Ian Gunn continues his look economic growth.

Ian Gunn hears echoes from the 1980’s and 2020.

Ian Gunn considers the risk of automated vehicles.

Ian Gunn considers the use of medical terms to describe economic and political woes

Richard Cropper and Professor Victoria Wass have submitted a joint response to the Guernsey Personal Injury Discount Rate Consultation

Another less than cheerful blog from Ian Gunn.

This is the concluding part of Ian Gunn's look at the evidence presented to the Health and Social Care Committee during its enquiry into clinical negligence reform.

James Rooney considers the immediate impact of the war in Ukraine for our clients

​This is the second part of Ian Gunn's blog, in which he covers the oral evidence given to the House of Commons Select Health and Social Care Committee on 16th November 2021. This part covers the evidence of two Queen’s Counsel, Sir Robert Francis and Sir Ian Kennedy.

Ian Gunn look at the House of Commons Select Committee on Health and Social Care considerations to the alternatives to litigation

James Rooney reflects on the investment climate of the last 12 months and consider what might lie ahead for investors over the course of the next year and beyond

From our very own Happy Santa, Ian Gunn

Ian Gunn considers the future of interest rates in the UK

Ian Gunn joins the queue and finds Chaos Kong

James Rooney considers the impact of rising UK inflation

26th October saw the release of the 2021 ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).

Government Consultation launched 20th July 2021

Ian Rowe considers the impact of the Trust Registration Service

James Rooney sets out the perfect solution to the LPA problem

Ian Gunn tries to keep up with the changing face of money.

Ian Gunn looks at the Supreme Court Judgment in Mrs Claire Tomlinson-Blake’s case against her employer, Mencap, which was handed down on 19th March 2021.

Ian Gunn considers whether cash is still ‘real money’.

Ian Gunn considers the investigation of Dame Elizabeth Gloster into London Capital & Finance plc (“LCF”), a failed financial firm, and into the Financial Conduct Authority’s regulation of it. Her report was presented to Parliament at the end of last year.

Ian Gunn considers whether the Retail Prices Index finally to be laid to rest

​Investors would do well to bear in mind these words from Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, since things are seldom what they seem in financial markets. Ian Gunn considers a couple of examples, past and present.

Richard Cropper confirms that the feared post-Brexit risks have gone away.

Richard Cropper notes the positive impact of the Financial Services (Gibraltar) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020

Ian Gunn takes another look at proposals for the reform of capital gains tax.

Richard Cropper understands that the Defendant in Swift will not be seeking permission to appeal to the Supreme Court

Richard Cropper provides an update in respect of the 'reasonable security' of periodical payments provided by Gibraltar-based insurers.

Attached is the Court of Appeal decision on costs and the further appeal.

Ian Gunn considers the application of the Phillips curve in respect of the decision-making surrounding COVID-19

James Rooney sets out the extraordinary earnings data for ASHE 6115

Richard reflects on the landmark Court of Appeal Judgment in Swift -v- Carpenter

The Judgment in highly anticipated case of Swift -v- Carpenter is to be handed down on Friday, 9th October 2020 at 10:30

Ian Gunn reflects on ever-present risks for investors.

The 1st of October is here and there is no Judgment in the case of Swift -v- Carpenter

Ian Gunn ponders whether the sharp rise in government debt is likely to trigger inflation

Ian Gunn considers the change and how it impacts on personal injury claimants

Ian Gunn looks at the review of Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

Ian Gunn reflects on Swift v Carpenter and accommodation claims.

Richard Cropper sets out his current views on the global pandemic.

Ian Gunn considers the introduction of Private Residence Relief (PRR) and Lettings Relief and the potential impact this might have on property investments.

Ian Gunn considers the introduction of Private Residence Relief (PRR) and Lettings Relief and the potential impact this might have on property investments.

Ian Gunn looks ahead through Google tinted glasses.

Ian Gunn considers the risk of 'star worship'.

Ian Gunn considers what makes a expert witness expert.

On 2nd September 2019, National Savings and Investments withdrew from general sale its popular Guaranteed Growth and Guaranteed Income Bonds.

​Sneaking in, just days before the parliamentary recess, the government introduced regulations allowing the Universal Credit (UC) ‘managed migration’ pilot to begin and for the compensation of certain claimants forced over to the UC system.

