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Huge jump in number of people missing card and loan payments as financial support cut back

The number of people missing a credit card or loan payment in the UK is estimated to have almost doubled in just a month, new Which? research has revealed.

The consumer champion warns scaled back financial support measures may not be sufficient to protect consumers in financial difficulty.

The latest findings from Which?’s consumer insight tracker reveal that approximately 370,000 more people defaulted on a credit card or loan in October than in September, with the estimated number rising from 410,000 to 780,000. This is the sharpest rise in missed payments of this type since the start of the pandemic.

Overall, 5.8 per cent of respondents to the Which? survey reported that their household had defaulted on at least one housing, credit card, loan or bill payment in October. This was a significant increase from September’s figure of 3.8 per cent, and was driven by the increase in defaults on credit cards and loan repayments.

A missed payment is an indicator of significant financial difficulty, and the large spike is highly concerning as it comes as the financial regulator reduces the level of support given to people who are in financial difficulty on 31 October – the same date that the government’s Job Retention Scheme also finishes.

With the Bank of England predicting that unemployment is expected to rise to around 7.5 per cent by the end of the year, and debt advice charity StepChange seeing 13,000 people seeking debt advice for the first time in August alone, Which? is concerned that the Financial Conduct Authority’s scaled back measures will not be enough to tackle the looming challenge to the financial wellbeing of huge numbers of people.

The FCA initially responded rapidly to the coronavirus outbreak, working with the banking industry to introduce a range of financial assistance measures – including payment holidays for mortgages and other forms of credit for those who are struggling financially as a result of the pandemic.

Which? has been warning since August about the need to prepare robust plans to help people through the winter months, after its research indicated that furloughed workers are three times more likely to have defaulted on at least one payment in the previous month. The consumer champion subsequently called for an extension of existing support measures until the start of next year.

However, the FCA has since announced that, from 1 November, lenders will be required to carry out assessments of individual circumstances in order to provide support, rather than consumers being able to self-report their financial difficulty.

Which? has serious concerns about the industry’s capacity to handle a potential deluge of requests for urgent assistance.

Recent research from the consumer champion found that 22 per cent of mortgage holders had contacted, or attempted to contact, their lender since the start of the pandemic and 61 per cent of those requested a payment holiday.

Worryingly, more than half (56%) reported having a problem doing this – with issues including long call wait times, and no responses to email or phone messages.

While it will always be better for a customer who can afford to continue to make payments towards their credit card or loan payments to do so, these figures suggest many people are struggling financially and will need support from their lender.

The consumer champion fears that the additional requirement to assess people’s personal circumstances could create a significant backlog with firms who are having to deal with consumers needing financial support as their payment holidays come to an end, and an additional influx of people seeking help after the government’s job retention scheme finishes on 31 October.

Which? does not want to see consumers denied support altogether, or facing delays that mean they are unable to access help before missing a payment. It believes the regulator should be prepared to move quickly to reintroduce measures similar to the original support if the industry struggles to cope with demand.

Which? is also opposed to a return of normal reporting of financial support on consumer credit files, as this risks pushing large numbers of people facing temporary financial hardship into long-term difficulties.

Currently, payment holidays are not marked on credit files as it has been acknowledged that these are exceptional circumstances. However after 31 October, if a lender offers a payment holiday or agrees an arrangement with a consumer to make reduced payments, these will be reported as missed payments.

Which? believes it is not fair to penalise customers who fall into financial difficulty at this stage of the pandemic through no fault of their own, when people who needed help at the start were able to take payment holidays without facing the same consequences.

Gareth Shaw, Head of Money at Which?, said: “This significant increase in missed payments is a warning sign that large numbers of people could be on the brink of really struggling financially, and it reinforces our concerns about the impact of the government, regulators and industry rolling back vital support.

“There is a real risk that the additional hurdles customers face could mean help is delayed, or impossible to access at all – which could leave many facing serious debt problems.

“Firms need to be proactive and flexible with people who need urgent help, and if there is evidence that customers can’t get the support they need quickly enough, the regulator must be prepared to introduce stronger measures.”

