Email bonus 2021

The petition has been published on parliament’s official website, and is entitled ‘increase the DWP christmas bonus for benefit claimants in line with inflation’.

Top forex bonus list

Christmas Bonus: DWP urged to increase £10 sum to £130 in 2021 - People deserve better, email bonus 2021.

It reads: “the christmas bonus was introduced in 1972.

Christmas bonus: DWP urged to increase £10 sum to £130 in 2021 - 'people deserve better'

CHRISTMAS BONUS payments have meant many britons have received a one-off tax-free £10 payment this festive season.

Universal credit: DWP rollout 'confirm your identity' service

However, a new petition criticising the government campaigns for an increase to the sum. The christmas bonus is intended to provide a one-off sum of extra money to the millions of people who are in receipt of benefits and payments from the department for work and pensions (DWP). It is paid to those who receive these payments in the qualifying week, which is usually the first full week of december.

2020 marks 48 years since the christmas bonus payment was first introduced, and understandably there have been many changes to life as we know it since then.

The pensioners' payments and social security act of 1979 established the christmas bonus permanently, however, the sum does not rise.

This, a new petition has said, represents a particular problem, and the government has been urged to reconsider their approach to the sum.

The petition has been published on parliament’s official website, and is entitled ‘increase the DWP christmas bonus for benefit claimants in line with inflation’.

Christmas bonus: DWP urged to increase sum to £130 in 2021 after this year’s ‘measly’ payment (image: getty)

We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our privacy notice for details of your data protection rights.

It reads: “the christmas bonus was introduced in 1972.

“since then, inflation has lowered the cost of the pound significantly, yet the £10 number remained the same.

“with inflation taken into account, the bonus should actually be around £130.

“we want the government to account for inflation in these payments.”

To receive the christmas bonus under current rules, a person must be present, or ordinarily resident in the UK, channel islands, isle of man, gibraltar, switzerland or any european economic area (EEA) country during the qualifying week.

It should be provided automatically to those who are eligible to receive it.

However, the petition also went on to raise other issues with the sum as it currently stands.

It continued: “the DWP christmas bonus for benefit claimants is a measly £10 - hardly enough to cover the costs associated with holidays.

“it is almost insulting to be presented with an amount of money this small.

Christmas bonus: state pensioners are some of the britons receiving a christmas bonus (image: EXPRESS)

“this is the equivalent of 76p before inflation, when many to us are already living hand to mouth and in constant fear of getting our benefits reassessed or revoked.

“disabled and low-income people deserve better.”

The petition was created this morning by an individual named magnus kai gorny, and will run for six months, until june 30, 2021.

At 10,000 signatures, the government will be required to look at the petition with a formal response issued.

If it were to climb above 100,000 signatures, the petition would be considered for debate in parliament.

The debate surrounding the christmas bonus has been a lengthy one, and similar issues were raised with the sum last year.

Sara willcocks, head of communications at the charity turn2us, also urged the government to increase the sum.

She said: “in 1972, £10 could go a long way and would have been enough to help see a family through the festive period.

“today it’s barely enough to buy a joint of meat - let alone a full christmas dinner.

“we urge the government to not just keep the christmas bonus, but to increase it, at least in line with the rate of inflation, and to remember the reason why it was established in the first place.”

Washington post employees to receive $2,021 ‘special bonus’ for ‘exceptional service’

Bonus comes after owner jeff bezos, the chief executive of amazon, saw his net worth climb $75.4 billion in 2020

If you work at the washington post, congratulations, you’re starting the new year with some extra cash in the bank. That’s because all washington post employees are receiving a “special bonus” of $2,021 within the next week, wapo reporter jose A. Del real tweeted on thursday night. (wapo reporter mike rosen also confirmed the new year’s bonus.)

Inbox: every washington post employee will receive a special bonus in the amount of $2,021 next week, per an email from fred ryan, our publisher, as a sign of ”gratitude for your exceptional service through the challenges of 2020.”

Per del real’s tweet, wapo publisher fred ryan said in an email the bonus is a sign of “gratitude for your exceptional service through the challenges of 2020.” the paper, like most other major outlets, covered the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 presidential race, among other topics, last year. About 2,700 people work at the washington post, per owler, which includes approximately 800 journalists; that means $5.46 million in bonuses will be handed out overall.

