The changes will come into force in 2014/15 and are expected to bring thousands more well-off savers into tax on their pension contributions, generating an extra £1 billion in tax by 2016/17.

The 'mummy tax' accusations came after it emerged the Chancellor will impose a real terms cut on statutory maternity pay.

Pensions minister Steve Webb (pictured) warned the state of the public finances meant 'difficult decisions' had to be taken, and challenged Labour to back them.

The 'mummy tax' accusations came after it emerged the Chancellor will impose a real terms cut on statutory maternity pay.

Households up and down the country are hoping Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne will come up with a couple of ‘surprise’ announcements.

Annuities which come with death benefits can be passed to loved ones tax-free if you die aged under 75, the Chancellor announced in the Autumn statement.

Border systems will be upgraded to better target weapons being smuggled into the country while a joint operation centre will see police, intelligence agencies and the military to work more closely.

Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed the basic state pension will rise by £3.35 to £119.30 a week from April, while the starting rate for the new single-tier version will be £155.65.

George Osborne says household energy bills will fall by an average of £30 by 2017 as a result of reducing green levies, as outlined in his Autumn Statement this afternoon.

The Autumn Statement contained some good news for entrepreneurs as George Osborne pledged to carry on exempting micro companies from paying business rates.

Defying Brexit doomsayers, the deficit came in at £4.3billion in October - below the £6billion expected. The figures emerged on the eve of Philip Hammond's Autumn Statement.

The Chancellor has revealed an amended 'taper rate' for the welfare payments, which will allow low-paid workers to keep an additional 2p of every extra pound they earn.

The new Chancellor Philip Hammond forecasts that Britain’s economy will continue to grow and create new jobs in every year to the end of this Parliament, says ALEX BRUMMER.

A row has erupted in response to the tenant fee ban, with some landlord and agents reacting with fury to what they say are ‘unworkable’ plans that would have a ‘boomerang’ effect.

It was not the kind of Autumn Statement we had come to expect under George Osborne – all fire and brimstone – but Philip Hammond’s debut was not without its nasty side.

The 26-year-old is due to have a medical ahead of signing a three year contract with the Championship side.

Cardiff City are expected to make an improved bid for Wigan Athletic striker Kieffer Moore. An offer of £2.3million was rejected last week but Moore was left out of Wigan's squad against Bristol City.

Robinson was left distraught when his £10m deadline-day move to AC Milan collapsed at the last minute in January. However, he could be set for a big Premier League move this summer.

Wigan's Chey Dunkley has been given special dispensation to use the club's ghost training ground as he continues to make big strides in his recovery from a double leg break.

Chelsea Perkins, 31, booked a family holiday with her partner, Peter, 26 and 10 month old son, Theo, to Menorca with Tui, paying just under £2,500 for the three of them.

British Airways has been accused of acting like a 'budget airline without the cheap prices' after refusing a bottle of water to a 33-year-old mother who was breastfeeding her baby.

Others have imposed a host of different rules governing the use of coins, notes and debit cards on a range of different routes. British Airways no longer takes cash for food and drink on short-haul flights.

Barbara Marriott, 56, was due to fly to the Playa Flamingo Beach Resort in Lanzarote at the end of August with her husband and daughter.

Thomas Cook went bust this morning leaving an estimated 160,000 British holidaymakers stranded abroad and all flights and holidays cancelled. We explain what this means for customers.

Julie Tuck's family arrived at Doncaster Airport on Wednesday 17 July at 1pm, ready to depart to Kos at 4pm. However, at 4pm they were all advised that their flight had been cancelled.

Oliver, from London, was shocked to find that his bank account and overdraft had been completely wiped out after the holiday booking site mistakenly took thousands of pounds without warning.

Poor exchange rates are leaving travellers in a panic, resorting to buying currency at the airport. But the Mail on Sunday found holidaymakers would be better off packing their bank debit cards instead.

A Lastminute customer has voiced his frustration after the booking site charged him twice for the same holiday - and haven't refunded him.

All Thomas Cook flights and holidays were cancelled as of September 23. The Civil Aviation Authority launched an online page to refund 360,000 holidaymakers within 60 days.

Holidaymakers who have already made summer travel plans are being urged to book any 'extras' - including airport parking and renting a car - well in advance.

Hundreds of angry passengers are demanding a full refund from Norwegian Cruise Line after its tour of South-East Asia on its Jade cruise ship visited only 2 out of 7 planned stops.

Easyjet and BA passengers have been particularly annoyed after the airlines removed the option of a cash refund from their websites recently.

Passengers are discovering that airlines have pulled their online cash refund option and are instead pushing them to take vouchers or swap flights instead.

We have been inundated with letters asking for help regarding getting money back. Many holidaymakers are being left thousands of pounds out of pocket after being refused refunds they are legally entitled to.

The airline has come under intense pressure from customers in the past few weeks to bring back the online form, which was only removed after most of its flights were cancelled due to the coronavirus.

Hundreds of readers have contacted us to complain major airlines are illegally withholding refunds that should be paid in a week.

The firm, which has more than 10,000 cottages on its books, instead wants customers to rebook the same property for a later date - and potentially be charged more.

Speaking outside his home in Hawaii on Wednesday afternoon, Chapman held back tears as he told of how he held Beth and called out Jesus' name as she asked him to repeat it again and again.

Australian fashion designer Camilla Franks posted a series of emotional photos to commemorate finishing treatment for stage three breast cancer a year ago, as she prepares to have her ovaries removed.

Gary Smart told staff at Northampton General Hospital that he wanted to die a married man after doctors gave the father of six just days to live when they diagnosed his terminal lung cancer.

Kate Callaghan from New Zealand was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks ago. The mum, 35, wasn't tested when she first visited doctors because they thought she was 'too healthy'.

FDNY firefighter Danny Foley, 46, died on Saturday of pancreatic cancer linked to his rescue work after the 9/11 attacks. Danny spent 11 days searching for his brother Tommy in the rubble.

Up to 20 Greek supporters were ejected from Melbourne Park for disruptive behaviour following Greece's Maria Sakkari's match against Japanese player Nao Hibino on Court 8.

MIKE DICKSON IN MELBOURNE: In nine singles matches, and at the tender age of 15, Gauff can claim the unusual distinction of never having been off one of the show courts at a Grand Slam.

Karl Stefanovic and wife Jasmine (née Yarbrough) are expecting their first child together in the coming months.

The world number one had a scary moment during his round two victory over Argentina's Federico Delbonis in the second round.

She's expecting her first child with Today show host Karl Stefanovic in April.

Karl Stefanovic joked that he's been blacklisted from the Australian Open after pulling a stunt with a go-kart during a segment for Today on Friday.

While she would have been hoping to bow out in a blaze of glory, Wozniacki insisted she was proud of her career and had no regrets about the way it had panned out.

MIKE DICKSON IN MELBOURNE: Coco Gauff scored a sensational win over defending champion Osaka at the Australian Open on a day that felt like there was an abrupt changing of the guard.