Morrisons offers Teachers and School Staff 10% off all groceries

From this Monday (Nov 2nd), all teachers and school staff will be able to claim a 10% discount* on their shopping in Morrisons stores nationwide.

Lasting until after Christmas, the special discount is a thank you to half a million teachers** and additional school staff who are looking after the nation’s children and supporting them through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Primary, secondary, private and special educational school teachers can all claim the discount, as well as all teaching assistants, catering staff, dinner ladies, caretakers, cleaners and school office staff.

These groups will also be able to participate in a dedicated shopping hour alongside NHS workers from 6am-7am (Mon-Sat) before stores open to other customers.***

Morrisons also offers a 10% discount for NHS staff which was introduced in April.

From this Monday, all teachers and school staff will be able to claim a 10% discount on their shopping in Morrisons stores nationwide. Lasting until after Christmas, the special discount is a thank you to the half a million teachers and additional school staff who are looking after the nation’s children and supporting them through the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Potts, Morrisons Chief Executive said: “Teachers and school staff are facing many challenges and the education of our children has never been more important. This discount is our way of saying thank you as they continue to care for and educate our kids.”

Teachers and school staff can claim the 10% discount on their groceries by presenting their school photo ID card at the till in any of Morrisons 498 stores from Monday 2 November.

*The 10% discount cannot be used with a purchase of alcohol, drugs, pharmaceutical products, infant milk or formula, tobacco and is not available online.

Full terms and conditions here https://my.morrisons.com/teachers

**https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england

*** The special hour of shopping also applies in most stores on a Sunday from 9am

New sports and outdoor centre for North Edinburgh

Plans for a new sports and outdoor centre in north Edinburgh have been given the green light by councillors.

Plans for the Bangholm Sports and Outdoor Centre were approved by the Development Management Sub-Committee on Wednesday (28 October).

The building will be located next to Trinity Academy and create a new campus with the sports pavilion being the first phase in a proposed redevelopment of the school’s facilities.

It will include a four-court sports hall, gym hall, dance studio and fitness suite, and will become the new home to the school’s PE department.

The Council’s Sport and Outdoor Learning Unit will also have a base in the centre so they can support outdoor learning in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.

Cllr Ian Perry, Education Convener, said: “It’s great news that these plans have been approved today as the school and wider local community are really going to benefit from these purpose-built sport and outdoor centre buildings.

“The new sports venue will boast a four court hall, gym hall, dance studio and fitness suite and although it will primarily be used by Trinity Academy for school PE, wider community groups will also have access to the facilities.”

Cllr Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener, said: “This is going to be an excellent new facility for Trinity Academy pupils and the wider community. I look forward to seeing the plans presented to us today being taken forward and built for school children and other community groups to enjoy.

“Providing high quality facilities for health and well-being is a vital part of planning in 21st century Edinburgh.”

Job Support Scheme launches

Millions of jobs will continue to be supported over the winter months with the UK government’s Job Support Scheme (JSS) available to businesses across the UK from Sunday, 1 November.

combined with the Job Retention Bonus (JRB), the Job Support Scheme (JSS) will cover at least 95% of the total employment costs for average previously furloughed employee until February
when factoring in the JRB analysis shows employers will receive the full employment costs of around half of people on JSS Open – which is available to businesses across all parts of the UK from Sunday
data shows the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has successfully protected jobs – with 90% of people returning to the same job after being furloughed

It comes as analysis reveals the generosity of the government’s income support schemes – with many firms receiving the full employment costs of staff.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “I’m pleased that the IMF this week called our response to the pandemic one of the best examples of coordinated action globally – the furlough scheme has been central to that, supporting 9.6 million jobs through some of the most challenging economic times.

“But it’s right that as we move towards a more targeted approach to tackle the virus, our support becomes more targeted too.

“The Jobs Support Scheme will continue to protect jobs throughout the difficult months ahead and is part of our comprehensive Plan for Jobs.”

The JSS scheme launches on Sunday and is designed to support businesses across the whole of the UK who are either legally required to close or facing lower demand over the winter months.