The bonuses come after the paper’s owner, amazon chief jeff bezos, had another strong financial year despite the economic wreckage brought on by the pandemic. Bezos closed the year worth $190 billion — firmly entrenched as the world’s richest person — after seeing his net worth climb $75.4 billion, according to bloomberg, in 2020.

It’s unclear if amazon employees will also be receiving a bonus to kick off 2021. A rep for the tech giant didn’t immediately respond to thewrap’s request for comment. Amazon announced in late november its front-line workers would receive a $300 holiday bonus, and its part-time workers would get a $150 bonus.

Chase is introducing new spending bonuses for 1Q 2021 [targeted]

Some links to products and travel providers on this website will earn traveling for miles a commission that helps contribute to the running of the site. Traveling for miles has partnered with cardratings for our coverage of credit card products. Traveling for miles and cardratings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. For more details please see the disclosures found at the bottom of every page.

Updated 31 january 2020: the chase disney card is also offering a spending bonus

The last quarter of this year saw chase offering a variety of targeted spending bonuses across its co-branded card portfolio, and now the bank appears set to introduce a new wave of targeted spending bonuses for the first quarter of 2021.

Of the three major US card issuers, chase has probably been the one that has gone furthest to ensure that its cards remain relevant during a year that has been like no other that most of us can remember. The additional spending bonuses that we’ve seen offered on the bank’s own cards, the enhanced (temporary) benefits we’ve seen on the sapphire cards, and the bonuses offered on chase’s cobranded cards, have certainly made sure that I’ve been using my chase credit card collection a lot more than I would otherwise had done (given the year we’ve had) so it was great to see frequent miler report that a new set of bonuses are coming our way for 1Q 2021.

New chase spending bonuses

Ordinarily, if you want to see what bonuses chase has targeted you for you should head over to chase.Com/mybonus, enter your name, your zip code and the last 4 digits of your chase credit card and the site will show you if you have any promotions waiting for you. However, right now all that site will show you are the promotions that are set to end tomorrow, 31 december 2020 and they’re not much use to anyone anymore.

The guys at frequent miler (together with one of the site’s readers), however, have been playing around with some of the urls that chase uses for its promotions and they’ve uncovered a number of promotions that are set to launch from friday, 1 january 2021.

Be aware that although there are links available to the registration pages for these new offers, you may have to wait until friday (and use the chase.Com/mybonus website) to register for these offers as chase may not yet have finished targeting cardholders.

If you’ve been targeted for one or more of the new offers, this is what you can expect:

Marriott, ritz-carlton, IHG, disney & united co-branded cards

Earn 5 points per dollar on up to $1,500 in combined spending at grocery stores, gas stations, & at drugstores.

It’s important to note that what’s being offered is a total of 5 points per dollar and not an additional 5 points per dollar so bear that in mind when deciding if you should take chase up on this promotion (assuming you’re targeted).

Avios-earning credit cards (BA, iberia & aer lingus)

Earn 15,000 bonus avios when you spend $5,000 on your avios-earning chase credit card by 31 march 2021.

In the case of this promotion, the avios that are being offered are in addition to the avios a cardholder would earn in the normal course of spending so if any cardholders have any british airways, iberia, or aer lingus spending that they’ll be doing in 1Q, the bonus avios could be earned alongside the solid earnings the cards offer for spending with their respective airlines.

Hyatt co-branded credit cards

Earn 5,000 bonus world of hyatt points when you spend $3,000 on your hyatt co-branded credit card by 31 march 2021.

As with the promotion that’s being targeted at the avios-earning credit cards, the world of hyatt points that this promotion is offering are in addition to the points a cardholder would earn in the normal course of spending.

You may not be able to register yet

As I mentioned earlier, although there are links available to the registration pages for these new offers, you may have to wait until friday (and use the chase.Com/mybonus website) to register as chase may not yet have finished targeting cardholders.

So far, I have been able to register my ritz-carlton credit card for the 1Q bonuses…

…but my IHG rewards credit card and my world of hyatt credit card are both currently giving me a message that indicates that I haven’t been targeted.

