’ during peak times this weekend, so it’s important that anyone planning to make their way into the city centre by vehicle avoid the busiest periods if they can.
The busiest times are predicted to be 3pm to 7pm on Friday, 4pm to 9pm on Saturday, and 3pm to 6:30pm on Sunday.
Manchester is set for its busiest weekend of the year with people urged to ‘plan ahead’ / Credit: Manchester City Council
Some of the extra measures currently in place to help people get in an around the city centre this week include free pop-up park and ride services, later trams and all-night buses, dedicated matchday shuttle buses, and changes at key locations to help improve congestion.
It’s also worth noting that some TfGM staff are currently taking part in strike action until this Friday (28 November) meaning some facilities – such as ticket offices and toilets – may be closed, however bus and tram services will run as normal.
“The countdown to Christmas is now in full swing and Black Friday weekend is always sure to be one of the busiest times of the year for the city centre,” commented Danny Vaughan, who is TfGM’s Chief Network Officer.
“Public transport will be the best way to get around, save money, and avoid getting stuck in traffic [which is why] we’re providing 1,000 additional parking spaces with our pop-up park and rides, putting on late night services, and running as many buses and trams as we possibly can.
“We want to help people enjoy everything the season has to offer, so please remember to plan your journeys and leave yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going.”
Get all the latest travel updates this weekend on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
6th April 2022 
