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The US has approved construction of a massive new lithium mine in Nevada and extended tax breaks to some miners as part of its strategy to break Chinese dominance over the supply chains of critical minerals.

Australian producer Ioneer on Thursday said it had received a federal permit for its Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mine, a project that could produce enough lithium to power about 370,000 electric vehicles a year. The silvery-white metal is an essential ingredient in the production of rechargeable batteries and critical to the future of the EV industry.

Rhyolite Ridge is the first approval of a lithium mine by the Joe Biden administration, which has offered Ioneer a $700mn loan to help build a project that would quadruple US lithium production when completed in 2028. Since 2002, only three US mines have come online for critical minerals, none of which are located on public land.

Ioneer shares surged 15 per cent in New York trading after the approval was reported to close at $7.92.

Western producers have struggled to compete with Chinese rivals in the production and refining of critical minerals because of higher costs, tougher regulatory standards and delays caused by legal challenges. Extracting and processing of lithium has a significant environmental impact as it uses large amounts of water and energy, as well as toxic chemicals such as sulphuric acid.

Ioneer’s project has faced opposition from conservation groups, which warned it could push an endangered species of flower to extinction. US regulators said they had worked with the company to modify its project and develop a protection plan for the Thiem’s buckwheat flower, enabling the mine approval to proceed after a six-year review.

Bernard Rowe, Ioneer’s managing director, said its Nevada mine would help to break US customers’ reliance on Chinese companies, which account for more than two-thirds of global lithium refining capacity.

“We’ve got one of the largest lithium and boron deposits in the world . . . Its basically ready to build,” he said.

In an attempt to kick-start mine and processing construction, Washington published new guidance on Thursday enabling producers to claim tax credits on mining and extraction costs of critical minerals, as long as they process some of the material.

There is no shortage of lithium in the US. This week the US Geological Survey said it found between 5mn and 19mn tonnes of lithium reserves located beneath southwestern Arkansas, potentially enough to meet projected 2030 world demand car battery lithium nine times over.

Yet most of the world’s lithium is mined in Australia or extracted from large salt water lakes in South America and then processed in China.

Analysts said the mine approval and tax breaks were important steps in Washington’s efforts to incentivise the creation of a domestic lithium mining and refining industry to supply the EV sector.

James West, analyst at Evercore ISI, an investment bank said: “Extracting lithium from US-based mines or salt-rich brines is important to boost American supply chain security and ensure that a domestic EV industry is not reliant on China.”

Only one lithium mine is operating in the US, Albemarle’s Silver Peak mine in Nevada, which produces about 5,000 tonnes of lithium a year. Site preparation is under way for another mine and processing plant — Nevada’s Thacker Pass, which is led by Vancouver, Canada-based Lithium Americas and backed by General Motors. It was approved by the Donald Trump administration in January 2021, and the Biden administration has announced a $2.3bn federal loan to help develop the mine.

But Ioneer will face competition from several lithium producers, which have announced plans to open new US mines and processing plants amid an attempt to tap incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act. Oil producers ExxonMobil and Occidental are among several companies pursuing pilot lithium projects in Arkansas and California, respectively.

Ioneer estimates its Nevada project will cost more than $1.2bn to complete. In 2021 it signed a funding deal with South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater to sell it half the Nevada project for $490mn, on condition of winning approval. It also has deals to supply lithium to carmakers Ford and a joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic.

MILLIONS of grandparents are in line for a pay boost next year which could see them hundreds of pounds better off.

The state pension increases every year in order to keep pace with the rising cost of day-to-day items such as food and household bills.

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It is set to rise by 4.1% from next April, under what is known as the triple lock guarantee.

This system puts up the state pension rate in line with whatever is highest of wages for May to July, 2.5% or September’s inflation figures.

Employee wages grew by 4.1% in the three months to July, while the UK’s rate of inflation was 1.7% in September.

This means that the State Pension will increase from £221.20 a week to £230.30.

And a yearly rise from £11,502 to £11,975 – a £473 increase.

Only those who receive the full new state pension will get this amount.

How much an individual will get depends on their national insurance record and the number of qualifying years they have.

You need 35 years of national insurance contributions to qualify for the full state pension.

Caring for children or providing care may also give you equivalent credits which count towards your national insurance record.

Older pensioners who reached age 66, the state pension age, before April 2016 will get a weekly rise from £169.50 to £176.45.

Over the course of a year this would take their income from £8,814 to £9,175.40 a year.

These increases are expected to be confirmed by the Chancellor in her Autumn Statement.

Retirees on certain benefits such as Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance will also see their income boosted.

The increase will be different for each one.

Here we explain how it will work.

Pension Credit

Retirees who are on a low income can see it boosted via Pension Credit.

The benefit is also set to rise in line with July’s wage data at 4.1%.

