A man took on the grand but derelict Craig y Don mansion which had been left to decay for years

A huge and historic mansion by the sea stood empty, unloved and alone for many years, shrouded by trees and unruly foliage, hidden from view; alone, silent and slowly beginning to fall into dereliction.

Sadly there are many houses across Wales that replicate this scenario, some remain hidden and hoping for rescue, some are found and illegally entered by trespasses and end up on social media, but very few actually find a historic house hero who will take on such a substantial project to save it, revive it and secure its future for generations to come.

Craig y Don, a striking white-washed mansion sitting high above the Menai Strait within acres of private land, is one of the lucky ones because Mark Ellis found it, fell in love with it, and has spent years and too much budget to even say out loud, renovating and transforming it. For more property stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here.

READ MORE: Rooms just keep on coming in this property packed with period features

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It was 2021 and Mark, who comes from the area and visits the Isle of Anglesey frequently, says: “I saw this place come up and knew of it, but I thought it looked pretty amazing. Actually I remember going down and climbing over the gate and having a look and initially, just thinking ‘Oh gosh, it looks like a really big project’- I was a bit scared by the size of it.

“But I sort of reflected on it and, foolishly, an idea started to form. I was thinking ‘this is a pretty good spot and they don’t make land like this anymore’. I ended up looking around it and yeah, fell in love with it, and just couldn’t stop imagining what it might be like.”

The idea that started to gain momentum came from Mark’s challenging experience of trying to find somewhere amazing as a place to rent and stay for a large family celebration.

Mark says: “I think there were 16 of us and I was struggling to find somewhere that was lovely, that was five-star luxury where the whole family could sit around the same fireplace or at the same dining room table. I thought ‘if I’m struggling to find somewhere then surely other people are too’.”

He found there was a ‘surprising lack’ of top-end family places to rent in stunning locations, and that is where Craig y Don started to weave its way into Mark’s future.

After building up a solicitor business and then selling it in his fifties, Mark was not ready to retire just yet and having already done a restoration on a house in Chester, he had been bitten by the renovation bug – all good news for Craig y Don, maybe a bright and lasting future was on the horizon?

But this renovation project was going to be epic. Mark remembers: “It was in a very poor state. It hadn’t been lived on for nearly 20 years but at least the roof was solid. However, there was a lot of damp, black mould, peeling paper, and there was plaster that was starting to fall off.

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“And there was no kitchen, just a tiny space with an Aga, but nothing else, not even kitchen units. There was no running water and wires hanging everywhere. Then there were seagulls that had fallen through chimneys and ash that had fallen onto the floors.”

But nothing that Mark saw that day, and on subsequent visits, dampened his enthusiasm, even the ambience of sadness that wafted through the rooms did not persuade him to change his mind and his ambition.

He says: “It felt cold. It felt unloved. It felt damp. But, and this sounds a bit deep, it had a good spirit. It felt like the energy was positive, it just needed some love. And it felt like it had once been a happy place, although it certainly wasn’t now.”

Being from the area and loving the island Mark was keen to use local trades people on the project where possible and now that the renovation is finished he has teamed up with companies in the area to promote local outdoor activities, pubs and restaurants, and places for guests to visit – he is keen that the local economy and employment opportunities benefit from the house being alive again after 20 years of emptiness.

His company Daisy Joy also annually supports three local charities in their endeavours, as Mark is keen to support the community as much as possible. He says: “It comes from a love of Wales and a love of the island.”

But the core driver that ploughed through all the challenges Craig y Don threw at Mark was saving the house so it would survive forever and making it a place to create lifelong memories.

Mark says: “It’s a forever investment. This is not a business for me. I mean, if it was a business, I would be out of business because I’ve done it from the heart and spent more than it’s now worth, but I’ve done it to keep it alive forever.

“I think that if we can be successful and fill it with family gatherings, you know, people celebrating important birthdays and celebrations, fill the house with laughter and happiness again, then I hope that’s a good thing.

“We’re not doing commercial events, we’re not doing weddings, this is about family and friends spending time together and making sure that the grandparents will have as much fun as the grandkids and vice versa. This is a family home, where we want to have family gatherings.”

Craig y Don had been empty for 20 years and on the market many times; no-one was interested, and at some points Mark wished he hadn’t been interested either.

He says: “There have been many nights when I have lain awake and thought, ‘what have I done, I must be bonkers’, and then when I started putting the work out to tender, the quotes were coming back so high because I knew I wanted this to be done well.”

Enter the next house saving hero – a team called Birch Stays who came up with an interesting proposition that benefitted all parties and the house.

The company specialise in offering property owners a complete package to create and run high-end holiday homes from the renovation stage right through to booking and marketing, maintenance and guest services.

Mike Walsh, one of the directors at Birch Stays, says: “We’d been steadily building a reputation for transforming character properties into standout holiday homes, and this was an opportunity to take on something truly special and so we agreed to renovate Craig y Don after just a single tour of the home.

“It had incredible bones, an amazing history dating back centuries and a Grade II listing, but it needed a huge amount of work. Like many heritage properties, it had seen years of piecemeal changes that didn’t really do it justice.”

