The Treasury has confirmed that the minimum age for private pension withdrawals will increase from 55 to 57 in 2028.

Pension reforms made under Chancellor George Osborne meant private savers could access their savings pots before State Pension retirement age.

At the time it was intended that the age restriction should be linked to be ten years behind the State Pension age, which is currently 65 but is rising to 66 this October and to 67 between 2026 and 2028.

In a statement to Parliament, John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'In 2014 the government announced it would increase the minimum pension age to 57 from 2028, reflecting trends in longevity and encouraging individuals to remain in work, while also helping to ensure pension savings provide for later life.

'That announcement set out the timetable for this change well in advance to enable people to make financial plans, and will be legislated for in due course.'

Currently, savers can take some or all of the cash held in private pension pots at age 55, including taking 25% of their savings tax-free.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that the UK economy still faces a 'rocky road back to normality' despite GDP growth in July.

The UK economy grew by 6.6% in July but remains far below pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Hairdressers, pubs and restaurants contributed to the economic growth after businesses were allowed to reopen in July. It is the third month in a row that the economy has expanded.

However, the ONS warned that the UK has still only recovered just over half of the lost output caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Commenting on the data, Rain Newton-Smith, Chief Economist at the CBI, said: 'As more businesses were able to open their doors, the economy grew further in July. But economic growth lost some steam on the previous month, illustrating the continued uncertainty over the shape of an economic recovery ahead.

'The prospect of a second wave is restraining consumer and business confidence, and firms continue to face cashflow difficulties. With government support schemes coming to an end and renewed uncertainty over Brexit, clearly the road back to 'normal' is going to be a rocky one.'

The government's announcement of new cash grants for businesses affected by local lockdowns has been welcomed by business groups, including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Businesses in England that are required to shut because of a local lockdown will now be able to claim up to £1,500 per property every three weeks. However, both the CBI and the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) have warned that more targeted help is still required.

Annie Gascoyne, Director of Economic Policy at the CBI, said: 'New direct cash grants will certainly help small businesses if their area falls under new restrictions to protect public health. But the impact of COVID-19 is still hurting businesses, so the government will need to look at more targeted support in the autumn. That needs to include a successor to the furlough scheme and allowing businesses to defer VAT payments from July to September.'

Andy Chamberlain, Director of Policy at IPSE, commented: 'We welcome the fact the government is supporting businesses affected by local lockdowns. However, although this will help some self-employed people with business premises, it will leave the great majority out in the cold.'

Meanwhile, the FSB said the grants are 'much-needed additional financial lifelines' for businesses most affected by COVID-19. Mike Cherry, National Chairman of the FSB, said: 'Though a lot of firms have now been able to reopen, thousands are still impacted by local lockdowns.

'We look forward to working together with local government to make sure there is a straightforward claims process for all firms affected.' 

The Institute of Directors (IoD) has called for the government to extend emergency coronavirus (COVID-19) insolvency measures to prevent company collapses and job losses.

Directors have a duty to cease trading if their company is facing insolvency, and could face financial or legal liabilities if they seek finance instead. In June, the government introduced emergency COVID-19 legislation to suspend the threat of liability for such 'wrongful trading'.

This protection expires on 30 September. However, the IoD is warning that failure to extend the measure could lead to 'entirely preventable company collapses'. The business group is calling for the government to extend the measure until the end of 2020 to aid the economic recovery and to help safeguard jobs.

'The recovery has begun, but businesses are not out of the woods yet,' said Roger Barker, Director of Policy and Corporate Governance at the IoD.

'The government has rightly supported business survival, and emergency legislation in June was an important step. The need for this support has only intensified as we enter the next stage of the recovery. Firms trying to adjust will face steep costs and limited revenues.'

HMRC has revealed that almost £3.5 billion in Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) payments have been claimed fraudulently or paid out in error.

HMRC told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that it estimates that between 5% and 10% of CJRS funds have been provided in error. According to the PAC, in 2019 £30 billion in tax was lost as a result of taxpayer error and fraud.

HMRC said it intends to target individuals who made fraudulent CJRS claims, rather than penalise employers who made legitimate mistakes in compiling their claims.