Hopefully, come friday this will change – I’m very keen to combine the spending I’m putting on my world of hyatt credit card (as I aim to earn the card’s welcome bonus) with the bonus points that th1q hyatt card promotion appears to be offering.

Bottom line

If you hold a chase co-branded credit card there’s a good chance that you’re about to be targeted for a first-quarter spending bonus. Don’t forget to compare the special bonuses that chase is offering to the value you can get from the other cards in your portfolio as the 1Q bonuses may not be the best deals open to you (cards like amex’s blue cash prefered card still offer a considerably better return at US supermarkets that any of the chase co-branded cards) and don’t forget to visit chase.Com/mybonus on friday if the links above don’t lead you to a targeted offer.

Have you been targeted for any of these bonus offers?

A favorite card with A fantastic welcome bonus

The world of hyatt credit card is the most rewarding credit card you can hold if you’re aiming to maximize your points earnings when staying at hyatt properties. Right now, all successful applicants are being offered this welcome bonus:

25,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months + an additional 25,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 (in total) within the first 6 months of account opening.

Our favorite benefits:

4 points/dollar at hyatt properties worldwide

2 points/dollar at fitness clubs and gyms

World of hyatt discoverist status for as long as you hold the card

5 elite night credits every year

2 elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on the world of hyatt credit card

A free night certificate valid at category 1 – 4 properties every year

Regarding comments

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser or any other advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility or any other advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

3 COMMENTS

The disney card is getting the same 5% cash back offer as well.

Thanks! Post now updated to reflect this.

I want a disney debit card

Why the marriott bonvoy brilliant card is A must-have card if you pay MVCI fees/dues

The best cards to use for grocery spending (right now)

ENDING: get A huge 140,000 points bonus with the IHG rewards club premier card

Deals

FLASH SALE: save 40% on alaska airlines fares (today only)

TODAY ONLY: american airlines sale for US beach locations – roundtrip fares from $83!

TODAY ONLY: american airlines hawaii flights from $197 roundtrip!

Miles & points on sale

United mileage sale: buy miles with A 100% bonus

Ends tonight: buy hilton points & book luxury 5-night stays for just $1,900

LAST CHANCE: save 25% on world of hyatt points (stack with 25% off award bookings)

Air fare deals

FLASH SALE: save 40% on alaska airlines fares (today only)

TODAY ONLY: american airlines sale for US beach locations – roundtrip fares from $83!

TODAY ONLY: american airlines hawaii flights from $197 roundtrip!

Why the marriott bonvoy brilliant card is A must-have card if.

The best cards to use for grocery spending (right now)

ENDING: get A huge 140,000 points bonus with the IHG rewards.

Don’t forget to register for (and use) the freedom flex 1Q.

Disclaimers & disclosures

Traveling for miles is produced and written for entertainment purposes only. The contributors to this site are not investment advisors, financial planners, nor legal or tax professionals. All articles here represent an opinion and are general in nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

Advertiser disclosure: some links to products and travel providers on this website will earn traveling for miles a commission that helps contribute to the running of thesite. The compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site and does not impact reviews that are published. Traveling for miles has partnered with cardratings for our coverage of credit card products. Traveling for miles and cardratings may receive a commission from card issuers.

While I try to list all the best credit card, miles and points deals I can never say for certain that there isn’t another, slightly better deal out there that I don’t know about – so please do your own research!

Editorial disclosure: the editorial content on the pages of traveling for miles is not provided by any airline, hotel group, bank or credit card company and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Regarding comments: responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser or any other advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility or any other advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

WITH UP TO 100 FREE SPINS!

The bonus boss is welcoming you with up to 100 free spins in the spinfather!

18+. New players only. Available via feature game. Free spins (18p) locked to the spinfather. Expires 7 days after registration. Winnings paid as bonus credit (40x WR). Max withdrawal from bonus winnings is £50. T&cs apply, begambleaware.Org

Verification pending

You can almost hit the reels!

The boss needs to verify some details before you're let loose on his reels. Why not register a card while you wait?