Under the JSS Open part of the scheme, which was made more generous last week, the government contributes 62% towards the wages of staff for the hours they do not work, whilst the employers pay just 5% plus NICS and pensions contributions. Employees receive a minimum of 73% of their wages.

Under JSS Closed, which is for businesses legally required to close due to coronavirus restrictions, the government will pay two thirds of each employees’ salary with employers just covering NICs and pension contributions, a very small proportion of overall employment costs.

Firms who retain staff that have previously been furloughed until the end of January will also receive a £1,000 per eligible employee payment under the JRB.

Taken together, the two schemes (JSSO and JRB) will cover 95% of the employment costs of the average previously furloughed employee until the end of January. For those earning less than £1,100 per month the JRB offsets all the employer costs of the JSS Open– meaning businesses will not have to make any contributions. Under the original CJRS around half of furloughed workers had earnings below this level.

For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

The CJRS closes today on Saturday 31 October ahead of the JSS launch tomorrow on Sunday 1 November.

As the scheme draws to a close new data published by HMRC shows that during the scheme’s eight month life it has protected 9.6 million jobs through some of the most challenging economic times the country has ever faced – with 90% of those coming off furlough by August returning to the same job.

The JSS and JRB are just one part of the UK Government’s package of measures that includes the extended business grants and Self-Employed Income Support Schemes announced last week, which will continue to support businesses and livelihoods across the country over the winter months.

Further information:

there is no gap in support between the CJRS and JSS
the deadline for submitting CJRS claims is 30 November
the JSS launches on 1 November, and employers can submit claims directly to HMRC from December 2020
HMRC stats show that 90% of those coming of furlough before August returned to the same job
for more information, see the Covid-19 Financial Support Package: Fact Sheet (PDF, 189KB, 10 pages)

Case studies

Example 1 – Job Support Scheme Open

Andrew normally works 5 days a week and earns £1400 a month, working in at a restaurant in the hospitality sector. His company is suffering reduced sales due to coronavirus. Rather than making Andrew redundant, the company puts Andrew on the Job Support Scheme, working 20% of his usual hours.
His employer pays Andrew £280 a month for these hours.
And for the time he is not working (80%), he will get 66.67% of his pay for that time. His total wage package is 73%, equal to £1,027. The government will give a grant worth £691 (61.67% of hours not worked) to Andrew’s employer to support them in keeping Andrew’s job, and his employer will pay a further £56 for hours not worked (5% of wages).
In addition, the employer will cover the Employer NICs and autoenrollment pension contribution on the payment (£56).
His employer may also be eligible for the Job Retention Bonus worth £1,000, this would cover 94.6% of employers total costs for retaining Andrew on the JSS between November and January.
For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

Example 2 – Job Support Scheme Open

Elena normally works part-time and earns £1,100 a month. Her company is suffering reduced sales due to coronavirus. Rather than making Elena redundant, the company puts Elena on the Job Support Scheme, working 20% of her usual hours.
Her employer pays Elena £220 a month for these hours.
And for the time she is not working (80%), she will get 66.67% of her pay for that time. Her total wage package is 73%, equal to £807.
The government will give a grant worth £543 (61.67% of hours not worked) to Elena’s employer to support them in keeping Elena’ job, and her employer will pay a further £44 for hours not worked (5% of wages).
In addition, the employer will cover the Employer NICs and autoenrollment pension contribution on the payment (£19).
Her employer may also be eligible for the Job Retention Bonus worth £1,000, this would cover over 100% of employers total costs for retaining Elena on the JSS between November and January.
For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

Example 3 – Job Support Scheme Closed

Charlie normally earns £1,400 a month and his company needs to close due to coronavirus. Rather than making Charlie redundant, the company puts Charlie on the Job Support Scheme Closed.
The government will give a grant worth 66.67% of Charlie’s pay to his employer to support them in keeping Charlie’ job.
That means for the time he is not working, he will get 66.67% of his pay. His total wage package is equal to £933.
The employer will cover the Employer NICs and autoenrollment pension contribution on the payment.
For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