Commenting on the issue, Jim Harra, Chief Executive of HMRC, said: 'We have made an assumption for the purposes of our planning that the error and fraud rate in this scheme could be between 5% and 10%. That will range from deliberate fraud through to error.

'Although we will expect employers to check their claims and repay any excess amount, what we will be focusing on is tackling abuse and fraud.'

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has urged the government to provide small businesses with Brexit transition vouchers as the latest round of withdrawal talks commences.

The business group called for government Brexit negotiators to agree a small business-friendly deal 'swiftly'. It said that currently the draft terms of the EU deal don't contain a dedicated small business chapter outlining how the deal will benefit firms of all sizes.

The FSB said that the government needs to step in with 'substantial financial support' to assist with Brexit transition preparations, given that small firms have been 'flat out' managing coronavirus-linked disruption for the past six months.

Commenting on the matter, Mike Cherry, National Chairman of the FSB, said: 'The transition period will soon be at an end but the small firms that make up 99% of our business community still have no clear sense of what they'll be transitioning to.

'The economy is in a very different place today compared to the last time we were told to prepare for a no-deal outcome. Small firms don't have the time or money to get across new bureaucracy or stockpile.'

The Treasury has published a consultation on reforms to the VAT refund rules.

Under the current VAT rules, government departments, devolved administrations, the NHS and Highways England are eligible for VAT refunds under Section 41 of the VAT Act 1994.

However, unlike commercial organisations, public sector organisations do not carry out business activities and therefore cannot reclaim VAT incurred on the goods and services they purchase.

The Treasury believes that VAT could act as a barrier to using more efficient and effective means of delivering a desired policy outcome. Section 41 was introduced to remove VAT from being a factor in decision making and enables the public sector to focus on making procurement choices that reflect true value for money for the Exchequer.

The Treasury is seeking to extend the scope of Section 41 to permit full refunds of the VAT incurred on all goods and services incurred during the course of non-business activities for those organisations currently falling within the scope of the Section.

The consultation closes on 19 November 2020 and the policy paper can be found here.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak's plan to raise the national insurance contributions (NICs) paid by self-employed workers would be unjust, the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) has claimed.

According to reports, the Chancellor is considering bringing the 9% Class 4 NICs rate paid by the self-employed into line with the 12% rate for employees. It is one of the ways the Treasury is reported to be looking at raising revenue after spending billions on its coronavirus (COVID-19) support packages.

When Mr Sunak announced the Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) in March, he warned: 'If we all want to benefit from state support, we must all pay equally in the future.'

IPSE has argued that making the 1.5 million self-employed pay for support they did not get would be unfair. It also said that given the slump in the number of self-employed individuals it would also be uneconomical to squeeze these workers further.

Andy Chamberlain, Director of Policy at IPSE, said: 'The last few months have financially hammered the self-employed, with over two-thirds seeing a drop in demand for their work. Government support was some help – to a proportion of the self-employed.

'More noticeable, though, was the 1.5 million who fell through the gaps, leaving many financially devastated. The idea that this 1.5 million should now suffer a drastic tax hike to pay for support they never got is unjust, uneconomical – and unbelievable. If the government is really considering this, it must stop now.'

Research carried out by the Resolution Foundation has revealed that 800,000 workers are being 'under-enrolled' in company pension schemes and are not receiving their legal employer pension contributions.

The latest report from the Resolution Foundation's ongoing investigation into labour market enforcement considers the extent of non-compliance with the pensions automatic enrolment scheme, and whether there are 'under-enrolment' hotspots that 'require closer scrutiny'.

The think tank found that the pensions auto-enrolment scheme has been a success overall, with more than ten million workers joining company schemes since 2012.

However, 'under-enrolment' is particularly acute among agency and minimum wage workers, according to the Resolution Foundation.

Hannah Slaughter, Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: 'Around 800,000 workers across the economy are currently 'under-enrolled', and the problem is particularly acute among agency workers and those on the minimum wage, where around one in ten workers are not getting the pensions they deserve.

'Now is the time for The Pensions Regulator to step up its enforcement – supported by greater resources – as part of a wider agenda for the government to make Britain's post-COVID labour market a better environment for workers, and a far tougher one for the small minority of firms that break the law.'