Wheel of fortune

Your bonus awaits

18+. New players only. Welcome bonus expires after 7 days. Up to 10 (20p) free spins on super win 7s for 10 days, min deposit £10. Winnings paid as bonus credit. Expire 00:00 every day. Max withdrawal from free spins and welcome bonus winnings £200. Up to 200% deposit match of first deposit (min £10). Max £100 awarded as bonus credit. 20x wagering on bonus credit. Withdrawing unspent qualifying deposit will exclude the player from these promotions. T&cs apply begambleaware.Org

Scratch card

Your bonus awaits

Bonus ball bonanza

Your bonus awaits

REFER A FRIEND

18+. Referred friends must deposit and wager through £10 for award of up to £5 bonus. Expires after 7 days. Bonuses subject to 40x wagering requirement. Max withdrawal from bonus winnings £100. The referred player withdrawing unspent deposit will exclude the referrer from this promotion. T&cs apply, begambleaware.Org

DEPOSIT BONUS

UP TO 300% DEPOSIT BOOST & UP TO 100 FREE SPINS AWAIT!

Unlock your BOSS deposit bonuses when you deposit today!

18+. New players only. Min deposit £10. Deposit bonuses expire after 30 days. First deposit: up to 200% (max bonus £100), up to 50 free spins (15p) locked to supernova crush. Second deposit: up to 100% (max bonus £200), up to 50 free spins (20p) locked to coins of fortune. Winnings paid as bonus credit (40x WR). Withdrawing qualifying deposit excludes player from promotion. T&cs apply, begambleaware.Org

Great games, great rewards.

A new game releases every month! Every month, you can look forward to a new game release along with a FREE bonus attached to that game.

Boss bonuses

We reward you just for playing!

If the best casino bonuses and promotions are what you’re looking for as we move into 2021, then look no further than bonus boss. As a top UK casino, we have incredible bonuses that include free spins with no deposit , and an up to 300% deposit boost! There's something for everyone at bonus boss, from an unbeatable casino welcome bonus , to an amazing refer a friend offer. So what are you waiting for? Grab a boss bonus and play today!

Unlock an up to £5 FREE BONUS when you refer your friends to bonus boss!

UP TO 300% DEPOSIT BOOST & UP TO 100 FREE SPINS AWAIT!

Play on bonus boss for your chance to win some BOSS BONUSES!

18+. 40x wagering requirement. Max withdrawal from bonus winnings without depositing is £50. Specific T&cs apply to each bonus. Begambleaware.Org.

Bonus boss likes to keep things FRESH, with monthly new releases!

18+. Winnings awarded as bonus credit with 40x wagering requirement. Max withdrawal from bonus winnings is £50. Specific T&cs apply to each bonus. Begambleaware.Org.

WELCOME, WITH UP TO 100 FREE SPINS!

Activation

Online slots and casino games

The best casino bonuses

Security and privacy

Helpful links

Promotional terms and conditions

Section 6: valid stakes, bets or wagers

You may stake up to the amount of the balance available in your account. We do not offer accounts with a credit facility.

Winnings which are generated from promotional free spins will go into your bonus credit account.

When a bet or stake is placed and confirmed, the corresponding amount is deducted from your account balance.

Game specific rules will be made available to you when you start playing a game. These rules can be located on the website and within each game. These are referred to as the rules of the games. It is your responsibility to read and understand these game specific rules before you start playing.

It is your responsibility to check that the bet instructions you have submitted are correct before committing to play.

Winnings from deposits will go into your cashable credit account.

All bonuses (including winnings from promotional free spins) will be credited to your bonus credit account and are subject to the bonus credit wagering requirement. Winnings from bonus credit will also be credited to your bonus credit account.

Once your bonus credit wagering requirement balance is £0, any remaining bonus credit will automatically be transferred as winnings to your cashable credit account.

If your bonus credit account balance is £0, you should contact us to remove any remaining wagering requirements from your account. You can contact our customer support team on 01384 885046.

In the event that you withdraw cashable credit before you have met your bonus credit wagering requirement (i.E. Before your bonus credit wagering requirement balance is £0) your bonus credit and bonus credit wagering requirement will be reduced by the same percentage that you have withdrawn from your cashable credit. By way of example only: you have made a first deposit of £10, credited to your cashable credit account, and received a first deposit match bonus of £10, credited to your bonus credit account; your bonus credit wagering requirement balance is £400 (i.E. 40 x bonus of £10); you play through your £10 deposit once on a slots game and win £50. Your bonus credit wagering requirement balance is unchanged (as you have not yet staked any bonus credit); you are free to withdraw the £50 winnings, stored in your cashable credit account, but you choose to only withdraw £25 (i.E. 50%); as your bonus credit wagering requirement balance is not yet £0, you will forfeit 50% of your bonus credit (reducing it to £5) and your bonus credit wagering requirement balance will be reduced by 50% (reducing it to £200).

