UK Unemployment has risen again, according to figures released today by the Office for National Statistics.

The number of people unemployed in the UK now stands at 2,470,000. This is an increase of 88,000 since August.

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in September had risen to 1,630,000 – an increase of 21,000.

We are now experiencing the highest level of benefit claimants since 1997.

The number of people aged 16 – 24 who are unemployed has also continued to rise. This figure will reach one million by next month.

Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

“Although unemployment isn’t as high today as many feared it would be at the time of the Budget, it remains a serious problem, which is why we must keep increasing support and advice to get people back into jobs,”

Swiss authorities from the canton of Geneva have been contacting wealthy Britons and offering them favorable tax deals if they move their companies and come to live in Switzerland.

Officials have personally contacted bosses of FTSE 100 companies and offering them deals whereby they would pay a fraction of the tax they pay in the UK. One top boss was offered a flat rate of 10% tax on his personal income, regardless of how much he earned in the future.

Switzerland has traditionally been know for its willingness to negotiate tax status with foreign nationals, but these latest unsolicited approaches are believed to be a direct response to the current financial crisis in Britain.

The typical Swiss tax format for foreign nationals involves calculating a multiple of the rental value of the home they own, rather than on income earned. In extreme cases this could lead to 7, or even 8, figure savings for taxpayers coming from punitive countries like UK.

Savills, who sell high end property in Switzerland to wealthy foreigners, said:

“In Switzerland, tax arrangements are all done on private negotiation. Switzerland specialises in wealth management so, if you have wealth, it wants you, as long as you do not take a job that could otherwise have gone to a Swiss person. It is fine for companies to move there and bring jobs with them, but it is not OK to take a Swiss job.”

Several Swiss estate agents have been holding invite-only conferences in hotels across London in recent months.

It remains to be seen just how many people will take advantage of these attractive Swiss offers.

The aunt of kidnapped schoolgirl Shannon Matthews has admitted fraudulently obtaining income support and housing benefit after appearing at Leeds Crown Court.

Amanda Hyett, 27, plead guilty to to four charges of making a false statement or representation to obtain benefits. She also admitted one charge of retaining wrongful credits, and one charge of failing to notify a change of circumstances.

She will be sentenced on 5th November.

Peter Collier, QC said:

“The fact I have granted bail and asked for reports is no indication the sentence will not be custodial.

These are serious matters you had admitted. The likely sentence is a prison sentence.”

Hyett was given bail on the condition she attends meetings with Probation Service.

Basic state pensions will rise by 2.5% next April, which in real terms is an extra £2.40 per week, per pensioner. This is in spite of negative inflation figures last month.

The Office for National Statistics announced this week that the Retail Prices Index had fallen 1.4% in September. Normally UK pensions are adjusted in line with the RPI rates from the previous September, although the government has a policy of a minimum increase of 2.5% if the RPI is lower.

Most other benefits that are linked to the RPI will not be affected, such as disability living allowance, maternity pay and carers’ allowance.

Several other benefits are linked to the Rossi index, which is the RPI with housing costs removed. This is currently at a positive 1.8%, which will lead to increases in job seeker’s allowance and incapacity benefit.

For a single pensioner the weekly pension will rise to £97.65 from £95.25. A couple will receive £156.15, up from £152.30.

The number of completed mortgages issued for house purchases fell to 53,000 in August – down more than 3000 from the previous month.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) believe sales may have reached a plateau, as many first time buyers simply can’t afford the large deposits being asked of them by most banks. More than 60% of current available mortgage offers require the buyer to put down a 25% deposit.

The total value of mortgaging, with buy-to-let included, is down 40% on last years figures.

With interest rates falling, remortgaging numbers are down.  With many homeowners on variable rates, it is becoming more cost effective for them to stay with their current mortgage provider than to shop around for better rates.

House prices have slightly risen in the past 3 months, with Halifax reporting a 2.8% jump, which is the first quarterly increase in more than 2 years. According to The Nationwide, prices have risen for 5 months in a row.

After an independent audit of MP’s expenses dating back 5 years, it has been announced that Gordon Brown will repay £12,500.

Auditor Sir Thomas Legg has said any claims of more than £2000 for cleaning or £1000 for gardening in any one year should be repaid. Brown’s repayments largely stem from cleaning bills – £10,716 of the total amount being spent on cleaners.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is being forced to pay back £900, after over claiming for “gardening” for the last three years.

Legg has also asked David Cameron to provide more information about payments he has already over claiming on when he changed his mortgage in 2006.

Sir Thomas’ official report is not due until December. He does not have any official power to force MP’s to repay any money, but any who doesn’t is likely to face public backlash. His report will be sent to the Commons’ Members Estimate Committee which could order his recommandations to be enforced.

Today Gordon Brown has announced a £16bn sale of government assets to attempt to reduce the budget deficit. The cross-Channel rail link, the Dartford crossing and the Tote bookmakers will all be sold to private companies over the next two years.

Britain’s 33% share in Urenco, which provides uranium enrichment equipment, will also be put up for sale.

Huge parcels of land will also be sold -the government currently owns more than £220bn worth of land at todays valuation.

Gordon Brown pointed out:

“growth of overall spending” must be reduced after April 2011, by “cutting back on low-priority programmes, increasing efficiency and productivity and unwinding the programmes that have been put in place to support demand over the last year”.

The Conservatives leader David Cameron was quoted as saying:

“we’ve still got to get to grips with public spending, get to grips with the deficit – and we must make sure we get good value for money.

Let’s not forget, this is the prime minister who sold our gold reserves and if he’d sold them later he could have got four times the quantity. So, let’s not have any more incompetence from him.”