The reasons cohabitors give for not marrying is the cost of weddings and divorces, especially second-time-arounders who’ve been scarred by the latter. If, to quote Fleetwood Mac ‘shacking up is all you want to do’, be aware that if you there are legal and financial implications to going your own way (Rumours, 1977). Inheritance tax is payable if one inherits from the other; you’re not legally next of kin so need to ensure wills and powers of attorney are buttoned up; pension schemes won’t pay spouses on death if there’s no official spouse; and it rarely helps to keep your finances to yourself and not discuss them. If you’re worried about expensive weddings, just go to a register office and have a party (or holiday) afterwards. I’d say.
“‘Teachers reveal scale of pupils’ hunger as 100,000 frozen out of free school meals”
There’s been much talk of the extra ‘stealth’ tax-take likely to be included in next week’s budget/financial statement/let’s call the whole thing off (kids etc.). The pension lifetime allowance and inheritance tax thresholds will be frozen, so that as inflation inflates the value of estates and pension funds, more tax is payable.