If bonus abuse is discovered we may at our discretion remove rewards as outlined in section 7b.

In the event that you stake both cashable credit and bonus credit, any winnings will be applied proportionately to your cashable credit and bonus credit accounts and your bonus credit wagering requirement balance will be reduced only by the amount of bonus credit used. By way of example only: you have deposited £5, credited to your cashable credit account, and have received a first deposit match bonus of £5, credited to your bonus credit account; your bonus wagering requirement is £200 (i.E. 40 x bonus of £5); you elect to stake £10 on a slots game; as you do not have enough cashable credit to cover your stake, the remaining £5 (50%) will be deducted from your bonus credit and your bonus credit wagering requirement balance will be reduced by £5 to £195; you win £50; £25 of your winnings (i.E. 50%) will be credited to your cashable credit account; and £25.00 of your winnings (i.E. 50%) will be credited to your bonus credit account.

When betting on our betting and gaming products, the percentage of your stake that will contribute to the bonus credit wagering requirement is as follows:

When playing with bonus credit winnings from casino games, the wagering contribution taken from the remaining bonus wagering will be the contribution % of the casino game that the winnings came from, regardless of which game in being played. For example, if you win £10 on roulette, then play with that £10 in a slots game, the wagering contribution for the slots play will be 10% (the casino game wagering contribution).

Stakes from your account will be made in this order:

Free spins (if any);

Any amounts in your cashable credit account which comprise of winnings from bonus credit;

Any amounts in your cashable credit account which comprise of winnings from deposits;

Any deposited amounts in your cashable credit account; and

Any bonus amounts in your bonus credit account.

By placing a real money bet, you warrant that you are legally able to do so within your jurisdiction and that you accept that we are unable to provide any warranties as to the legality or otherwise of your participation in real money play. It is your responsibility to determine if remote gambling is legal in your jurisdiction.

In the event of a disconnection from the service whilst you are using our betting and gaming products, you are advised to log back in as quickly as possible. If you experience disconnection difficulties on a regular basis, please consult your service provider as to what measures can be initiated to help reduce this risk. We shall not be responsible for any damages, liabilities or losses suffered as result of the disconnection of players during play.

Section 7: bonuses

Section 7a: general rules applicable to bonuses

We offer a number of opportunities for players to qualify for bonus credit which is added to a player’s bonus credit account. This includes, for new players, the introductory free spins, deposit activated free spins and the deposit match bonuses. Other bonuses are available from time to time. All bonuses can be used to win real money.

All bonuses will be subject to successful verification of your identity (name, address and date of birth). No bonuses can be used until the process is complete.

Bonuses will be added to your bonus credit account. All bonuses are subject to the bonus wagering requirement and specific game stake contribution % as stated in section 6 term 39. Winnings arising out of bonus credit will also be credited to your bonus credit account. Once your bonus credit wagering requirement balance is £0, any remaining bonus credit will automatically be transferred as winnings to your cashable credit account.

When you download a game with a free bonus attached, the bonus can be claimed only once. There will be no bonuses for subsequent downloads of the same game by you.

You may receive regular updates by text message advising you of bonuses received depending on your account settings.

From time to time we may offer bonuses that, if not used, expire after a certain time period. Please note that if the bonus is not used within this time period, it will disappear from your account.

If you sign up to a promotion offering a free bonus or free spins without the need to make a deposit the maximum withdrawal that you can make is £50 on bonus boss if you are a UK player and £50/ 50 euros/ $50 or other currency equivalent if you are a non-UK player. This withdrawal limit applies to each promotion of this type providing you have made at least one deposit on your respective account. If you have not made any deposits then this withdrawal limit is applied throughout the lifetime of your respective account for funds won from promotions of this type.