Mark adds: “I said ‘I’ll pay you a fixed fee for project managing and then I’ll use local trades and pay them directly’ and this was a way I tried to find a more cost-effective way of doing it with them.”

Once the project work was agreed, Mike and business partner Jonathon Leyland and the team at Birch Stays were keen to get started, and emotions were high.

Mike says: “We felt equal parts excitement and respect, to be honest. Projects like this don’t come along often, and you feel a real responsibility to get it right. It’s not just about creating something beautiful, it’s about honouring the history while making it relevant for modern guests. We knew it would be a challenge, but that’s exactly what makes it worthwhile.”

The house was given a Grade II listing by Cadw in 1988 for being ‘a mainly early 19th century small country house with good later interiors and group value with the coach house, the boathouse and the lodge’. The earliest recorded occupant was Colonel Thomas Peers Williams MP in 1845, grandson of Thomas Williams Commander of the Anglesey Light Infantry.

The listing goes on to state that in the mid 19th century Mrs Peer Williams supported ‘a private charity school at the house, founded in 1845, for 12 girl scholars, none of whom had to pay fees’.

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The core of the house is said to date back to 1540 but according to the listing the earliest surviving evidence of a previous abode is an 18th century red brick chimney stack visible in the attic.

Since then the property had early to mid 19th century rebuilding, remodelling and extensions with subsequent modern alterations, and Mike says these added to the drama as well as the need to respect and work within the Grade II listed status.

There were many challenges, from peeling back all the work done to the house over the decades, structural issues, and drainage that needed an extensive amount of groundwork.

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Inside, the original features have been preserved and restored and the interior design has been spearheaded in a partnership between Mark and company Horton & Co who work extensively on Anglesey and across the area to create an absolutely stunning house.

Mark says: “We had a vast space that was completely empty. It didn’t have any furniture, any wallpaper, anything at all, so we started from scratch. We didn’t want to go out and buy new furniture, obviously we bought lovely new luxury beds and mattresses and it’s been completely redecorated, but we’ve sourced antiques and artwork. And I think the interior design is something worth celebrating in itself.”

The house provided some of the interior inspiration with the Prince Edward bedroom suite and the Lillie Langtry suite, both located in the tower, were created as a recognition of the rumour that Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and the Victorian socialite and actress Langtry stayed at the house during their affair.

The Prince Edward suite has been designed with a masculine energy, including time spent finding a fabulous four-poster bed of the right age, while the Lillie room is more delicate and feminine and the views from both are outstanding.

A new glass extension has been added at one side of the house to create a social kitchen diner hub with more exceptional views to enjoy and it’s this contrast between old and new that excites Mark the most regarding the home’s new interior.

He says: “We’ve got modern wood and contemporary as well as antiques and old, I think we have achieved that lovely mix of contemporary with tradition.

“Standing in the new kitchen dining space, you feel like you’re on top of the Menai Strait and the water’s below, you can see for miles including all the activity on the water looking over towards the mountains; it is wonderful.”

Another interior space that Mark finds himself drawn to and that guests, now that the house is open for bookings, are enjoying is the visually breathtaking lounge bar found in the former ballroom that Mark describes as ‘extravagant and opulent’.

There is so much to explore at the house even before stepping inside, including acres of private land that includes a boat house and steps down to the water, two hot tubs, and a sun-drenched terrace outside. Climb the distinctive tower to the roof deck at the top and the views are truly panoramic and immersive.

Inside the nine gorgeous bedrooms can sleep up to 20 people in total and each has been lavished with their own unique interior design, and six have their own ensuite.

Time is easily spent and enjoyed in the cinema room, the tranquil drawing room, the library and, of course, the lounge bar in the ballroom. Maybe the games room is the standout play space, offering table tennis, air hockey, and table football plus a space also suited for yoga and pilates.

The mini spa includes a sauna, gym and treatment room and Mark’s company Daisy Joy can even arrange staff to visit for treatments and massages.

It’s taken six years and a secret seven-figure sum to get to this point. Mark says: “At times it has been stressful, it’s just been so much more work to do and the job being much bigger than we expected but I’ve had to just hold my nerve. I now feel a great sense of relief and pride, I suppose, of what we’ve done.”

Mark is still clearly in love with Craig y Don, he finds joy in every space and every element of design and now he is hoping that guests feel enchanted too. He says: “Hopefully I can get some good feedback from people staying there and that’ll be the most satisfying time, when somebody writes to me and says, ‘We’ve had such a lovely time. We all loved it’, and I think that’ll be when I think ‘okay, it was worth it’.

“Because in the daylight hours, looking at the beauty of the location, looking across towards the mountains of Eryri and just visualising how it would be when we finished the project kept me going. But then you go to those dark periods in the night and you’re thinking ‘goodness me, I’ve bitten off more than I can chew here!’.

“But I’m a positive person so I’d stop myself and say, ‘no, actually, this is a really lovely spot, it’s great, and I can do this and I mustn’t give up’ because I actually couldn’t give up, that wasn’t an option.