Example 4 – Job Support Scheme Closed

Dalia normally earns £1,100 a month part-time and her company needs to close due to coronavirus. Rather than making Dalia redundant, the company puts Dalia on the Job Support Scheme Closed.
The government will give a grant worth 66.67% of Dalia’s pay to her employer to support them in keeping Dalia’s job.
That means for the time she is not working, she will get 66.67% of her pay. Her total wage package is equal to £733.
The employer will cover the Employer NICs and autoenrollment pension contribution on the payment.
For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

https://twitter.com/i/status/1316334131811356672

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation says there are still gaps in support that need to be filled, despite the Treasury’s support schemes.

The mortgage holiday scheme introduced at the start of the Covid-19 crisis ends on Saturday as does the job furlough scheme, which is being replaced by the Job Support Scheme.

It will leave a fifth of mortgage holders – around 1.6 million households – worried about paying their mortgage over the next three months, according to the poverty charity.

JRF said: “There is a real risk that mortgage-holders on low incomes will be pulled into poverty and hardship.

“890,000 working households with a mortgage expect to see a drop in earnings over the next month, but 85% of them – 750,000 households – aren’t eligible for any government support with their housing costs.

“It’s not right that during a time of huge uncertainty, many households are discovering that they are excluded from the only lifeline that could help meet their housing costs,” said Darren Baxter, policy and partnerships manager at the charity.”

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation wants the Support for Mortgage Interest payment to be reformed to help people who lose their jobs to keep their homes as they weather the coronavirus storm.

Senior pupils to wear masks in class

Parents and carers should wear masks when collecting school kids

Guidance on school safety has been updated to take account of public health advice and Scotland’s new approach to suppressing coronavirus (COVID-19).

The guidance, which outlines additional protection measures at all five levels in the Strategic Framework, comes into force on Monday 2 November.

Across all levels, face coverings should be worn by adults at all times where they cannot keep two metres from other adults and/or children and young people in primary and secondary schools (with some exceptions in P1-2). Face coverings should also be worn by parents and other visitors to any school site (whether entering the building or otherwise), including parents at drop-off and pick-up.

In local authority areas in Levels 3 and 4, pupils in the senior phase – S4-6 – and their teachers should wear face coverings in classrooms, as well as when they are moving around the school and in communal areas.

Guidance for school staff and pupils at the highest clinical risk (shielding) has also been updated.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Keeping schools open remains our priority but that can only be the case if schools are safe. There have been tremendous efforts applied by staff and pupils to ensure this is the case and I thank them all for their efforts.

“We constantly review the guidance on school opening along with our local authority partners, trades unions, parental representatives and other stakeholders to ensure we are taking all the necessary measures to ensure our schools are safe.

“This strengthened guidance, produced in light of updated scientific and health advice, adds to the health mitigations that have been in place since schools opened in August.

“From Monday, there will be increased use of face coverings and new advice to help protect those in the shielding category.

“It is vital that all the measures are followed rigorously in schools. Doing that – together with the collective efforts of all of us across wider society – will help to ensure that schools can safely remain open.

“None of the levels in the framework require any automatic move to school closures or blended learning. However, no one can predict what the coming weeks and months will bring. Remote learning remains an important contingency for schools at all levels of the strategic framework and there has been considerable progress made in the provision of remote learning, should that be required.”

The updated guidance includes:

At Level 3

parents or guardians should discuss with their GP or clinician whether children with the highest clinical risk should attend school
employers should ensure that individual risk assessments for school staff members with the highest clinical risk are in place and updated appropriately, and staff should speak to their employer to ensure all appropriate protections are in place. If protections cannot be put in place, they can discuss with their GP or clinician to see if a fit note may be appropriate

