As of yesterday (April 6), a number of new laws came into effect that will affect the lives of individuals and employers, from a legal requirement for dog owners to have their pet microchipped to automatic deportation after five years for overseas workers earning less than £35,000.
Given that we are nation of dog lovers, the microchip story was all over the media, so most people will now be aware that all dog owners in England, Wales and Scotland must microchip their pet by law and keep their details up-to-date on authorised databases, such as Petlog. The owners of dogs found not to have a microchip will be given a short time to comply with the law before facing a fine of up to £500.
However, not as many people appear to know about the new UK visa rules, which mean that workers from outside Europe will only be allowed to stay in the country for more than five years if they can prove they earn more than £35,000 a year.
There are exceptions for nurses, those with PhD-level jobs and others on the official Shortage Occupation List. However, these exemptions could change in the future. The Government has been criticised for implementing this rule and raising the minimum earnings threshold from £20,800 but the Home Office responded by saying that the £35,000 threshold was announced in 2012 and that all affected migrants and employers had been informed.
Meanwhile, other new rules that came in yesterday include the introduction of the Personal Savings Allowance (PSA), which will allow people to earn up to £1,000 in interest on their savings tax-free, unless they are in the top rate of tax band. In addition, the higher rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) has been reduced from 28 per cent to 20 per cent and the basic rate from 18 per cent to 10 per cent.