“All of my family and friends thought I was absolutely mad, and I still do too sometimes because it makes absolutely no sense financially. But you know, it is a legacy because it’s definitely not a business, it’s something that my family owns now and into the future, we will never sell it.”

You can book the whole of Craig y Don for a minimum of two nights via Birch Stays here or Daisy Joy Escapes here. For more property, renovation, and interior design stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here.

Savannah Guthrie shared an Easter message reflecting on her faith journey as the search continues for her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie.

The Today show co-anchor — who is set to return to NBC’s broadcast on Monday — described how she has felt “moments of deep disappointment with God” in a video message shared by her church Good Shepherd New York.

“We celebrate today the promise of a new life that never ends in death,” Guthrie said in a video published Sunday. “But standing here today, I have to tell you, there are moments in which that promise seems irretrievably far away. When life itself seems far harder than death.”

She described them as moments marked by a “deep disappointment with God, the feeling of utter abandonment,” she continued.

Guthrie said she was taught Jesus had “experienced every single emotion that we humans can feel,” but recently questioned whether he “really ever experienced this particular wound that I feel.”

“This grievous and uniquely cruel injury of not knowing, of uncertainty and confusion and answers withheld. In those darkest moments I have thought bitterly, and perhaps irreverently, that I have stumbled upon a feeling that Jesus did not know,” she said.

Guthrie then explained how she turned to the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

“I remembered three days in the grave. No one talks much about that. We focus mostly on Easter, of course we do. We cut to the happy ending and the joy of Sunday morning. And yes, we do observe the Friday before, the agony of crucifixion, we mourn by candlelight that darkest night,” she said.

“But after Jesus died, after he breathed his last, what did he actually know? On the cross, he cried out, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ That is the anguished cry of someone who does not know the answers,” she added.

Guthrie concluded the message by reflecting on what it means to celebrate Easter.

“Perhaps this is too dark a message to share on Easter morning, but I have long believed that we miss out on fully celebrating resurrection if we do not acknowledge the feelings of loss, pain and, yes, death,” she said. “It is the darkness that makes this morning’s light so magnificent, so blindingly beautiful. It is all the brighter because it is so desperately needed.”

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home near Tucson, Arizona, on January 31 and was reported missing the next day. Security footage released by police in February shows a masked and armed individual at her front door the morning she vanished.

The Guthrie family is offering a $1 million reward for information that leads to their mother’s recovery.

Guthrie opened up about the search for her mother in an interview with Hoda Kotb last month.

“I don’t know that it’s because she’s my mom and somebody thought, ‘Oh, that lady has money and we can make a quick buck.’ I mean, that would make sense,” she said. “But we don’t know … which is too much to bear, to think that I brought this to her bedside.”

She is expected to return to the Today show on Monday after stepping away in the wake of her mother’s disappearance.

This wasn’t always the case – the village has a vast history with many people connected to it

Driving down the A1 you would quite easily miss the turning for the quiet and tiny village of Diddington, near Huntingdon. Cambridgeshire’s smallest village is an absolute gem despite not really having much there.

It sits directly next to the busy dual carriageway and covers only 526 hectares. According to the Office for National Statistics, it had a population of just 56 people in 2016. This makes it the very smallest village in Cambridgeshire.

In fact, it’s so small that it doesn’t even appear on TripAdvisor! That’s probably due to the fact that it only has a church and village hall, which doesn’t really account for much tourism.

Despite not having much there now, this tiny village has a vast history in a military sense. During the Second World War, it housed prisoners of war and was used as a transit camp, then it became home to the 49th American Station Hospital, the second largest American hospital in England.

After the war, it became a Polish Resettlement Camp for displaced people and remained home to a large Polish community until the late 1950s. For such a small place, it has a very fascinating and diverse history.

The village today could also very easily be the set of a period drama, with tiny whitewashed cottages, wooden fences and a countryside lane with no road markings but verges spotted with the white of the first snowdrops in Spring.

So what is actually there today? Well its main attraction is definitely its local church, the parish Church of St Lawrence. This tiny little village church has the original 13th-century font still present.

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Professor Ramani Moonesinghe, national clinical director for critical and perioperative care at NHS England, said: “Staff across the NHS will be doing everything they can this week to keep patients safe and ensure people can continue to get the care they need,” said Prof Moonesinghe.

We have picked out two well-fancied horses we like, as well as an outsider that could go close at a big price

The BoyleSports Irish Grand National is the richest race in the Irish jump racing calendar and has a roll of honour that includes Desert Orchid, Bobbyjo and a number of subsequent Aintree Grand National winners.

Picking the winner is not always easy, though. In 2021 and 2022, Dermot McLoughlin trained 150/1 and 40/1 winners of the race, much to the delight of bookmakers.

The last two winners have gone off at 13/2, though, so choosing the best betting strategy is difficult.

With this in mind, we have picked out two well-fancied horses for the race, as well as an outsider that could go close at a big price.