At Level 4

the current advice is that children on the shielding list should not attend school in person. However, we will look further at how we can use individualised risk assessments to maximise attendance for such children during Level 4 restrictions

the majority of workplaces can be made safe for staff. To ensure this remains the case, employers should ensure that individualised risk assessments for school staff members with the highest clinical risk are in place and updated appropriately, and staff should speak to their employer to ensure all appropriate protections are in place. To provide reassurance on this, the Chief Medical Officer will issue a letter similar to a fit note which can be used in the few cases where, following updating of risk assessments and discussions with employers, it is not possible to make a workplace safe for staff
greater levels of testing in response to COVID-19 outbreaks in schools may be recommended by the Incident Management Team
PE in school settings should only take place out of doors
Non-essential activities or clubs outside the usual school timetable should be paused. This does not include regulated childcare operating from school premises

Other changes in the guidance reflect updated advice from the COVID-19 Advisory Sub Group on Education and Children’s Issues. Members concluded that indoor PE may now be brought into line with advice outwith school settings, with appropriate safety measures in place. This does not apply to indoor PE in schools in Level 4 areas.

The EIS has issued its initial response to the new COVID-19 Guidance for Schools, published by the Scottish Government.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The strengthening of the School Guidance in a number of areas is a reflection of the greater risk posed by higher levels of community infection.

“Whilst the EIS supports the stronger advice in areas such as the use of face coverings and the critical need for adequate ventilation, we remain dissatisfied with the lack of specification on social distancing between pupils, which is exhorted but remains impossible to achieve in full classrooms.”

Mr Flanagan added, “The proposed mitigations at Level 4, essentially face coverings for senior pupils, are inadequate. The EIS is clear that Level 4 should trigger an automatic consideration of moves towards blended or remote learning.

“Schools cannot stay open at any cost; the safety of pupils and staff has to be the priority, especially those with increased vulnerabilities. In the event of any Council area moving into Level 4, the EIS is likely to consult affected members directly on their views.”

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools

Coronavirus (COVID-19): children and transmission

Top 10 Most Rat-Infested Cities in the UK Revealed

Lockdown has created an ideal habit for the rat – with careless waste habits, vacant shops, and quiet streets – leading to a breeding frenzy in some of our favourite UK Cities.

“They say you are only ever 6ft away from a rat – and in some cities this is quite possibly true!”, says Jenny Rathbone from UK Pest Control company Pest.co.uk

The survey of 3,400 callouts in October across the UK by Pest.co.uk reveals the cities where you are most likely to spot a rat.

Birmingham tops the list of “Rattiest” places in the UK with more rat infestations than anywhere else, and this is common – where you see one rat, you usually see more.

“Rats can breed like mad, so we get localised infestations, where a breeding pair can create six litters of 6-12 pups a year, creating more breeding pairs and so on – hence why you need to get these problems under control fast”, explains Rathbone.

The cities with the most rat infestation callouts in October were:

Birmingham – 353
Newcastle – 305
Leeds – 266
Liverpool – 251
City of London – 190
Manchester – 187
Sheffield – 155
Cardiff – 139
Bristol – 131
Edinburgh – 120

“Rats are loving life at the moment, they are being left to breed in vacant shops with abandoned bins – the technicians out on the road have seen nothing like this before”, explains Jenny Rathbone from UK Pest Control company Pest.co.uk

Rats do not need much to get by – mainly food and shelter. The damage they can cause to buildings when left unchecked can be severe and in the worst cases can lead to fire and flood.

The worry is that with a cold winter and more lockdowns that we will be creating a “perfect storm” of rodent infestations across the UK

Jenny concluded: “It’s really important not to leave food scraps around, even compost bins have been known to attract rats in large numbers, a tidy and clean environment helps reduce these problems massively – however if you love rats, head to Birmingham!”

Canonmills Garden development shortlisted for prestigious awards

Canonmills Garden, Artisan Real Estate’s stylish new homes development in Edinburgh, is in the running for two prestigious accolades in this year’s Scottish Home Awards which takes place this week.

The boutique development, overlooking the Water of Leith to the north of the city centre, is a finalist in the hotly contested Apartment Development of the Year and the blue-riband Large Housing Development of the Year categories.