Hilton honors rate & bonus points promotions update january 2021

Here’s a comprehensive look at the hilton covid-19 policies & honors bonus points and rate promotions you can use in january 2021.

Remember to forward us promotional offers by email that you receive from both hotels and airlines. You can send questions and comments too.

Honors bonus opportunities:

Hilton honors members earn 2,000 bonus points for every stay + an additional 5,000 points every five nights through may 2, 2021.

Hilton honors members in select markets can earn 10,000 bonus points for a day room booking by march 31, 2021.

Hilton rate promotions:

Hilton honors members can save 25% on their stays in europe, the middle east, and africa through march 31, 2021, if booked by january 31.

Frontline employees are eligible for great rates with hilton.

Hilton “sunshine boost” rate plan for the third night free at select hotels in the americas.

Hilton dream away-sale is valid for stays at select hotels globally through march 31, 2021.

Hilton honors offers convenient day use rates that are easy to book on their website.

Hawaiian residents are eligible for up to 30% off rates in the islands.

Hilton honors 15% off gold medal rate plan for worldwide use.

Hilton honors is offering fourth/fifth nights free at participating resorts in the americas and the caribbean.

Hilton honors rate plan with 50% off of sunday nights in the americas (requires minimum three-night stay).

Hilton honors friends & family members are eligible for 50% off rates!

Hilton honors offers airline staff members 25% to 50% off of stays outside of the united states.

Hilton has public sector weekend leisure 30% off bed & breakfast offer for stays in UK, ireland & europe.

Hilton honors offers up to 50% off rates for qualified travel professionals.

Hilton important posts:

Hilton has lowered the requirement for gold and diamont matches in 2021.

Hilton is known to close honors accounts claiming excess compensation.

Hilton has announced lowered honors qualification requirements for 2021.

What nights will roll over to 2022?

Hilton doesn’t extend its global travel waiver past september 30, 2020

Hilton extends the mandatory mask requirement for the entire americas + the caribbean, excluding canada.

Conclusion

Hilton just launched their latest promotion that is valid through early may. Honors members earn 2,000 bonus points for every stay and an additional 5,000 points for every five nights consumed during the promotional period.

Washington post employees to receive $2,021 ‘special bonus’ for ‘exceptional service’

Bonus comes after owner jeff bezos, the chief executive of amazon, saw his net worth climb $75.4 billion in 2020

Inbox: every washington post employee will receive a special bonus in the amount of $2,021 next week, per an email from fred ryan, our publisher, as a sign of ”gratitude for your exceptional service through the challenges of 2020.”

Chase makes new freedom 5% categories pandemic-friendly

Cardholders can enroll in Q1 2021 bonus offers starting tuesday

Chase announced the first quarter of 5% cash-back categories for chase freedom and freedom flex cardholders monday, and the line-up is well-suited for spending the new year at home.

Starting jan. 1, 2021, cardholders can earn 5% back on up to $1,500 of combined purchases made at wholesale clubs (such as costco), and on cable, internet, phone, and eligible streaming service subscriptions. Cardholders have until march 31, 2021 to earn extra rewards on these purchases.

Wholesale clubs are the newest addition to the Q1 bonus category line-up for these chase rewards credit cards. They replace the gas station purchase category included in the Q1 2020 5% back category line-up, which is helpful if you’re filling up your gas tank less and stocking up on snacks and paper products more these days.

“the Q1 categories cover a wide range of purchases from monthly bills to household essentials, so cardmembers can earn cash back where they are frequently spending,” BJ mahoney, general manager of chase freedom products, said in a press release monday.

This is the second nod to pandemic spending behavior by a card issuer updating its rotating bonus cash-back categories. In november, discover added streaming services to it’s 2021 5% back calendar, replacing the rideshare category it offered this past spring. Unlike discover, chase doesn’t publish an entire year of its 5% cash-back calendar at once. The freedom bonus categories for Q2 will be announced closer to the end of Q1.

Consumers who have the chase freedom and chase freedom flex cards can enroll in the new Q1 bonus categories starting tuesday through their online accounts, by phone, or via the chase mobile app.

Furlough extended until march, job retention bonus scrapped

The furlough scheme has been extended until the end of march 2021, with the government continuing to cover 80% of employees’ wages at firms affected by coronavirus restrictions, the chancellor rishi sunak has announced.