The Court of Appeal hearing in the accommodation claim case of Swift is to be streamed live

Richard and Ian set out their views on the new minus 0.25% discount rate set by the Lord Chancellor under the Civil Liabilities Act

The Blue Badge regulations will be amended from 30th August 2019, in England, for those with a hidden disability which limits their ability to walk safely.

Ian Gunn ponders the woes of Woodford investors in the funds he managed.

From April 2019, the level of income tax paid by Welsh taxpayers will, to a degree, be determined by the Welsh Government. Rates may therefore vary from those paid by tax payers in England and Northern Ireland.

Richard Winward considers the increase in IHT receipts and the things to think about to mitigate the potential impact

New rules came into effect this month for couples who are treated as ‘mixed-age’ under benefit regulations.

It is with great pride that we can announce that Richard Cropper has been invited to become a member of the Ogden Working Party, as it starts work on the 8th edition.

Ian Gunn looks at two examples where precision matters.

Richard Winward considers the move for fund managers to manage within volatility limits rather than asset-type limits

6th April 2015 was a significant day in financial services history, as it marked the start of ‘pension freedoms’.

Richard and Ian set out PFP's policy on accepting new pre-settlement instructions

The 2018 release of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), conducted in April 2018, was published on 26th October 2018.

James considers whether risk and volatility are the same or different, with the help of the Beastie Boys

In a recent judgment (PBC v JMA & Ors [2018] EWCOP 19), Her Honour Judge Hilder, Senior Judge at the Court of Protection, approved an application made by the attorney of a 72 year old lady, to make a gift of £6m to himself, from his mother’s c.£19m estate, in order to mitigate the impact of IHT upon his mother’s eventual death.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) made another climb down last month when it accepted the merits of the Judicial Review instigated by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) regarding thousands of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants’ historic entitlement to an income-related ESA award.

Ian Rowe considers where the last ten years have gone!

Ian Gunn considers the ramifications for PI claimants with a claim against a local authority.

Discount rate issues surface again.

As the 2018 World Cup in Russia enters its fifth day and England are about to commence their campaign, James Rooney takes a light-hearted look at how quantitative analysis has been used by investment bank, UBS, to determine the potential winner of the tournament.

It was my 30th birthday on 6th July 1988. However, that is a memorable date for a far more important reason. On that day, a massive explosion at the Piper Alpha oil platform, approximately 120 miles north-east of Aberdeen, killed 167 people. The total insured loss was reported as about £1.7 billion. It is the worst offshore oil disaster in terms of lives lost and industry impact.

Making financial transactions in the wrong order can be costly in relation to the tax implications that may arise.

In our December 2017 blog, we were hoping there would be Good Tidings following The House of Commons, Work and Pensions Select Committee enquiry into the claimant experience of Personal Independence Payment(PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) applicants.

Ian Gunn takes a long look at interest rates and why investors should be wary.

In Wales, with effect from April 2018, Land Transaction Tax (LTT) will replace Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

In May this year, Europe's data protection rules will undergo their biggest changes in two decades. Since they were created in the 90s, the amount of digital information we create, capture, and store has vastly increased. Simply put, the old regime is no longer fit for purpose.

Conveyancing solicitors are all the same, aren’t they? Wrong.

Using Marriage Allowance to reduce a tax bill.

We received an update from the Ministry of Justice with regards to the proposed Bill this morning.

In May this year, Europe's data protection rules will undergo their biggest changes in two decades. Since they were created in the 90s, the amount of digital information we create, capture, and store has vastly increased. Simply put, the old regime is no longer fit for purpose.

The Ministry of Justice have provided an update with regard to the response to the Justice Committee report in respect of the discount rate

The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) recently issued a very clear statement to local authorities regarding personal injury disregards and Deputyship cases during the financial assessment process for adult social care.

Refunds are being offered to those who may have been charged more than was necessary to apply to register lasting or enduring powers of attorney between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017.

As the global elite gathered in Davos last month, Piers Morgan was also there, to interview President Trump.

It was our understanding that the Ministry of Justice’s response to the Justice Committee’s report was due within 60 days of the report’s publication, which was on 30th November 2017.

