Sharecast - Hundreds of thousands of struggling households in Great Britain risk missing out on government help to pay their energy bills this winter if they fail to make an application for financial support that opens on Monday, according to fuel poverty activists. About 800,000 bill payers missed out on an energy bill rebate of £150 last winter through the government’s warm home discount after complex changes were made to the scheme, said National Energy Action. – Guardian
Landlords are paying an extra £5.5bn a year to their banks following a surge in mortgage rates, data shows. Buy-to-let investors are now collectively paying £15bn a year in mortgage interest, a 58pc jump since November 2021 when the Bank of England began raising interest rates, analysis by Hamptons shows. – Telegraph
A former owner of Safe Hands Plans is being sued by the company’s administrators for allegedly selling the pre-paid funerals business in a deal involving customer funds. Dave Milson sold Safe Hands to Richard Wells, a motor racing enthusiast, in February 2020 through an “inherently dishonest” scheme, according to a multimillion pound High Court claim filed last month by FRP Advisory, the administrator The deal involved the “misapplication of trust moneys for the improper purpose of financing the acquisition”, it is alleged. Milson, 66, has yet to file a defence and neither he nor Wells, 37, responded to requests for comment. – The Times
A top ten shareholder in Hipgnosis Songs Fund has castigated the board and said investors should vote against the “continuation” of the music rights company to give them more power over restructuring the business. Tom Treanor, the executive director of Asset Value Investors, said shareholders were furious with the Hipgnosis board for striking a heavily discounted $440 million deal to sell almost a fifth of its portfolio. – The Times