The Scottish Homes Awards were originally planned for March this year but have been rearranged as a virtual event due to the ongoing restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. And, despite similar restrictions also facing the homes-selling sector in recent times, Canonmills Garden has more than risen to the challenge with over two-thirds of homes now sold.

Charlotte Swanson, Artisan’s Regional Development Manager, believes the ‘virtual’ setting for the Scottish Homes Awards is a fitting platform for Canonmills Garden, which has seen the majority of its homes sold in a virtual environment.

“Artisan is an independent, niche developer which, from the start, gave us the freedom to react quickly to the challenges of lockdown,” she says.

“We created a strong sales proposition which reflects the challenges of our times by making our website-based visitor experience even more user friendly, introducing chat-boxes directly linked to our sales team as well as cutting-edge interactive graphics including virtual presentations and 3D apartment walk-throughs.

“We had a huge advantage in that, even before lockdown, we were pushing a 60 per-cent success rate despite all sales being off-plan and all marketing activity up to that point being conducted off site.”

Artisan’s boutique development, a spectacular mix of 180 one, two and three-bedroom apartments and colony-style properties, was first launched in 2018 and has firmly established itself as the new blueprint for post-lockdown living.

Generous and airy internal dimensions combine with large balconies and terraces overlooking private gardens and the Water of Leith – all underpinned with the latest in smart design and energy efficient technology.

Artisan was subsequently one of the first developers to open a show home and marketing suite once the initial lockdown restrictions were relaxed, reintroducing the human touch to the homes-sales process. And the results, so far, have been spectacular with sales at Canonmills Garden continuing apace with two first-phase blocks now sold out – including 70% already sold off-plan. The first residents will be moving in during the first quarter of 2020

With consumer confidence continuing to return to the market, prices and value are increasing with the average value of apartments growing by seven per-cent since the development’s marketing launch in 2018. The Canonmills Garden show home, designed by well-known Scottish Interior Designer Carol Yates, is now available to visit.

To book an exclusive VIP tour click here: https://canonmillsgarden.simplybook.it/v2/

A range of apartments is now available at Canonmills Garden with prices starting at £333,000. For more information, visit: www.canonmillsgarden.com.

Police appeal following attack on woman in Stockbridge

Police are appealing for information after an assault with intent to rob in the Stockbridge area.

The incident happened around 6.30pm last night (Thursday, 29 October) on India Place. A 25-year-old woman was walking along the road when she was approached by two males, one of whom grabbed hold of the women while the other tried to steal her handbag. One of the males struck the victim in the face twice and caused her to fall to the ground. The victim didn’t require hospital treatment.

The first suspect is described as a white male, approximately between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 8ins tall and of slim build. He was wearing a dark coloured zipped jacket with the hood up, dark coloured trousers with a single white stripe on each leg and a plastic green monster Halloween mask.

The second suspect is described as a white male, approximately between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 8ins tall and of slim build. He was wearing dark cotton material clothing with the hood up and a red Halloween mask.

Detective Constable Zaira Marker, of Corstorphine CID, said: “We would urge anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident and may have witnessed the assault or anyone who saw the males fitting the description before or after the incident to contact police.

“We would also ask anyone with dash-cam footage who was in the area around the time of the incident to get in touch.”

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 2760 of 29 October

Huge differences between effectiveness of best and worst face masks revealed by Which? tests

Which? is urging manufacturers and retailers to up their game on face coverings after the consumer champion’s lab tests revealed alarming differences in the effectiveness of widely-available reusable masks.

Which? found that the best performing face coverings were able to block more than 99 per cent of potentially harmful bacterial particles from penetrating the mask material – similar to the standard of surgical masks.

But the worst only managed to filter out a paltry 7 per cent – allowing up to 93 per cent to escape.

With face coverings now an essential purchase and considered important for minimising the spread of coronavirus, Which?’s latest research looked at a range of popular brands and styles of face coverings and masks, including those sold by pharmacy chains, supermarkets, high street stores and online retailers.

Scientists tested for how well they filter bacteria, how breathable they are, and how they fare after multiple washes.