In a statement to the house of commons this afternoon, sunak said employers will only be required to cover national insurance and pension contributions for employees who have been furloughed under the extended coronavirus job retention scheme, which has essentially reverted back to the scheme that was in place between march and august 2020.

Our highest priority remains the same – to protect jobs and livelihoods” – rishi sunak

However, he noted that the level of wage support offered to employers would be reviewed in january, when organisations may be asked to contribute more depending on how the economy is recovering.

Sunak clarified that the support will also apply to employers in scotland, wales and northern ireland, as there had been confusion surrounding whether the extended CJRS was available to devolved nations when it was announced alongside england’s 28-day lockdown last weeked.

“our highest priority remains the same – to protect jobs and livelihoods,” said sunak.

The planned job support scheme will essentially be replaced by the furlough scheme for the time being.

He added that the job retention bonus –a £1,000 one-off payment to firms that had retained previously-furloughed staff until the end of january 2021 – would be scrapped for now and replaced with a new “retention incentive” that would be deployed at an “appropriate time”.

The employment support scheme for the self-employed is being made more generous and will be worth 80% of profits, instead of 40%.

Covid-19 latest

His announcement came just hours after the bank of england launched a £150bn stimulus package designed to lower borrowing costs to help struggling businesses and individuals.

Pressure on the government to extend support for employers has mounted over recent weeks, as coronavirus infections have risen and restrictions were reintroduced in parts of the UK.

The level of financial support offered to employers has gradually fallen since the CJRS was introduced in march, with the government covering 60% of furloughed employees’ wages in october. That changed on saturday when the prime minister announced the lockdown that started in england today, together with an extension of the CJRS “until december”.

In fact, the CJRS has not been extended, but restarted, with the rate of support last seen in august and eligibility applied to all staff, not just those previously furloughed between march and june.

Under the government’s tiered approach to lockdown and the postponed job support scheme, workers in areas subject to the most stringent tier 3 measures receive 67% of their normal salary up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.

Labour’s shadow chancellor anneliese dodds criticised the government’s slow response to the economic fallout of the local lockdowns imposed under the tier system and the uncertainty this had created for businesses, and noted the government hadn’t acted when wales implemented a two-week ‘firebreak’ lockdown.

She also referred to the extensions as the fourth major change to furlough in six weeks.

Sunak responded: “it is not a weakness to be agile and fast-moving in the face of a crisis, but rather a strength.”

Confusion, but relief

Responding the the announcement, CIPD chief executive peter cheese said the frequent changes to the support on offer had left employers confused and many job had been lost unnecessarily.

“employers have been left confused by the government’s plans to protect jobs over the last few weeks, with many redundancies triggered over the uncertainty around the end of the furlough scheme and the introduction of two new job support schemes,” he said.

“jobs have already been lost unnecessarily through short-term thinking because of the lack of longer term certainty of support, and it is crucial policy makers try and look further ahead and work with employers to help them plan forwards and protect employment as much as possible.

“we would also urge government to provide more support for those people who do lose their jobs with funding for training, coaching and support to find alternative work.”

Musab hemsi, a partner at law firm lexleyton said the news would come as a relief to many struggling organisations, but more information was still required to enable firms to plan effectively.

“it will give business leaders the financial assurance and time they need to plan and weigh up their options as they look beyond this lockdown with a view to reopening, in some capacity, for the festive period,” said hemsi.

“now that businesses have this commitment from the chancellor, a period of stability is sorely needed. UK companies have been through a turbulent period and government support has at times been changed at the last minute and announced without sufficient information for businesses. We need to see a treasury direction – ideally this week – to enshrine the new plan and give employers the information they need. From here, businesses should have a solid foothold to firm up their plans for the remainder of the year and looking ahead to 2021.”

A ‘good move’

Neil carberry, chief executive of the recruitment and employment confederation, said: “businesses want support that is stable across the crisis, rather than changing week-to-week. So the extension of the furlough scheme to the end of march is a good move.

“but there is more to do. The fight against the virus is being compromised by the failure to fund statutory sick pay for every worker if they need to self-isolate. The vast majority of businesses supplying temporary workers, who are vital to sectors like education, logistics and care, are ineligible for SSP support -–and a stand-off over who pays could lead to greater economic damage, as work gets shelved.