Solider In Milan 8/1

It would have been hard to imagine that Solider In Milan, less than a year after winning a bumper at Punchestown, would be lining up in the Irish Grand National.

This Emmet Mullins-trained horse was well backed to beat none other than King Rasko Grey, winner of the Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, in the aforementioned bumper, before connections took the bold step of going straight over fences.

He has been brought along steadily this season, and the feeling is that this race was the plan all along. The seven-year-old’s lack of experience is a concern, but he certainly has the class to be involved.

Goraibhmaithagat 14/1

Colm Murphy has been in the game for a long time and has trained some brilliant horses, not least the likes of Brave Inca and Big Zeb.

But after many quiet years, he has quality stock in his yard again, and many of them are running this weekend.

Zanoosh looks to hold very strong claims in the Honeysuckle Mares’ Novice Hurdle, and Goraibhmaithagat could win the big one.

Goraibhmaithagat showed plenty of ability over hurdles but was not highly tried, and has been brought along steadily over fences ever since.

Always looking like a step up in trip would suit, the money came for the JP McManus horse in the Leinster National last time, only for the gelding to be caught on the line.

You get the sense, though, that this horse is improving with every run over fences and could still be well ahead of his mark.

Weveallbeencaught 40/1

There have been plenty of surprise winners of this race in recent years, and Weveallbeencaught might be the next.

Compared to some of the unexposed novices in this line-up, Weveallbeencaught has shown his hand many times to the handicapper, but he looks an ideal type for this sort of marathon challenge.

Formerly trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, this nine-year-old gelding has been reinvigorated by a switch to Eric McNamara’s Limerick yard this season.

After finishing second in the Munster National in October, he was disappointing at Leopardstown over Christmas but showed plenty of spirit when running a gallant race to finish seventh in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

The Irish handicapper has given him a chance, and while many might crumble under the demands of this race, Weveallbeencaught looks tailor-made for the challenge.

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Yang Haiming didn’t stop working when he retired from the coal mines at age 60. Instead, he jumped into a new industry.

Yang is part of a generation of workers that powered China’s growth by digging coal from underground mines in Datong, a city known as China’s coal capital in the northern province of Shanxi. Now, as China prioritizes renewable energy over coal, Yang is ahead of the change his fellow workers are being forced to confront.

He now runs a restaurant that sells lamb skewers to tourists visiting the Yungang Grottoes, a historically significant 6th century site featuring Buddhist carvings in caves that draws millions of visitors a year.

Shanxi province would be the world’s larger producer of coal if it were its own country. Its roughly 800,000 miners dug 1.3 billion tons in 2025, or nearly one-third of China’s coal. A few million more people work in jobs that rely indirectly on coal, ranging from logistics to restaurants. The province will see crucial change as China adds renewable energy so fast it covered almost all of the nation’s growth in power demand last year, and growing tourism is a major goal.

Experts say it’s vital to make sure coal workers don’t get left behind — a worry for many.

“It doesn’t feel like money’s coming into this industry,” said Zhou Hongfei, a coal miner.

Coal town’s evolution

As is typical for China’s state-owned enterprises, the coal company built Yang’s village right next to the mine — called No. 9 — that its residents would work. The place once hummed with thousands of workers and their families, with a school, a day care and a sports center. An elevated rail line passes through to carry coal to the rest of the country.

These days, the No. 9 mine is mostly a museum, though a section is still being worked. The school is empty, its gates locked. Many of the low-rise apartment blocks are only partially filled, often not by miners but by people attracted to cheap housing.

Yang recalls prosperous years before surrounding villages were dismantled.

“There were so many people, especially during the new year days,” he said. “It was crowded everywhere. Now the bustling scenes have gone, and so has the feeling.”

Those who stayed behind, like Yang, have tried to capitalize on visitors to the Yungang Grottoes. On a day when Associated Press reporters visited, one retired coal miner walked the street striking up conversations in hopes of bringing customers to his noodle shop. Mostly elderly people walked in the street, soaking up the sun.

Transitioning to tourism is difficult

Yang is in the minority of workers who’ve managed to make a transition.

There are many “who don’t know what to do, who say they don’t have the right skill sets for anyone else. All they know is to be a coal miner, or the easiest fallback option is for them to go back to farming,” said Tom Wang, a Shanxi native, environmental activist and founder of People of Asia for Climate Solutions.

Zhou, 36, said he thought about switching to tourism but didn’t know how. And he worries about supporting his wife and 8-year-old daughter.

“To really be able to make contact with and then switch into a new industry is very hard, and the truth is, I don’t dare,” he said. “If you leave this industry, you don’t know if it’ll work out. Can I adapt? And what if this ends up being a burden for my family?”

Mining wages rise and fall with demand. Before Yang retired eight years ago, he earned up to 10,000 renminbi (about $1,450) in a good month. He said he earns more now from his restaurant.

The province is trying to develop several alternative industries, from investing in coal-to-hydrogen projects to promoting its native “youmai,” a type of oat used by locals to make a special type of noodles.

But Shanxi’s major focus and biggest success for life after coal has been tourism. Hang Kan, who directs the Yungang Research Institute that oversees the grottoes and is a representative in the National People’s Congress, last year called for accelerating development of the culture and tourism industry into “a strategic pillar” that “promotes people’s welfare” in Shanxi.

His remarks came after the blockbuster video game Black Myth: Wukong, in which the lead character visits the grottoes and many nearby sites, caused a spike in visitors. The number jumped to 4.5 million in 2024, up from 3 million the year before, according to state media.

Yan Jiali, a tour guide in the region, said that boom has caused rising interest in jobs like hers, which requires a government test to become licensed.

“Even my mom’s friends would come ask me about taking this test,” she said.

Wang, the activist, is hoping that the high-tech industries that are now the nation’s priority will help Shanxi’s transition by providing jobs. After all, he said, the province’s coal powered China’s transformation into an economic powerhouse.

“What if DeepSeek comes over to Shanxi and says, OK, we will start a data center here? What if Baidu comes over to Shanxi?” he said, referring to China’s homegrown tech companies.

Coal remains important

Few think Shanxi can leave coal mines behind completely. Experts see coal as a critical safety net for China’s security needs, and the Iran war has once again highlighted just how vulnerable energy supply chains are to disruptions.

The government recently declined to cap how much coal can be used, walking back its commitment to gradually reduce coal consumption, according to analysts at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

“The confidence hasn’t grown to the point where they can entirely depend on renewable energy,” said Qi Qin, an analyst at CREA.

In fact, China has continued to build out coal power plants at a massive scale, bringing online 78 gigawatts in 2025, more than India did in a whole decade. One gigawatt can power about 320,000 Chinese households for a year.

Even if demand doesn’t fall, workers also have to worry that their mines will play out. Some of the older mines in Datong are near the end of their lives. When that happens, workers can be reassigned to other mines that may be far away and pay less.

Another coal mine worker, Xu, has taken a second job as a ride-share driver, spending about 5 hours a day behind the wheel after his day job ends. Xu — who declined to give his full name for fear of repercussions from the state-owned mine — said he doubted that the benefits of the industries replacing coal will be spread evenly, whether it’s tourism or renewable energy.

“This tourism industry, how do I get in there?” he asked. “For Datong, those who can enjoy the benefits of this tourism boom, it’s mostly the big hotels and maybe some restaurants, noodle shops, but what do you think regular people can get?”

___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Ministers claim the reforms will address what they call “perverse incentives” that, in their view, have encouraged people to remain on benefits without getting proper help to move into employment.

From Monday, new applicants for the health component of universal credit (UC) will receive a lower rate of £217.26 a month.

Universal credit is a benefit to help with living costs, available both to people in low-paid work and to those who are unemployed or unable to work.

People with the most severe, lifelong conditions, people nearing the end of life, and all existing UC health claimants will continue to receive the higher monthly rate of £429.80.

The change will save taxpayers around £1 billion, the Government has said.

Statistics published last month showed there were 2.7 million people on UC assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) across England, Scotland and Wales.

People in this category are not required to undertake any interviews or work-related activity.

The Government has pledged that its investment in tailored employment support can offer people opportunities, supporting them to move into and stay in work “rather than leave people stuck on benefits”.

Also this week, the standard rate of UC will be boosted, in what ministers have said is an effort to “bear down on the cost of living”.

It said this will result in almost four million households on the standard rate of UC getting around £295 extra this year in cash terms.

Social security and disability minister Sir Stephen Timms said: “The welfare system we inherited has for too long locked disabled people and people with long-term conditions out of work.

“Laws coming into force today will change that, reducing projected expenditure on universal credit by almost £1 billion.

“Simultaneously boosting the standard allowance and investing £3.5 billion in employment support means we’re creating a welfare system that backs people to work and helps them build a better future.”

Last year, ministers were forced to climb down on plans to also reform disability benefits, including for those with mental health conditions, in the face of backbench Labour opposition.

Instead of immediate reform, the Timms review is seeking views on personal independence payment (PIP) and how it works.

Ministers have promised that any changes to the benefit, which helps with extra living costs for people who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain daily tasks or with mobility because of their condition, have been postponed until after that takes place.

The review is expected to report to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden by autumn, with the Government stating that an interim update will come ahead of that.

With household bills and petrol and diesel prices set to rise further, budgets are stretched. But there is some help on the way.

With household bills, petrol and diesel prices rising, we’re all feeling the pinch. Broadband payments, TV licences, council tax and water all look set to go up.

And with the ongoing war in the Middle East affecting petrol and diesel prices, budgets could be stretched even further. The ongoing conflict could lead to food inflation reaching at least 9 per cent by the end of the year, up from the 3.2pc that economists for the Food and Drink Federation forecast in September last year.

But there is some help on the way as we begin the new financial year. Millions of people across the UK are set to see the benefits and payments they receive change.

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last week said he knew people were worried about how the war will impact them and their families. He said: “I want to reassure them that they have a Government on their side, working with allies on de-escalation and bearing down on the cost of living.

“Today, millions of people up and down the country will see energy bills go down by £117, wages go up for the lowest paid, and more support will be available for people who need it most – because of the decisions this Government has taken.

“But we must go further to bear down on costs, and that means pushing for de-escalation in the Middle East and a re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz. That is the best way we can bring down the cost of living for families and that is my focus.”

Here are all the financial, money and benefits changes from this month.

HMRC Child Benefit to increase

Every year rates go up in line with the rate of inflation from the previous September. In September 2025 this was confirmed as being 3.8%, according to the consumer price index. Child benefit payments are made to parents or anyone looking after a child. They are intended to help you with the costs of your children.

They are usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday, but there are different payment dates if it’s due on a bank holiday. You can get Child Benefit paid weekly if you’re a single parent or if you or your partner are getting certain benefits, such as Income Support.

You can get Child Benefit if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16 years old or under 20 years old and still in approved education or training. Only one person can receive Child Benefit for a child. Here is how much it is going up by from April 6.

• Payments for the first or eldest child: increasing from £26.05 a week to £27.05 a week
• Payments for any additional child: increasing from £17.25 a week to £17.90 a week

State Pension payments to go up

State Pension payments are set to rise by up to £44 a month from April as the new financial year begins. Pensions will increase in line with the average earnings growth figure for May to July 2025.

They will be uprated by 4.8% from April 6. State Pensions increase each April and the amount they go up by is worked out by the triple lock – a mechanism used to ensure the payment rates rise each year in line with whichever is higher out of inflation, earnings or 2.5%. This is to prevent the value of pensions being reduced by cost of living pressures.

The planned rises for pensions for the 2026/27 financial year (from April 2026) are as follows:

Full New State Pension

• Weekly payment: £241.30 (from £230.25)
• Four-weekly payment: £965.20 (from £921)

Full Basic State Pension

• Weekly payment: £184.90 (from £176.45)
• Four-weekly payment: £739.60 (from £705.80)

Rise in DWP Universal Credit payments

Rates of Universal Credit payments are set to go up along with many other DWP benefits. Every year rates go up in line with the rate of inflation from the previous September.

In September 2025 this was confirmed as being 3.8%, according to the consumer price index. Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit that was first introduced in the UK to replace the old benefits in 2013. By 2018, all new customers were required to apply for UC, while existing legacy benefit customers continued receiving their awards.

Below are the confirmed new monthly rates for Universal Credit due to come into place from April 2026.

Single

• Single under 25 from £316.98 to £338.58
• Single 25 or over from £400.14 to £424.90

Couple

• Joint claimants both under 25 from £497.55 to £528.34
• Joint claimants, one or both 25 or over from £628.10 to £666.97

Child amounts

• First child (born prior to April 6, 2017) from £339.00 to £351.88
• First child (born on or after April 6, 2017) or subsequent children from £292.81 to £303.94

Disabled child additions

• Lower rate addition from £158.76 to £164.79
• Higher rate addition from £495.87 to £514.71

Limited Capability for Work

• Limited Capability for Work amount from £158.76 to £158.76
• Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity amount from £423.27 to £217.26
• Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity amount (Pre-2026 claimant, severe conditions criteria claimant or claimant who is terminally ill) from £423.27 to £429.80

Carer amount

• Carer amount from £201.68 to £209.34

Childcare costs amount

• Maximum for one child from £1031.88 to £1071.09
• Maximum for two or more children from £1768.94 to £1836.16

Housing cost contributions

• Non-dependants’ housing cost contributions from £93.02 to £96.55

Work allowances

• Higher work allowance (no housing amount) – One or more dependent children or limited capability for work from £684.00 to £710.00

Lower work allowance

• One or more dependent children or limited capability for work from £411.00 to £427.00

New DWP Personal Independence Payment rates

Like Universal Credit payments, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), rates will increase by 3.8% in April. Below are the confirmed new monthly rates for Personal Independence Payment due to come into place from April 2026.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) & DLA Care Component

• Enhanced/Highest Rate: Rising from £110.40 to £114.60 per week
• Standard/Middle Rate: Rising from £73.90 to £76.70 per week
• The lowest rate of DLA care will rise from £29.20 to £30.30 per week

PIP & DLA Mobility Component

• Enhanced/Higher Rate: Rising from £77.05 to £80.00 per week
• The standard/lower rate of mobility will rise from £29.20 to £30.30 per week

Pension Credit

Pension Credit is paid to people over the State Pension age who are on a low income and need extra money to help with living costs. The means-tested benefit can also help with housing costs, such as ground rent or service charges. Like other DWP benefits, this will rise by 3.8% in April.

Recipients might also get extra help if they’re a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person. Pension Credit is separate from your State Pension, and you can get Pension Credit even if you have other income, savings or own your own home.

Pension Credit recipients can also access other things, such as council tax discounts and free TV licences for over-75s. There are also additional elements available if you’re a carer, you’re disabled, you look after children, or if you have savings and reached State Pension age before April 2016.

Standard minimum guarantee

• Single: increasing from £227.10 to £238.00
• Couple: increasing from £346.60 to £363.25

Additional amount for severe disability

• Single: increasing from £82.90 to £86.05
• Couple (one qualifies): increasing from £82.90 to £86.05
• Couple (both qualify): increasing from £165.80 to £172.10

Additional amount for carers

• Increasing from £46.40 to £48.15

Savings credit

• Threshold – single: increasing from £198.27 to £208.07
• Threshold – couple: increasing from £314.34 to £329.75
• Maximum – single: increasing from £17.30 to £17.96
• Maximum – couple: increasing from £19.36 to £20.10

Children

• First child born before 6 April 2017: increasing from £78.10 to £81.07
• Subsequent children: increasing from £67.42 to £69.98

Disabled child

• Lower rate: increasing from £36.54 to £37.93
• Higher rate: increasing from £114.12 to £118.46

Polygamous marriage

• Amount for claimant and first spouse: increasing from £346.60 to £363.25
• Additional amount for each additional spouse: increasing from £119.50 to £125.25

Non-State Pensions (for Pension Credit purposes)

• Statutory minimum increase to Non-State Pensions: increasing from 1.70% to 3.80%

DWP Attendance Allowance rates to rise

Like other DWP benefits, Attendance Allowance rates will increase by 3.8% in April 2026. More than 1.7 million people across the UK were receiving additional financial support through Attendance Allowance at the end of February this year.

Attendance Allowance is a benefit paid to people over the state pension age who need help or supervision with personal care due to illness or disability. Rates of Attendance Allowance payments depend on the level of help you need, broken down into a lower rate of payment and a higher rate of payment, both paid weekly.

Attendance Allowance rates from April 2026:

• Higher Rate: £114.60 per week (up from £110.40).
• Lower Rate: £76.70 per week (up from £73.90).

Minimum wage to rise

Minimum wage will rise again in April. The National Living Wage, the minimum wage rate for all workers aged 21 and over, will rise by 4.1 per cent to £12.71 per hour. The minimum wage for people aged between 18 and 20 will increase to £10.85 and the rate for 16 and 17 year olds will increase to £8.00.

The government said the rate rise will ensure “a real-terms pay rise for low-paid workers” and marks progress towards aligning the rate for 18 to 20 year olds with the National Living Wage.

The new rates from April 2026 will be:

• National Living Wage (21 and over): £12.71 per hour – up 50p
• Rate for age 18-20: £10.85 per hour – up 85p
• Rate for age 16-17: £8.00 per hour – up 45p
• Apprentice Rate: £8.00 per hour – up 45p

Millions to pay more in Council Tax

Across England, the average Band D council tax in 2026/27 will be £2,392 – an increase of £111 or 4.9% on 2025-26, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

The figures include all additional charges, including adult social care, parish precepts and costs levied by police, fire and regional authorities where appropriate.

It is the fourth year in a row that the England-wide increase has averaged around 5%.

Single-person households qualify for a 25% discount, full-time students can be fully exempt, and those on low incomes can apply for a reduction of up to 100%. Carers and people with disabilities may also qualify. Discounts are not applied automatically, so households need to contact their council to claim.

Households can also contact their local authority to review their bill or spread payments over more months to help manage costs.

Household water bills to increase

Household water bills across England and Wales are to rise by an average of 5.4%, equating to £33 a year for the average household.

There is significant regional variation in bill increases, with Severn Trent customers seeing a 10% increase, Sutton and East Surrey imposing an 11% increase, Bristol Water a 12% rise and Affinity Water (central region) customers warned they have a 13% jump coming.

Around 2.5 million households are eligible for social tariffs, with savings of around 40%.

Monthly broadband and mobile phone prices to rise

BT, EE, Plusnet and Virgin Media are all hiking broadband prices by £4 a month, Sky by £3, and Vodafone by £3.50 – adding nearly £50 more per year to bills.

Additionally, one in four broadband customers are out of contract, paying up to £9 per month more than those in contract.

Household energy prices will fall

The price most households pay for energy will fall by 7% from April 1. Ofgem’s price cap will drop from the current £1,758 to £1,641 – a reduction of £117 or around £10 a month for the average household using both electricity and gas.

However, the reduction is lower than the average £150 cut to bills pledged by the Chancellor in November, when she moved 75% of the cost of the renewables obligation from household bills onto general taxation and scrapped the energy company obligation (Eco) scheme.

There is also increasing concern that energy bills will rise by from July as a result of the Middle East conflict – with latest predictions suggesting this could be by £288 a year.

Car tax has increased

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is changing for motorists from this month. The new changes primarily focus on aligning electric vehicles (EVs) with the existing tax system and adjusting rates for inflation. The most notable shift is the end of the “tax-free” era for electric cars, alongside a higher “luxury tax” threshold specifically for zero-emission vehicles.

For most cars registered on or after 1 April 2017, the annual flat rate is also increasing. This rate applies to petrol, diesel, hybrid, and now fully electric vehicles.

The petrol and diesel rate has increased from £195 to £200, while the rate for hybrid vehicles has risen from £185 to £190. Fully electric vehicles have gone from an annual flat rate of £195 to £200.

Cars with a high “list price” (the price before discounts) will pay an additional supplement for 5 years (from years 2 to 6). For petrol, diesel and hybrid cars, the threshold remains at £40,000.

For EVs, the threshold increases to from £40,000 to £50,000. The supplement itself rises to £440 (up from £425).

If your car exceeds these price thresholds, you will pay the £200 standard rate, along with the £440 supplement. If you buy a brand-new car registered after 1 April 2026, the first year of tax is based on CO2 emissions.

See the full list of new rates here.

You will pay more for NHS dental treatment

Millions of patients face higher NHS dental costs from April 1. From Wednesday NHS dental charges in England have risen by around 1.7 per cent, with the cost of a routine check-up (Band 1) increasing from £27.40 to £27.90.

Band 2 treatments like fillings, root canal treatments and tooth extractions will now cost £76.60, while Band 3 treatments like dentures or crowns will cost £332.10.

From 1 April 2026 the dental charges are:

• Band 1 course of treatment and urgent treatments will rise by £0.50, from £27.40 to £27.90.
• Band 2 course of treatment, there will be an increase of £1.30 from £75.30 to £76.60
• Band 3 course of treatment will increase by £5.40 from £326.70 to £332.10

BBC TV licence costs more

The price of a TV licence went up on April 1. The annual cost of a TV licence is now £180 from £174.50. This will mean a monthly bill of £15, up from £14.54. The cost of an annual colour TV licence will rise by £5.50, or the equivalent of an extra 46p a month.

Every household which watches live TV programming or anything on BBC iPlayer must have a TV licence, but for those who don’t watch these – or don’t have a TV at all – you can declare to the TV licencing company that you do not require a licence.

Premium bond odds change

National Savings and Investments (NS&I) announced it is reducing its Premium Bonds prize fund from April 2026, bringing the interest rate down to 3.3%.

The odds of winning will reduce from 22,000 to one to 23,000 to one from the April draw, and the interest rate will drop from 3.6% to 3.3%. It comes after several reductions were made to the interest rate in 2025, which was 4% at the start of last year. It was reduced to 3.8% in April 2025, and slashed even further to 3.6% in August 2025.

Stamps going up in price again

Royal Mail said the price of a second-class stamp would go up by 4p to 91p and first-class stamps would increase by 10p to £1.80 from April 7

It means the cost of a first-class stamp has now more than doubled – up 137% – in the past six years after eight rises, while the cost of a second-class stamp has been hiked six times.

The price of a passport is rising

The cost of a British passport is to pass the £100 mark for the first time. From April 8, the cost of a standard adult online renewal set to rise to £102 – an 8% increase.

The adult online application will rise from £94.50 to £102, while the child online application will rise from £61.50 to £66.50.

The adult postal application is increasing from £107 to £115.50, while the one-day premium will go from £222 to £239.50

Overseas applications will also rise, with the adult online service rising from £108 to £116.50 and the adult postal going from £120.50 to £130.

After Donlad Trump sent a barrage of menacing threats towards Iran on Sunday morning Piers Morgan hit out at the President’s “embarrassing” post on Truth Social

Pers Morgan has blasted Donald Trump after his latest barrage of menacing threats towards Iran.

President Donald Trump spent Sunday afternoon at his Virginia Golf Course after bypassing traditional Easter events amid speculation about his wellbeing. Trump was captured by Reuters arriving at the facility on Sunday morning dressed in golf shoes. He paused to take photographs with supporters, while social media posts revealed various Easter-themed events taking place at the venue.

Just hours earlier the president sent a barrage of menacing threats towards Iran. He posted on Truth Social: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!” Trump, 79, started. “Open the F***ing’ Strait, you crazy b*****ds, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” he fumed. “Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP”

READ MORE: At least seven injured after Benidorm hotel roof collapses on holidaymakersREAD MORE: Trump praises ‘brave warrior’ after daring F-15 crew rescue in Iran

His message has triggered fierce criticism, with many challenging the President’s state of mind. Outspoken broadcaster Piers Morgan reacted: “This is embarrassing. Delete it, President – unless you want everyone to think you’ve lost your marbles.”

But it isn’t all negative from Piers as two hours later he took to X to address the US mission to rescue their second downed airman in Iran. He said: “The more I read about the US mission to rescue their 2nd downed airman in Iran, the more astounding it is. Kudos to the CIA, SEAL Team 6, and all the others involved in finding their man & getting him out. And to him, for incredible guts & tenacity.”

It comes after Social media erupted on Saturday afternoon with unverified claims that Trump had been transported to Walter Reed Hospital – with some users on X even suggesting the president had passed away.

The speculation intensified when the White House announced a lid on Trump’s schedule for the remainder of the day at 11 a.m., prompting widespread questions about the Commander-In-Chief’s whereabouts. The White House subsequently refuted any health concerns, stating the President was continuing to work throughout the Easter weekend.

For the latest Middle East conflict updates click here.