In its response to the Autumn Budget last November, the Resolution Foundation, a ‘think tank’, painted a bleak picture of the outlook for the UK economy.

A new report, 'NHS continuing healthcare funding', published by the Committee of Public Accounts, highlights the difficulties people face accessing NHS continuing healthcare (CHC).

All too often specialists in their respective fields focus on their own discipline, or a problem at hand. Bringing these various disciplines together to produce a collegiate plan is necessary if the most beneficial long-term outcomes are to be achieved.

Hopefully this will increase the chances of improvements to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

To reiterate the importance of considering trust advice at the most appropriate time, the following case study highlights one of the issues of deferring advice to too late a stage

The answer, of course, is that all have at some point been the subject of a speculative bubble.

The Justice Committee's report on the proposed discount rate legislation concluded, amongst other things, that there was insufficient evidence of over-compensation to justify the abandonment of Wells.

The 2017 release of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), conducted in April 2017, was published on 26th October 2017.

The government has recently announced changes to the reassessment criteria for the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) for some Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC) claimants.

For any regular visitors to the PFP blog page you may recall an article from 9th February 2017 dealing with the issue of placing properties within personal injury trusts and the room for error if suitable advice is not sought. This article sets out the journey through the Tribunal appeal and the decision notice issued.

MiFID II is set to be implemented on 3rd January 2018. What is it and what does it mean for investors?

An interesting decision from the High Court indicates that clients with a Personal Injury Trust must provide whatever proof the council requests to support an application for Council Tax Reduction/Support.

Ian Gunn ponders the fashion for passive investing...

This blog considers the answer to one of the questions I am asked most often.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, David Gauke, has on 19th July 2017 announced that the increase in the pension age to 69 will now take place seven years earlier than planned.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has published the findings of its investigation into NHS continuing health care (CHC). The National Audit Office scrutinises public spending for Parliament and is independent of government.

On the 7th September 2017 the government published the outcome of the discount rate review and published draft legislation.

Ian Gunn considers the impact of a negative discount rate on indemnifying claims against medical professionals, employers and defendants with public liability.

This blog considers the impact of the General Election result and the impact on "strength and stability".

This blog considers the changes to the Motability Scheme for clients who do not qualify for the enhanced rate mobility component following reassessment for PIP from DLA.

Having signed up for an Ironman 70.3 for our 2017 charities, EFDS and Bamboozle, did Richard make it to the finish line?

The FCA initiated their “Assessing Suitability Review” in April 2016 in recognition of the important role they have to play supporting the sector in delivering suitable advice.

The new Trusts Register will provide a single point of access for trustees and their agents to register and update their records online, replacing the current paper 41G (Trust) form and the ad hoc process for trustees to notify changes in their circumstances.

Compensation for injury will rarely, if ever, provide certainty that a claimant’s needs will be met for life.  With the ever-tightening purse strings of Local Authorities, if a claimant is to receive the statutory funding to which they are truly entitled they will need to play a diligent game that amounts to little more than ‘cat and mouse’ to obtain a suitable care package that reflects their need.

Understanding the difference between independent, restricted and whole of market advice.

A new report published by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) reveals the extent of cuts to social care provision. Councils across the UK have had their funding reduced by the government each year since 2010, leading to extensive cuts to social care.

This blog considers the issues with regard to purchasing a property for a family carer to live in and claim Housing Benefit to pay the rent.

As if the UK had not already had enough of being asked to vote in mindless television shows over the last decade (think Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing, I’m a Celebrity et al), it is becoming apparent that the political arena is wanting its own fair share of the action too.

​The new tax year is not generally seen as a time for popping the champagne and welcoming in the dawn of a new financial year. However, we have provided a brief overview of some of the main reasons why this new tax year could provide some welcome 'resvolutions'.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind our clients of the importance of retaining the tax year-end documentation provided by the relevant institutions.

Holding clients' damages on client account can be a wholly reasonable thing to do, but beware the potential impact on benefits entitlements.

There were three good reasons to celebrate in March as PFP successfully represented clients, in respect of their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeals, and secured three successful outcomes, on three consecutive days.

The outcome of HMRC's consultation on part surrenders and part assignments of life insurance policies is now complete. Rather than opt for the most simple and best-supported option from the consultation outcomes, an alternative has been adopted.