Three out of the 15 face coverings Which? tested performed so poorly that they were deemed a ‘Don’t Buy’. At the bottom of the table and earning the lowest scores overall were a face covering from Termini8 sold at Lloyds Pharmacy (£2), one from Asda (£3) and one from Etiquette (£3), which is sold at Superdrug.

All were lightweight and breathable as they were made with only one layer, but this affected their ability to filter potentially harmful particles, earning each mask only one star out of five in this category.

Which? awarded two of the products tested Best Buy status. The NEQI reusable face mask (£15 for 3), which is available from retailers including Boots and Ocado as well as Bags of Ethics Great British Designer face coverings (£15 for 3), available at Asos and John Lewis, were both considered comfortably breathable, earning the full five stars in this category without compromising on filtration (four stars out of five).

The lab tests revealed that masks with multiple layers are much more effective than single layer masks at filtering particles. However, Which? found that there was a clear trade off between breathability and how effective the mask was at filtering potentially harmful particles. In fact, the fabric masks that scored five out of five for filtration were also those that scored the lowest for breathability.

These included the Firebox reusable mask (£15), which is made with double-layered polyester and uses a double filter, Maskie Loop UV Sanitized reusable Face Mask (£6), which is made of three layers, and the Smart Mask (£14), which is also made of three layers and markets itself as the number one rated face mask in the UK, which all got one star for breathability. The AB Mask (£10), which is available at Boots, also received full marks for filtration but got two stars for breathability.

If a face covering isn’t breathable, it can get damp more quickly with condensation from trapped breath and might encourage people to adjust or remove their mask, especially if they wear glasses.

The Asos (£12) and AB Mask were the only two that avoided glasses steaming up and were rated highest for glasses-wearers’ comfort, with both scoring five stars in this category.

The Which? tests also revealed that almost all of the face coverings got better at filtering particles after being washed. Face coverings were re-tested after five hot wash cycles, and most improved, due to the fibres compressing.

While reusable fabric face coverings are not designed to block ultra-fine particles such as Covid-19 like a higher-grade medical respirator mask would, they are intended to help block larger droplets and aerosols breathed out by the wearer, who may be infected but asymptomatic.

The prevailing scientific thinking is that this should help protect the wider community by minimising exhalation of virus particles in enclosed public spaces.

Which? is urging manufacturers to use these findings as a basis for improving their products, while retailers should seek to ensure they are selling products that will effectively filter out potentially harmful particles. In the meantime, the consumer champion is encouraging consumers to research the best available options for themselves and their loved ones before making a purchase.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “With face coverings now such an important part of daily life, they not only need to be durable and comfortable, but also provide effective filtration from harmful particles in order to keep us and others safe.

“Our results prove that there is a huge difference in quality between reusable masks sold in stores around the country and online. We would urge manufacturers to use our findings to up their game and improve their products – until then it is worth taking time to research the best option for yourself and your loved ones.”

New report from the Carnegie UK Trust on Good Work and COVID-19

I hope this email finds you safe and well in these difficult times.

I am pleased to share new research from the Carnegie UK Trust, looking at how we can achieve ‘good work’ for all in the UK coronavirus economy.

The coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted jobs and livelihoods, but it has also seen labour market interventions that were previously unimaginable and given rise to calls to build back a better labour market. For our research we interviewed labour market experts including academics, business and trade union representatives and leading think tanks, and undertook analysis of the impacts of the crisis on different groups of workers.

Our report Good Work for Wellbeing in the Coronavirus Economy draws together these insights and presents a package of over 30 proposals for how good work can be achieved and sustained, to ensure work improves wellbeing for many more people.

You can read the full report here

You can read the report’s key messages and recommendations here

We would be delighted to hear your views on the ideas put forward in the report. You can get in touch with us on Twitter @CarnegieUKTrust, using the hashtag #GoodWork #COVID19 or you can let us know your thoughts by emailing Gail Irvine, Senior Policy and Development Officer, on gail.irvine@carnegieuk.org.

Best wishes

Sarah

Sarah Davidson

Chief Executive

Carnegie UK Trust

Twitter: @CarnegieUKTrust