Pension Credit is set to rise from up to £218.15 a week to £227.09 if you are single or from £332.95 to £346.60 for couples.

To be eligible for Pension Credit your income must be lower than these thresholds.

You could also get the “Savings Credit” element of Pension Credit if you meet both of the following criteria:

• You reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016
• You saved some money for retirement, for example through a personal or workplace pension.

At the moment you will get up to £17.01 a week if you are single but this could rise to £17.69 from April.

Meanwhile, couples currently get up to £19.04 a week but this could be boosted to £19.82 from next year.

The exact rise will be confirmed by the Government next week.

You may also be able to get a top-up amount if you are caring for someone else or you are disabled.

You can apply online through the government website if you have already completed a claim or your State Pension.

To do so you will need your national insurance number, information about your income, savings and investments and bank account details.

Alternatively you can apply by phone by calling the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.

Another option is to apply by post.

To do so you will need to print out and fill in the Pension Credit claim form or call the Pension Credit claim line to request a form.

Send it to: Freepost DWP Pensions Service 3.

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance helps with extra costs if you are above the state pension age and have a disability severe enough that you need someone to help look after you.

To get the benefit you must have reached the state pension age and meet the following criteria:

• Have a physical disability (including sensory disability, such as blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties) or both
• Your disability is severe enough that you need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you
• You have needed that help for at least six months
• Have been in Great Britain for at least two of the last three years
• Be habitually resident in the UK, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands

You cannot get Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and your care is paid for by your local authority.

But you can still claim Attendance Allowance if you pay for all of your care home costs yourself.

Attendance Allowance is paid at two different rates and how much you can get depends on the level of care that you need due to your disability.

The lower rate is currently worth £72.65 a week.

From next April the payments may rise to £75.63 – an increase of £2.98.

The higher rate is worth £108.55 a week and could rise to £113 – a boost of £4.45.

You can apply for Attendance All online or by post.

You will need your national insurance number, address, contact details, details of your health condition or disability and information about your GP surgery or medical centre.

To apply by post you will need to download the Attendance Allowance claim form from the Government website or contact the helpline to request a claim form.

Send the completed form to: Freepost, DWP Attendance Allowance.

If you think you are eligible then it is worth applying as you could also get other benefits such as extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or a Council Tax Reduction.

If you need help completing the form then contact your local Citizens Advice.

How do I claim the state pension?

The state pension is not paid automatically – you must claim it once you are eligible.

You should get a letter no later than two months before you reach state pension age, which will explain what you need to do.

You can find out more information on the Gov.uk website.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

A RARE 50p coin, sold for 200 times its usual value, had a particular tiny “mark” missing – but what does this mysterious mark mean?

The King Charles Atlantic Salmon 50p was advertised as having “no privy mark” on eBay.

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It later sold for a whopping £102 following 23 bids from eager collectors.

A privy mark is a tiny crown symbol stamped onto some coins on the “heads” or “obverse” side – or on the rim.

In the case of the King Charles Atlantic Salmon 50p, first minted in 2023 in celebration of Charles‘ ascension of the throne, the privy mark is a small Tudor crown.

It can be spotted just behind the King’s head.

Only a small number of coins in circulation have a privy mark, as they’re only etched onto coins produced for special occasions – such as coronations and jubilees – and for collector’s editions.

The limited number of coins with privy marks means they have greater collectability factor – and are generally more valuable.

But, confusingly, 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p coins are actually more valuable without privy marks.

There were only 200,000 of these mark-less coins put into general circulation, making them even rarer than the Kew Gardens 50p – and therefore extremely valuable.

As well as the recent £120 sale, another example of the same coin sold for £110 this week.

By contrast, you quite easily can buy the version with a privy mark – which were never released into circulation – direct from the Royal Mint.

They are sold as part of “Definitive Annual Sets” for £34.

So, if you come across a King Charles Atlantic Salmon dated 2023 and without a privy mark in your loose change, you may just be in for a hefty profit.

In fact, a bag of these plain-looking coins sold this week for a huge £1,700 after a bidding war.

How to spot rare coins and banknotes

Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds.

If you are lucky enough to find a rare £10 note you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value.

You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers.

These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch’s face, just under the value £10 in the corner of the note.

Also if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky you could cash in thousands.

For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year Jane Austen was born on one of their notes.

You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick “completed and sold items” and filter by the highest value.

It will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes.

But do bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

This is also the case for coins, you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.

The next step is to take a look at what has been recently sold on eBay.

Experts from Change Checker recommend looking at “sold listings” to be sure that the coin has sold for the specified amount rather than just been listed.

MILLIONS of Universal Credit customers have just months left to get up to £1,200 free cash thanks to a little-known account.

The Help to Save scheme is a government initiative designed to encourage those on benefits to save money.

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The savings account gives people a bonus of 50p for every £1 they save over four years, up to a maximum bonus of £1,200.