“we need to keep hiring demand as high as we can. Lowering the cost of labour by reducing employers national insurance contributions, the biggest business tax, is one measure which will help.”

Jonathan geldart, director general of the institute of directors, said extending furlough was the right call and would give directors more confidence about keeping staff through the winter. But he added that the government was “still failing to fix major gaps” in the support. “many self-employed, including small company directors, continue to be left out in the cold. Grant funding through local authorities could help address this issue.

“it’s clear that the government needs to now reinstate and extend insolvency protections to prevent company collapses,” he said, adding that the chancellor should look to marry defensive measures like furlough with policies to get firms on the front foot to encourage job creation and investment through the tax system.”

Glasgow science centre: the curious reason why 2021 will have an added bonus for us

The curious reason why 2021 will have an added bonus for us

STEVE OWENS from glasgow science centre, explains perihelion, and why we can look forward to a long summer in 2021.

2020 was a long year. Or at least it certainly felt that way. Looked at from a cosmic perspective though, last year was the same as any other.

The earth spun and wheeled around the sun at a leisurely 19 miles every second. This year will be the same as last year, astronomically speaking: our planet’s orbit undisturbed by the goings-on on its surface.

While january 1 marked the new year in our calendar, january 2 is a more astronomically significant date. On january 2, 2021 earth reached perihelion, its closest approach to the sun.

At first glance this might seem confusing – we’re in the depths of winter after all. But remember that our southern hemisphere cousins are in the middle of their summer. In fact, the earth’s distance from the sun isn’t related to how hot or cold we are, or to our seasons.

The seasons occur because our planet’s axis of rotation is tilted slightly. We are listing at an angle of 23.5 degrees from the upright. This tilt means that sometimes our part of the planet is tilted towards the sun, giving us summer, and sometimes away from the sun, in winter. You’ll be glad to know that we’re heading out of winter now, to the sunlit uplands of a new spring.

On top of our axial tilt, our orbit around the sun is a bit wonky too. It’s not a perfect circle; it’s an ellipse, which is the name we give a slightly squashed circle. This means that sometimes we’re a bit closer to the sun in our orbit, and sometimes a little further away.

The fact that planetary orbits are not circular was discovered by the german astronomer johannes kepler, a contemporary of galileo. The fact that the planets orbited the sun at all was a relatively new concept in the early 17th century. The polish mathematician

Nicolaus copernicus had shown a few decades earlier that, yes, in fact, the earth did orbit the sun, but most astronomers following that discovery had assumed that planetary orbits were circular.

“not so!”, said kepler. After careful study of the path of mars in our night sky, kepler realised that planetary orbits were elliptical. This fact is now known as kepler’s first law of planetary motion.

The degree to which our orbit isn’t circular – called our orbital eccentricity – is rather small, only a few percent. If you drew it out, you’d be hard-pushed to say it wasn’t a circle. But over the scale of the solar system, that few percent difference amounts to millions of miles.

When the earth is closest to the sun – which we call perihelion, and which happened at 1350 on january 2, 2021 – it is three million miles closer to the sun than when it’s at its furthest approach, known as aphelion.

Even still, this extra three million miles doesn’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things; it probably passed you by unnoticed.

Is there any ray of hope we can take in these astronomically dark times, in the depths of winter? Of course there is, and it comes from kepler’s second law.

Kepler realised that, as the planets swung round the sun, their speeds varied at different parts of their orbits. Or as he put it, a line joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times. This means that, when the earth is closest to the sun, it moves faster and further in its orbit each day. When it is farthest from the sun, it moves slower.

This means that for us in the northern hemisphere our winter is a few days shorter than our summer.

The winter we’re currently in will last 89 days in total, from december 21, last year until march 20, 2021. Summer will last a glorious 93 days, from june 21 to september 22, 2021: four whole days longer! It’s not much, I grant you, but it is something. Let’s look forward to those few extra days of summer, and thank perihelion for the fact that we’re currently racing through winter as fast as our little planet can carry us.

So, let's see, what we have: CHRISTMAS BONUS payments have meant many britons have received a one-off tax-free £10 payment this festive season. At email bonus 2021