​On 6th April 2017, the ISA as we currently know it celebrated its 18th birthday, but just how much could investors have benefitted from its ‘childhood’?

For those of you that have seen me recently and have noted that I have 'dropped a bit of timber', that's because I have been training for a half-Ironman, know as a 70.3 because that is the total mileage I have to cover in less than 8.5 hours. I am taking on this crazy (borrowing the ABI's definition of the new discount rate) challenge for two fantastic charities, the Bamboozle Theatre Company and the English Federation of Disability Sport.

I thought I would share the views of Sir Henry, as published on his own website, with regard to the past, present and future of setting the discount rate.

This is the first of a series of posts about the Lord Chancellor’s decision to reduce the discount rate used in assessing lump sum awards in personal injury claims to minus 0.75%. As some have already observed, what was a discount is now an uplift.

It is now just over 12 months since economists at Royal Bank of Scotland issued the stark warning to “sell everything” and brace for a “cataclysmic year”. They predicted that, during 2016, major stock markets could fall by a fifth, and oil could plummet to $16 a barrel. This Blog considers how good this prediction was.

In Manna v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust, [2017] EWCA Civ 12, the Court of Appeal considered two particular issues arising from a Roberts -v- Johnstone award for an additional property.

With the publication of the Civil Liability (Amendment) Bill 2017 on 11th January 2017, periodical payments in Ireland have come a step closer.

Post injury, many clients will find their existing home unsuitable for their needs, possibly due to the impact of a disability or a need to relocate closer to the support network of family and friends. Those able to hijack their other heads of loss to secure a suitable property once the effect of Roberts-v-Johnstone has taken its toll, may have a myriad of decisions to consider in aiming to maximise their position and financial protection. This blog considers some of these options.

From April 2017, the government plans to abolish payment of the work-related activity component for new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims.

Following the Parliamentary Work and Pensions Select Committee report in December 2016, The National Audit Office have just published their report into the shortcomings and lessons to be learned from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) contract with private outsourcing firm Concentrix.

The Lord Chancellor has made an additional Regulatory Statement to the London Stock Exchange regarding the discount rate.

This blog considers the importance of estate planning when meeting the needs of personal injury claimants post-settlement.

It is possible for ESA claimants to engage in paid employment, under the ‘permitted work’ rules and retain entitlement and payment of their ESA award. This has proved invaluable to many PFP clients.

Judgment was handed down this morning, which prevents the ABI from being able to delay the release of Lord Chancellor's review of the discount rate.

​Further to our blog on 5th January 2017, and as reported by the Bank of England on 16th January 2017, the PRA has confirmed that the FSCS protection limit will be increased to £85,000.

As reported by the Bank of England on 21st November 2016 the PRA have set out proposals to reset the deposit protection limit to £85,000, with effect from 30th January 2017.

This blog considers the implications of the decision of Norris J in OH v Craven

Set out in this blog is the Lord Chancellor's statement to the London Stock Exchange in full.

We all just wanted to wish you a very happy and healthy 2017!

The ABI announced on the 19th December 2016 that it had launched a legal challenge of the Lord Chancellor’s decision to review the discount rate for personal injury damages, calling on the Government to complete its consultation and change the methodology before proceeding.  

Most ASHE 6115 calculations have been carried out correctly to December 2016.

Refusing child benefit proves detrimental to the mother’s state pension benefits.

In the 2015 Budget, the Chancellor announced plans to extend pension freedoms to around five million people who had already bought an annuity with their pension pots. However, it seems like there have been second thoughts.

Liz Truss has announced that the result of the review by the 31st January 2017.

St Helens refuse to accept the Local Government Ombudsman's ruling that they must disregard personal injury damages held under the Order of the Court of Protection in respect of domiciliary care.

We have included all of the most important life expectancy reports, so that they are all in one place.

The case of Watt and ABC at the Court of Protection raises some very interesting issues with regards to the use of trusts rather than Deputyship for Protected Beneficiaries.

On 26th October 2016 I attended a seminar hosted by the Office for National Statistics covering the results and analyses from the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).

We have collected a wide range of documents with regards to the calculation of the discount rate and popped them in our 'knowledge bank'.

We think that there have been a number of useful Judgments in the past relating to periodical payments and they can be found on our 'knowledge bank'.