Plus, since Help to Save is backed by the Government, all the savings in the scheme are secure.

The scheme was first launched in 2018 and last year it was extended to April 2025.

That means households have just seven months to sign up for one of the accounts.

Myron Jobson, Senior Personal Finance Analyst, at interactive investor (ii), told The Sun: “On paper, Help to Save is a great initiative to help instil a culture of savings among the nation’s most cash-strapped individuals. But for those who’ve felt the full force of the cost-of-living squeeze, the priority has been to stay above the breadline.

“If you are on a low income, the problem is that you have little, if anything, to spare to save at the end of the month. Many people make the mistake of trying to save when they are in debt, and yet the cost of debt for most usually vastly outweighs the gain of saving.

“For those who can afford it, a 50% savings bonus is too good a carrot to pass up.”

Savers can deposit between £1 and £50 a month into their account and will receive a government bonus – even if money has been withdrawn.

A 50p bonus is paid for every £1 saved, meaning that someone saving the maximum amount of £50 monthly can receive an extra £25 for free, which adds up to £300 in a year.

It means that someone saving £2,400 – the maximum amount they could deposit over four years – would receive a £1,200 bonus from the government.

While the scheme could still be extended past April, it’s worth bearing in mind that if you’re only just signing up though, you won’t get the headline amount.

Myron also pointed out that the bonuses are paid after the first two years and again at the end of the four years.

Myron said: “Remember, the bonuses are paid after the first two years and again at the end of the four-year period.

“As such, the first bonus of £175 would be paid two years from the account opening date, which would be in October two years later.”

So this means if you open an account before the end of the month you’ll get £175 in government bonuses – but this won’t be paid until October 2026 so do bear that in mind.

Although Myron did point out that those on a low income should consider whether saving is a priority if it would mean they would have “difficulty meeting outstanding debt commitments”, particularly priority debts such as council tax, as a result.

“In a perfect world, everyone would have at least three-to-six months’ worth of essential outgoings in savings,” he added.

So far the Treasury has not indicated whether or not Help to Save will be extended past April 2025 – The Sun has approached the department for this indication and will update this story when we hear back.

If the scheme does end next year, Myron says it is likely it will close to new applicants only, while existing account holders will still be able to reap the rewards until the government shuts it down entirely – similar to what happened to the Help to Buy ISA.

HMRC has confirmed that those who open a scheme before April next year will be able to continue to save into it for the full four years, so if you open an account now you’ll still get all the bonuses worth £1,200.

Sun Money has also asked the Treasury for more clarity on this too.

Figures released by the government in October 2023 revealed that almost 450,000 customers opened a Help to Save account between September 2018 and March 2023.

During that time, nearly £372.5million was paid into accounts.

How does Help to Save work?

Savers can deposit between £1 and £50 a month into their account and will receive a government bonus – even if money has been withdrawn.

A 50p bonus is paid for every £1 saved, meaning that someone saving the maximum amount of £50 monthly can receive an extra £25 for free, which adds up to £300 in a year.

It means that someone saving £2,400 – the maximum amount they could deposit over four years – would receive a £1,200 bonus from the government.

The bonus is paid directly into their bank account.

Keep in mind that don’t have to pay in each month if you don’t want to or can’t afford to.

You can put even just a couple of pounds in – it doesn’t have to be the maximum amount.

Account holders can also withdraw month whenever they like, but this means they might not be able to receive the full bonus before their account is closed.

You can save money in the account through a debit card, standing order or bank transfer.

The account will automatically close four years after you open it and you can’t apply for another one.

Anyone who closes the account before the four years are up, will miss the next bonus and won’t be able to reopen the account.

Who is eligible for a Help to Save account?

You can open a Help to Save account if:

• You are receiving Working Tax Credit
• You are entitled to Working Tax Credit and receiving Child Tax Credit
• You are claiming Universal Credit and you – with your partner if it’s a joint claim – earned £722.45 or more from paid work in your last monthly assessment period

If you get payments as a couple, you and your partner can apply for your own Help to Save accounts and will need to apply individually.

In most cases you will need to be living in the UK, except for a crown servant or their spouse or civil partner or member of the British armed forces or their spouse or civil partner.

You can keep your Help to Save account even if you stop claiming benefits during the four years it is open.

If you or your partner have £6,000 or less in personal savings, including in your Help to Save account, this will not affect how much Universal Credit you get.

How to apply for the scheme

You can apply online for an account through the government website.

You need a Government Gateway user ID and password to open an account, which you can create one as part of your application if you don’t already have one.

When applying, you will be asked for your UK bank details so make sure you have them to hand.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Help to Save can encourage positive saving habits – no matter what you can afford to save – and the 50% government bonus payment can help savers when they need it most.

“It is quick and easy to apply online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘help to save’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories