England fans are packing out pubs as they prepare for an epic all-nighter to watch the Three Lions take on Mexico in their last-16 World Cup clash. 

The match kicked off at 2am UK time following a one hour delay due to ‘adverse weather – with pubs allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday. 

Huge crowds have gathered at BOXPARK Wembley where a screening of the highly anticipated game is being shown, as well as in fan zones across the country.

The game could go late into the night amid delays due to thunderstorms, prompting fears fans may be turfed out of pubs before the final whistle if it goes to penalties. 

In Britain, millions of England fans are expected to be late or absent from school and work on Monday, with employers braced for a ‘mass sickie’ after the match at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

There were already tired faces in pubs up and down the country as fans waited for kick-off to begin – with some resting their heads on tables surrounded by pints of beer. 

Speaking at a watch party in Wembley, northwest London, Lorcan Finn, from Devon, said he had already taken the day off work to stay up for the early-hours kick-off.

The 22-year-old engineer said: ‘I think it’s stupid not to take the day off, unless you work from home.’

England fans gather at BOXPARK in Wembley as they await kick-off, which has been pushed back to 2am due to thunderstorms

England supporters gather at STACK at St James’ Park in Newcastle ahead of tonight’s fixture

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Nervous faces in Manchester as fans gather to watch England’s match against Mexico 

Huge crowds gather at BOXParty Wembley where a screening of the highly anticipated game will be shown, as well as in fan zones across the country

Harry Becks, 27, from Ruislip, west London, also said there’s ‘no chance’ he will go to work on Monday, adding: ‘I already booked the day off.’

Matt, 27, from Richmond, south-west London, who was at the fan zone with his father Terry, 62, from Preston, is also taking annual leave on Monday.

His father Terry said: ‘I’m older, I do not work. I will wake up tomorrow at home, if I’m not dead!’

Meanwhile, remote workers pulling an all-nighter joked they will just be moving their mouse at work on Monday.

Watching England’s last-16 game against Mexico at BOXPark Wembley in north-west London, Kieran, a finance assistant from Essex, said he is unaffected by the game’s delay to 2am, as he will be working from home.

‘I’m working from home and I live nearby,’ the 23-year-old said, joking: ‘I will just be moving my mouse!’

England fans watching the match in the shadow of Wembley Stadium had said they would wait as long as it takes to see kick-off. 

Kieran, 23, a finance assistant from Essex, said he will stay put at Wembley Boxpark, in north-west London, even if the match is delayed further.

‘I think it’s annoying for England fans here but it’s probably beneficial for the England team,’ he said. 

‘I will stay the whole time even if it’s delayed,’ he added. 

Fans wait for the start of the England match at BOXPark Wembley in London

England fans enjoy a pint as they await kick-off in the vital last-16 clash with Mexico

England fans sing and knock back pints at a fanzone in Manchester ahead of kick-off

Excitement builds among England fans in Newcastle in the early hours of Monday

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England fans gather ton watch the England v Mexico game in Manchester 

Bar staff ahead of a screening of the FIFA World Cup match between England and Mexico at The Rockcliffe Arms, Whitley Bay

England fans are packing out pubs as they prepare for an epic all-nighter to watch the Three Lions take on Mexico in their last-16 World Cup clash

Killey Harvey, a charity worker from west London, also said he will wait, despite having work at 10am on Monday.

The 49-year-old said: ‘I think that it is bad. It should have been earlier. The police are not happy with it because it causes extra trouble.

‘I will stay because I want to seen them play. I’m here to enjoy the match,’ he added.

Asked if he is worried he will be too tired to work, Mr Harvey said: ‘I do not care, this is my choice.’

Despite pubs being given permission to stay open until 5am on Monday, some fans are concerned the game may go on longer if it goes to penalties. 

Lewis Haywood, assistant manager at Bristol-based brewery Bristol Beer Factory, said they would show ‘as much as we can’ of the game amid concerns the game could go beyond 5am if there was extra time and penalties.

He said: ‘We will be open until 5am tops. If it (was delayed) to 3am then we’ll show as much as we can but then we would need to close.

‘This is what’s annoying, they (Fifa) knew they could have done it at 7pm our time. It’s not too bad, it’s a bit annoying, but people are still in good spirits.’

He added: ‘Licensing is only until 5am. We’ll do last orders at 4.30am so if it does go to penalties or anything like that then there’s not much we can do really. So we’ll see what happens.’

In Mexico City, hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to take to the streets following the last-16 showdown.

Police deployed 7,500 officers to the Azteca Stadium and 6,000 more to the city centre in the biggest operation ever seen for an England football match.

It comes after a million people crowded around the Angel of Independence statue in the city centre after Mexico’s match against Ecuador last week, with four people dying in the crush.

Bored and tired England fans at Ultra Warehouse Derby brave the early hours as they prepare to watch England play against Mexico 

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Fans pack out pubs as they wait for the start of the England match against Mexico 

England supporters pose with a replica trophy as they wait for the start of match tonight at The Clock pub in Hebburn

England supporters pack into STACK at St James’ Park in Newcastle in the early hours of Monday 

Mexico have played all of their World Cup matches at their home Azteca stadium – scene of the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal by Diego Maradona. 

Every seat in the 80,824-capacity arena is set to be equipped with a Mexico flag.

In Britain, ‘Hangover Monday’ could cost the economy millions as workers either fail to show up or spend today being unproductive.

Experts warned of the dangers of driving or doing physical work while exhausted.

Dr Sophie Bostock, from the sleepscientist.com, said: ‘If you’ve been awake for 24 hours and you’re planning to just ‘push through’, your reaction time slows by over 50 per cent.’

Six million staff – almost one in five employees – have taken annual leave, three times more than usual, industry sources said.

With pubs open for business and those watching at home turning on kettles at the same time for half-time cups of tea, National Grid bosses had predicted a sudden demand spike of up to 600MW, the equivalent of one whole nuclear reactor.

A spokesman for the National Energy System Operator said: ‘Demand rises at half-time. Our control room was ready for this moment, using batteries and pumped hydro storage to keep the system balanced.’

Many bars enjoyed a record trading day, from 11am yesterday to 5am this morning.

Mike Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, which represents pubs and other venues, said: ‘Millions of additional pints will have been sold in pubs across the country.’

Ronnie’s Bar in Hockley, Essex, said: ‘A 1am kick-off on a Monday morning is ridiculous and absolutely brilliant. We stayed open for the game, with big England energy.’

Take That’s Gary Barlow has announced he won’t do another Circus Live tour after the final show in Dublin, telling fans he “just can’t physically do” another demanding tour at age 55.

Take That’s Gary Barlow has told supporters he “just can’t see a way I could physically do” another Circus Live tour.

The gruelling 17-date run, which wrapped up yesterday in Dublin, served as a follow-up to their massive 2009 trek, which drew more than a million spectators.

After the final bow, he released a message to devotees revealing that “with an extremely heavy heart” it wouldn’t be making a comeback, despite declaring to admirers that he regarded it as Take That’s finest ever tour, reports the Mirror.

Posting on X today, the vocalist, 55, said: “And another tour comes to a close. Somehow, this one feels a little different. With the other tours, it’s always comforting to know there will almost definitely be a next time. But I’m pretty sure this tour won’t return.”

The father-of-three went on: “I was 38 when we originally did this show, and I have to say it’s been a whole other challenge doing it as a 55-year-old. I just can’t see a way I could physically do this show again.

“So, it’s with an extremely heavy heart that I leave The Circus in my past. I got to run away with The Circus twice. Now I’m running towards our next exciting, brand new show.”

The day before, he’d shared a note with fans stating: “Best tour ever – to say that 35 years into our career is saying something.”

The initial Take That formation, which included Jason Orange and Robbie Williams, launched in Manchester in 1990. The Circus Live show is an intensely physical spectacle, featuring dancers, trapeze performers, clowns, tightrope walkers and roller skaters, with the band even participating in a unicycle routine.

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Supporters expressed their gratitude to Gary for breathing new life into the production for a fresh generation, with one fan posting: “Thank you for bringing back The Circus, and letting us relive it and run away with it one last time and this time my kids got to see just how amazing this show was they loved it so Thank you. I cannot wait for the next chapter. Enjoy your time off and relax.”

That That Presents: The Circus Live marked the band’s seventh tour back in 2090, mounted to showcase their record The Circus. It was later resurrected as The Circus Live, designed as a follow-up to the original production.

The show featured Gary, Mark Owen and Howard Donald, with backing from Belinda Carlisle and The Script. Notably absent was Jason Orange, who stepped away from the band in 2014.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

By NATHAN SALT – FOOTBALL REPORTER

Published: 01:44 BST, 6 July 2026 | Updated: 02:11 BST, 6 July 2026

A beaming – and topless – Erling Haaland was embraced by Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway after he fired his nation into the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup.

Haaland’s inspired brace in New Jersey downed Brazil and continued Norway’s fairytale run to the last eight.

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As players celebrated in the dressing room after the match they were shocked to receive a royal visit with Princess Alexandra, eldest daughter of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Mariet of Norway, keen to pass on her congratulations.

Alongside her brother Prince Sverre Magnus, the Princess spoke to each player and was quick to give a hug to star man Haaland, even if he was only partially dressed.

Princess Ingrid is next in line to the throne and eventually will become Queen of Norway and so her presence in New Jersey was significant.

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A topless Erling Haaland was embraced in a hug by the future Queen of Norway on Sunday

Princess Ingrid Alexandra (right) attended the Brazil clash with brother Prince Sverre Magnus

She first appeared at the tournament for the group stage win over Senegal when she replaced her father at late notice.

Crown Prince Haakon cancelled his visit after his wife went in for surgery, meaning that Princess Alexandra stepped up and she’s been a lucky charm in both games, with Norway – and particularly Haaland – shining on their first World Cup appearance in 28 years.

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The World Cup represents Princess Ingrid’s first official public appearance since Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s lung transplant which has been headline news back in Norway alongside the success of Haaland and Co.

As for the football, Haaland took over the game and took his own goal tally to seven, drawing level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappe in the race for the golden boot.

‘That’s just how it usually goes. If I get a chance or two, it usually ends up as a goal,’ Haaland said after his clinical brace.

‘I don’t know how I do it, but that’s how I do it, so it’s all about staying focused.

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‘I tell myself the chance will come, and then I usually know right away if I don’t score.

Haaland (right) is his nation’s hero right now after his brace booked a quarter-final on Saturday

Join the discussion

Can Haaland fire Norway all the way to the final?

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‘I’m starting to realise now, I think, that it’s a gift from God that it goes in perfectly, perfectly right up against the post and stuff. So it’s crazy.

‘We just kept pushing forward, but I hope that all the young people watching this interview – I hope that when you get a little older, you’ll see playing for Norway as the proudest thing you’ll ever do in your entire life – it’s absolutely insane.’

Norway’s players, as well as the Royals cheering them on, will now look ahead to Saturday’s quarter-final in Miami where the winner of Mexico versus England, in tonight’s delayed match in Mexico City, awaits.

Brazil fell to a 2-1 loss against Norway in the last-16 stage of the World Cup on Sunday night, leading to some backlash for Carlo Ancelotti

Brazil fans have demanded that manager Carlo Ancelotti is sacked and replaced by Pep Guardiola following the nation’s exit from the World Cup. The five-time World Champions fell to a surprise 2-1 defeat against Norway at the round of 16 stage.

A double from Man City striker Erling Haaland in the second half condemned Brazil to defeat, despite Neymar’s late penalty. The game also saw midfielder Bruno Guimarães have a first-half penalty saved.

The loss means that Brazil’s wait to add a sixth World Cup goes on. The nation last lifted the trophy back in 2002.

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Speaking after the game, Ancelotti said: “We must continue to work and improve, and find new ideas. I believe that this loss is not the end, but the beginning of a new cycle.”

However, Brazil fans on social media are calling for the manager to be sacked. “Bruno is at fault, Endrick is at fault. But the main one responsible for the elimination is the cowardly and arrogant Carlo Ancelotti,” one said.

“He clearly instructed the team to let Norway have the ball. Coward. It went wrong, obviously, but he didn’t want to fix it. Arrogant. Best coach in the world… who should never coach the national team again.”

A second wrote: “Carlo Ancelotti is an absolute coward. An utter disgrace. He should be fired tonight.”

“I like Carlo Ancelotti-who doesn’t- but I am completely unmoved by this result & he deserves the sack,” said a third. “To choose Neymar over Joao Pedro is an injustice punishable by this sort of disgrace. I understand football is emotional but you’re not serious if you pick Neymar in 2026.”

And fans have no doubt over who they want to replace Ancelotti. One said: “This selection is begging for Pep Guardiola.” A second wrote: “The only manager who can save Brazil, Pep Guardiola.”

“Hey @CBF_Futebol, take advantage of this Pep Guardiola guy slipping up in the market and pay the buyout clause,” a third said.

Guardiola is available after leaving Man City this summer. He has been replaced at the Etihad Stadium by former Chelsea and Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca.

The Spaniard has been linked to the Brazil job a few times in the past, including as recently as this year. Back in 2015, former Brazil and Barcelona full-back Dani Alves revealed that the legendary manager wanted the job for the 2014 World Cup.

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“Pep said he wanted to make Brazil a World Cup champion and had an entire strategy to make us a world champion,” Alves told ESPN Brasil in 2015.

“They didn’t want it, because they said that they didn’t know if Brazil would accept a foreign coach.

“Pep is the best coach in the world, the greatest sports manager I’ve ever seen. He revolutionised football, revolutionised a team and we had the chance to have him with us.

“If you let an opportunity like this go by, then you are not really thinking about the national team.”

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Guardiola himself has admitted that he may be open to national team management. When asked back in May if he would be open to managing England, he said: “I don’t have any absolute plan about my future.

“I go to rest and recover the time I missed with my kids, even though they are grown, and do many things I’ve not done that I want to do.

“I don’t think for one second about anything related to football for the next years. I need to rest, I need to reflect, I need to see what happened in my 17, 18 years, in my time with Barcelona, in Germany [with Bayern Munich] and here.

“After, we see what happens. I didn’t do in the past stupid things that I want to do.” Asked if this was not a no, Guardiola said: “Yeah – [but] nobody cares.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The US rapper and global superstar lit up the stage, delivering a 90-minute set packed with hits as part of his I’m Back world tour — and as a playful tribute to his signature look, many in the crowd wore bald caps in his honour.

Bald caps out in force for Mr Worldwide (Image: Matthew Eachus)

Pitbull said: “To all the baldies out there, thank you for the love and thank you for the commitment! Happy 15th anniversary Lytham Festival!”

His set included crowd-pleasers such as Timber, Don’t Stop The Party, Hotel Room Service, and Fireball, creating a party atmosphere for all 25,000 in the crowd.

Crowds at Lytham Festival (Image: Matthew Eachus)

He was joined on stage by Grammy award-winning rapper and producer Lil Jon, who performed tracks including Shots and Outta Your Mind.

British rapper Tinchy Stryder also made an appearance, while DJ and producer PBH opened the show.

TINCHY STRYDER AT TK MAXX PRESENTS LYTHAM FESTIVAL (Image: Matthew Eachus)

Festival co-founder Peter Taylor said: “What a week.

“The plan was to make our 15th anniversary year very special and it is safe to say that is exactly what the past five days have been.

“We have welcomed some of the biggest names in music internationally and to have such a huge global star as Pitbull to close our party with a phenomenal performance was just perfect.”

This year’s festival attracted more than 110,000 people across five nights.

Ready to party (Image: Matthew Eachus)

This year’s headliners included Teddy Swims, Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, and Pet Shop Boys, with special guests including Lauren Spencer Smith, Skunk Anansie, Ronan Keating, and Scissor Sisters.

It has grown into the largest music festival in the North West.

UK festival-goers will have more to look forward to, with organisers already confirming that the event will return in 2027 from Wednesday June 30th to Sunday July 4.

Night five of the epic Lytham Festival (Image: Matthew Eachus)

Mr Taylor said: “So now it’s on to 2027.

“The dates are in the diary, the artists are being booked and we can’t wait to start making some exciting announcements very soon.”

Five-day passes go on sale at 8am on Friday via the festival’s official website, lythamfestival.com.

The game will start in the early hours of Monday morning UK time after governing body Fifa opted not to go ahead with a proposal to move it forward six hours to avoid disruption from forecast thunderstorms.

Mexico’s weather service said there would be an 80% chance of thunderstorms at 5pm local time (12am BST), and a 60% chance at 6pm (1am BST).

A Fifa statement said: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, including risk caused by lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Mexico and England has been delayed to 1900 local time (2100 EDT).

“The safety and security of all individuals is FIFA’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation.”

At about 2.30pm (9.30pm BST), heavy rain and thunderstorms greeted England and Mexico fans outside the Estadio Azteca, with loud rumbles of thunder coming and going in the hours before kick-off.

The big screens inside the stadium displayed signs warning people that an electrical storm was approaching and to remain in their seats, though people ran for cover when the heavens opened.

Play cannot begin until 30 minutes has passed since lightning was detected within an eight-mile radius.

Mexico’s last-32 match with Ecuador on Wednesday was delayed by an hour after thunderstorms struck ahead of kick-off.

Lightning is not the only hazard which could strike the Three Lions’ World Cup hopes – co-hosts Mexico have lost only two of their 89 competitive games at the Estadio Azteca, which lies more than 2,200 metres above sea level.

An England win would set up a quarter-final tie with Norway following their 2-1 victory over Brazil on Sunday.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who earlier this week announced pubs would be able to stay open until 5am to show the match, predicted supporters would stay up through the night to watch the “big game”.

He said: “Mexico are a tough side to beat but we have a squad that knows what it takes to win.

“After the false hope of an earlier night, I know fans across the country will be staying up late to get behind the England team. And thanks to our change to pub licensing, they will be able to do that at their local, all through the early hours.

“Come on England!”

England fans outside the Estadio Azteca were quietly confident of the Three Lions’ chances in their round of 16 tie – with one saying the team can “win penalty shootouts now”.

Barnaby Shepherd, 58, originally from Cambridge but who now lives in Los Angeles, told the Press Association: “I think they’ll play slow for the first part because of the altitude and I think they’ll pass it a bit.

“If they can pass and conserve their energy and nick a goal… I told the Mexican waiter last night it’s going to be 1-1 and it will go to penalties and we’ll nick it on penalties.

“He said no chance, he thinks it will be 2-0 to Mexico.”

Asked if he was confident England can win on penalties, Mr Shepherd said: “I think so, I think we’ve got that, I think we can win penalty shootouts now – we’ve crossed a bridge there.”

Mr Shepherd said you can “put your watch by” thunderstorms in Mexico City.

He said: “My cousin, who lives in Mexico City – he’s from Somerset… he says the British media have it all wrong about the weather.

“It’s always mild, it never gets too hot, but you do have these thunderstorms and you can put your watch by it – you just know when they’re going to come.

“So I think they should have moved it up to 12pm personally, but we were at the airport and people were shaking their heads saying no because they’d made travel arrangements – so they didn’t like the idea of any disruption.

“People are going to be annoyed either way – we’ll see what happens today.

“Yesterday there was thunder and lightning – so that’s what they’re worried about.”

Meanwhile, Kyle Thomas, 35, from Bristol, predicted a tight game.

He said: “It’ll be a tight game – first 20 minutes, if we can keep it tight because they are going to come at us really quickly… but after 20 minutes I think we’ll be all right. 1-0 potentially – it’s going to be tight.”

His friend Jack Knight, 34, also from Bristol, said: “I think we’re at a disadvantage. They obviously played here last week, they haven’t conceded, they’ve won all their games.

“Hopefully we do well but we’ve just got to show up.

“There’s going to be, what, 5,000 English compared to 80,000 (from Mexico) – so we’re going to be outnumbered.”

Mr Thomas said the atmosphere inside the Estadio Azteca will be a “great experience”.

He said: “We’ll be loud behind the goal, the actual supporters, and there will be a few dotted around the stadium, but I’m excited just to see the atmosphere.

“The national anthem from Mexico is going to be amazing so it should be a great experience.

“We’re going to win, so hopefully onto Miami, and then Atlanta for the semis.”

The friends from Bristol said England manager Thomas Tuchel’s past achievements have given them hope for the Three Lions’ chances at the World Cup.

Mr Knight said: “I want to see a good game today – Panama wasn’t too exciting, nor Congo… I went to Dallas and watched that and that was the only time I was like ‘yeah, we can do this’.”

Mr Thomas added: “The only hope I have is that Tuchel won the Champions League playing badly with Chelsea, so I’m pinning my hopes on that.”

Asked what they had to do to afford their trip out to the US and Mexico, Mr Knight said: “Save up all our lives.”

Mr Thomas continued: “I’ve got a five-month-old and a 15-month-old, so I had to tell my missus I’m going away.

“I’ll break it to her later that I’m going to go to the semi-final – well, I’ll tell her now.”

Meanwhile, Steve Hartshorne, 70, from Walsall, said: “Let’s hope the players really come to the fore and are inspired by this atmosphere.

“We’ve been in the city and it’s manic. Green (shirts) everywhere, horns everywhere – it’s just so exciting.

“They’re a great footballing nation so let’s hope our players can respond.

“But the altitude could be a massive factor.”

Mr Hartshorne said he was confident England will have factored any delayed kick-off into their preparations.

Commenting on the potential storm disruptions, he said: “I’ve got my waterproof in here.

“I think they’ll have planned this into their thinking.

“They’ll be in the dressing room and they’ll get geared up.

“It’s the same for both sides isn’t it, really.”

Asked how England might cope with a potentially hostile atmosphere inside the Estadio Azteca, Mr Hartshorne said: “They’re experienced players, some of them, so let’s just hope they can do it.

“I’m quietly confident.”

An inheritance is likely to be the biggest windfall ever to drop into your bank account – one that could change your life.

But most of us don’t plan too carefully for what we’d do with it. That’s because it’s never guaranteed – someone from whom you expect to receive an inheritance could spend it themselves, need the money for care home fees or leave it to someone else.

And, of course, it can be hard to think about, as an inheritance almost always follows the loss of a loved one when you’re in the depths of grief.

For most, inheritances do not typically come early in life, when the money could help you get on the property ladder or pay off student loans.

Instead, as people live longer than in previous generations, most now inherit on the cusp of retirement, when it can make a big difference to whether you keep working or can afford to stop.

If you were born between 1980 and 1996, the typical age at which you can expect to receive an inheritance is 62, according to the Resolution Foundation think-tank.

One in five people now in their 60s who were recent beneficiaries of an inheritance received between £100,000 and £250,000, according to its analysis.

It’s perhaps inevitable that receiving such a large sum at this age would prompt questions about cutting down hours or retiring early.

The size of inheritances is also growing, increasing the likelihood of receiving a life-changing sum.

If you were born in the 1980s, the average inheritance would amount to about 16 per cent of your lifetime income, while for those born in the 1960s it would make up 9 per cent, a separate study by the Institute For Fiscal Studies found.

So would receiving an inheritance allow you to bring forward your retirement age? How do you work out how much you need to retire early and what can you do to ensure that the money lasts?

Wealth & Personal Finance asked financial advisers and experts to share their tips…

What kind of lifestyle do you want to have?

Many of us dream of retiring early to have more time to do the things we enjoy.

But the earlier you leave work the longer you will have to make your money last – and the greater the risk of running out towards the end of your life.

It can be tricky to figure out exactly how much you will need to do this. The key is to work out how much you would need for the lifestyle you aspire to and then calculate if, between your pensions and inherited plus other wealth, you would have enough to last you.

While still in your working years, it can be hard to imagine what your costs will be in retirement.

Industry body Pensions UK has come up with simple rules of thumb, which you can use as a starting point.

For example, it says that a single person needs an income of £32,700 a year for a decent retirement. This so-called moderate lifestyle covers the essentials, plus some left over to splash out on food and entertainment, trips abroad and running a car. Couples need a joint income of £45,400 for the same lifestyle.

The very minimum a single person needs to get by is £13,900 a year and £22,500 for a couple, while they need an income of £45,400 and £62,700, respectively for an affluent lifestyle.

These headline targets don’t include some very important items, which should be factored in, such as income tax, housing costs if you are still paying a mortgage or rent and care costs in later life.

As a general rule, if you wanted an income of £32,700 – rising with inflation every year – you would need a lump sum of around £473,000 by the age of 66, according to pension firm Standard Life.

The calculations assume you are a basic-rate taxpayer who needs a pre-tax income of £37,732 to reach £32,700 after tax, and that you would receive the full state pension, currently worth £12,548 a year.

If you already have this amount in your pension and other savings when you receive an inheritance, you are likely to be well placed to use your windfall to knock some years off your retirement date.

However, you need to remember that your years of early retirement are likely to be significantly more expensive than those after state pension age and beyond.

If you wanted to retire with the same lifestyle at the age of 60, you would need as much as £554,600 set aside, according to Standard Life. This is because not only would you need to cover an extra six years of expenditure, but you would have to use more of your savings in the first few years until you become eligible to claim your state pension.

If you are an energetic early retiree who has quit the world of work to enjoy travel, hobbies and socialising, those first years are likely to be even more expensive.

Nick Nesbitt, partner and head of private client at Forvis Mazars, says for his clients an inheritance is often the ‘icing on the cake’

If you want a more accurate idea of how much you might need throughout all stages of retirement, financial advisers can help you to build what’s called a lifetime cashflow model.

This sets out your goals and likely expenditure and works out how much you will need and whether those plans are achievable based on what you have.

Factoring a potential inheritance into retirement plans is fraught with difficulty as it’s hard to know what you might receive – if anything – and at what age.

However, Adrian Murphy, chief executive of Murphy Wealth, suggests planning various scenarios, including one in which you receive an inheritance. He says: ‘We don’t base people’s financial plans on inheritance, as you don’t know when it will happen or how much it will be. But what we might do is a version of a plan where you can make reasonable assumptions and set out how different situations may look in the future.’

He adds: ‘You can take a notional number for inheritance and plug that in, which can either be used to provide a better retirement or bring the date forward.

‘Or, in cases where you can’t access your pension until a certain date, an inheritance could be used to bridge the gap between the point you want to retire and when you can start to take the benefits.’

Use your inheritance to enhance retirement

More than three-quarters of workers are not on course to have enough saved for a moderate standard of living in retirement, trade body Pensions UK warns.

For those who have undersaved, an inheritance could be crucial not to retire early, but rather to retire at all with a decent income, says St James’s Place head of advice Claire Trott.

‘Rather than enabling people to retire earlier, it’s likely that using inheritance may increasingly become a financial necessity to help fill retirement savings gaps,’ she says.

You might also be surprised at how receiving an inheritance affects your attitude to work. You may have spent years dreaming about retiring early – but when given the opportunity to, realise that you are happy to continue.

Sam Patterson, of Equilibrium Financial Planning, says many clients use an inheritance to make gradual changes such as reducing their working hours

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Nick Nesbitt, partner and head of private client tax at Forvis Mazars, has noticed that sometimes people behave counter-intuitively and decide they want to carry on working just when they have inherited enough to stop.

He says: ‘While you would think it would serve as permission for people to retire, I quite often see the opposite – it changes their mental relationship with working because they no longer have to.

‘So, whether it’s an inheritance or some other form of windfall, you actually see many people continuing to work because they realise that when the pressure of having to earn goes, their relationship with working improves.’

Sam Patterson, head of proposition at Equilibrium Financial Planning, says that one client with a highly pressured and very successful career used an inheritance to turn her passion for restoring old furniture into a business – and now has more time for family, which her old job never allowed.

But when it comes to retirement, he says: ‘We see clients are using an inheritance to make gradual changes, such as reducing their working hours.

‘The most common challenge we hear is balancing the desire to enjoy today with the need to provide for tomorrow.’

His recommendation is to treat an inheritance as a foundation for the life you want to live, not something to use all at once.

… but don’t forget about the tax bill

Any inheritance you do receive may be subject to tax – so make sure to factor that in. You will need to consider the deceased person’s estate as a whole, not just the share you could receive, to calculate the total tax bill.

Everyone has a £325,000 allowance – called the nil-rate band – that can be passed on free of inheritance tax (IHT). Any wealth above this is subject to a 40 per cent rate.

There is also an additional tax-free allowance of £175,000 when a family home is left to ‘direct descendants’ such as children or grandchildren.

This creates a maximum total tax-free allowance of £500,000 for an individual or £1million for a married couple or civil partners.

There is no tax to pay on any property, assets or money inherited from a spouse or civil partner and their unused IHT allowance can be passed on when the surviving spouse dies.

If you do receive a windfall, make sure that you shield the cash from any further tax bills as best you can.

If you leave cash in a regular savings account, you could be taxed on the interest you earn. Most people have a personal savings allowance – this is the threshold below which you don’t need to pay tax on any interest you earn from your bank.

Basic rate taxpayers can earn £1,000 in savings interest before paying any tax, while higher-rate taxpayers have a £500 allowance. Additional rate taxpayers, earning more than £125,140 a year, get no personal savings allowance.

Consider saving and investing in cash and stocks and shares Isas where your money can grow free of tax on interest, profits or dividends. The annual Isa allowance for new contributions is £20,000.

Getting the taxman to add a pile of cash into your pension

You are likely to have to make inheritance and pension savings last for many decades, so how you spend them is crucial.

One of the easiest ways to guarantee you don’t run out of money is buying an annuity. This is where you take a lump sum and exchange it for a guaranteed income for life.

Inevitably, the earlier you buy one, the lower the income you will receive as it will have to last for longer.

For example, if you used £100,000 to buy an annuity with protection against inflation, you would get £4,207 if it started from age 55, according to figures from investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown. However, you could get £4,634 from age 60 or £5,304 from age 65.

Alternatively, you can keep your pension and inheritance invested and take money only as and when you need it – a process known as drawdown.

You may end up better off using this method over buying an annuity because money that remains invested can continue to grow. However, there is a greater risk of running out of money if you don’t achieve the investment returns you were hoping for.

But you could make your inheritance go even further by putting it in your pension, where it will benefit from tax relief.

You can put up to £60,000 into a pension or 100 per cent of your annual earnings (whichever is lower) each tax year and get tax relief – and if you have not used up allowances from the previous three tax years, you can use them too. For every £80 you put into a pension, the taxman tops it up to £100 if you’re a basic-rate taxpayer. If you’re a higher-rate taxpayer, you need only put in £60 and the taxman adds £40.

However, if you have already started drawing from a pension, the amount you can subsequently put in is restricted, so check the rules and re-evaluate your own circumstances before going ahead with this.

A combination of annuities and drawdown can often provide a neat solution to making the most of your money while providing security that you won’t run out.

Although most annuities cover a lifetime, there are also options that cover a set period. These are called fixed-term annuities.

For example, you could take out a fixed-term annuity for your years of early retirement to cover you until you receive your state pension.

At that point, you could opt for drawdown if you prefer, with your state pension providing the bedrock of your income.

Or you could buy another annuity that takes into account your new income needs now that you have your state pension coming in.

A decent financial adviser can set you up with an investment portfolio designed to last for a longer retirement and make recommendations about how annuities could help.

They can also advise on keeping your tax bill in check and help you to plan if you want to pass on an inheritance to the next generation.

The government has beat its target of adding 2,000 schools to the free breakfast clubs programme this year, with more than 2,700 to be up and running from September

Parents at 1,400 more schools will on Monday find out if they can save up to £450 through free breakfast clubs from September.

The government has beat its target of adding 2,000 schools to the programme this year, with more than 2,700 to be up and running by the start of the new academic year.

More 680,000 children will attend them after the summer holidays, up from 300,000 today, the Department for Education (DfE) From September, schools must also comply with the new legal limits on the number of branded uniform items they can require.

It means parents can buy more of the everyday basics, like trousers and shirts, from any shop or supermarket rather than one pricey supplier. The government’s expansion of free school meals to every household on Universal Credit – saving families up to £500 a year – will also kick in at the same time.

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Breakfast clubs are already delivering cumulative savings of nearly £25million to families by serving up over 10 million free breakfasts and five million hours of childcare unlocked. For a family using their club every day that’s worth up to £450 and 95 hours a year.

Today’s announcement builds on the biggest ever expansion of funded childcare, now saving families using their full 30 hours an average of £8,000 a year per child.

Labour’s Great British Summer Saving scheme was also launched at the end of June to ease the cost of living crisis for families over the summer.

From 25 June to 1 September, VAT has been cut on children’s meals in restaurants, children’s and family tickets for theatres and cinemas, and tickets for family attractions. Children aged five to 15 will also get free bus travel throughout August.