5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today, Friday (10 November 2025):

UK businesses plan for 3% pay hike in 2026: British employers expect to raise wages by 3% in the next 12 months, but some recruiters expect artificial intelligence to shrink their workforce, according to a survey that showed firms were worried about the impact of government tax plans on hiring. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a professional body for the human resources sector, said overall hiring intentions were around the weakest since the pandemic, and were especially low in the public sector. [Reuters]

Inquiry to review rise in young people not working or studying in the UK: The role of mental health issues and disability in youth unemployment will be examined by the former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn as part of a review looking into rising inactivity among Britain’s young people. Nearly a million people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training, often described with the acronym Neets. Milburn will look at ways to avoid people becoming trapped as Neets, and the findings will be published in the summer. [Guardian]

HMRC to review suspending child benefit payments: The UK’s tax body is reviewing its decisions to strip child benefit from about 23,500 claimants after it used travel data to conclude they had left the country permanently. Normally the benefit runs out after eight weeks living outside the UK, but many people affected complained that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) had stopped their money after they went on holiday for just a short time. [BBC]

Motor loan firms push to rule out 5.3 million drivers from compensation: Motor finance firms want the government to force the City regulator to lop seven years off its compensation scheme for ripped-off drivers, in a move that would help save them billions of pounds in payouts. The Financial Conduct Authority’s £11 billion scheme spans 18 years from 2007 to this year, when car buyers did not know their dealer was receiving commission for arranging their finance. Just over 14 million customers are eligible and could receive £700 each on average. [The Times]