The new year is set to bring some new laws, rules and other changes. Across the UK, these additions can change people's daily lives even if they are not aware they are being made.
In 2023, there will be increases to Universal Credit as well as other state benefits. Voting regulations are also set to be updated and retained EU law will see significant changes.
Chronicle Live reports there will be measures to help people financially as the cost of living crisis continues. An energy price cap is set to be maintained alongside the pension triple lock.
Read more: Concern 'inevitable' plans for more than 400 homes on fields could 'break' local services
Here are some of the changes to be aware of as we head into the new year:
Voters will need ID
Currently, voters don’t need to bring their ID to a polling station, but from May 2023 you'll need to show a valid photo ID to receive a ballot paper under the new Elections Act 2022. The move is designed to prevent people from having their vote stolen.
Passports, photographic driving licences, biometric immigration documents and some concessionary travel passes will all be included as forms of ID. There will also be a new free voter document for those who don’t have a form of photographic ID.
Wages will go up
From April 2023 the National Living Wage will rise to £10.42 an hour. All employees in the UK aged 23 and above qualify for the NLW so from April 1, 2023, it will be a legal requirement for all employers in the UK to pay their employees aged 23 and above the new rate at least.
New minimum wages for workers aged under 23 also come into law on April 1, 2023. The new rates are: a minimum of £10.18 per hour for 21- to 22-year-olds, a minimum £7.49 per hour for 18- to 20-year-olds, a minimum £5.28 for 16- to 17-year-olds, and a minimum of £5.28 for apprentices.
Maternity pay, paternity pay and statutory sick pay will all be increased
Many payments from the UK Government will increase in the financial year from April 2023 to April 2024 in line with inflation. The 'standard rate' for maternity allowance/statutory maternity pay and paternity pay is set to increase from £156.66 per week to £172.48 per week for the financial year April 2023 to April 2024. Sick pay will also increase from £99.35 per week to £109.40 per week.
Fire safety regulations for landlords
New fire safety regulations will come into force from January which will broadly cover high-rise buildings, including those which are at least seven storeys tall with communal areas. It will also relate to all buildings with two or more domestic premises and communal areas.
Under the new rules a building must have a dedicated ‘responsible person’ (for example, this could be a letting agent) who must deploy fire safety instructions prominently in communal areas and provide a copy of instructions to all residents within the building within 12 months of the start of regulations. The new regulations also cover fire doors.
EU law
From December 31, 2023, the special status of retained EU law in the UK statute book will be abolished. This means that the Government, via parliament, will be able to more easily repeal and replace retained EU law. Included in this is a sunset date by which all remaining retained EU law will either be repealed or assimilated into UK domestic law.
Online Safety Bill
The Online Safety Bill is expected to be passed by parliament and come into force in early 2023, it will see a new regulatory regime set up to address illegal and harmful online content. It will cover a broad range of online service providers, including tech giants such as Twitter and Tik Tok, as well as businesses which provide online services for user content sharing or storage.
New number plates
In March and September new number plates will be introduced. From the spring you will see vehicles with the ‘23’ registration plate on the roads, while later in the year ‘73’ plates will be issued.
Changes to fuel duty rate
In March this year fuel duty rates were reduced by 5p per litre for 12 months, which means this “temporary” measure will be cut soon. Although chancellor Jeremy Hunt failed to address the issue in his Autumn Statement, the Office for Budget Responsibility suggested it could rise by 12p.
Pavement parking ban
Scotland will be introducing a huge change on pavement parking in 2023 with a ban on drivers parking on dropped kerbs and pavements. The changes were first agreed in 2019, but were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
HGV levy payment
From August onwards, all HGVs that weigh more than 12 tonnes will be required to pay a levy to cover damage to road surfaces. The measure was initially imposed in 2014 but was suspended during the pandemic due to driver shortages and cost issues.
Council tax
In 2023 council tax is set to rise by five percent instead of three percent. The OBR watchdog said: "This change is expected to yield £4.8billion a year by 2027-28, equivalent to increasing the average Band D council tax bill in England by around £250 (11 per cent) in that year."
Benefits will increase
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed it will increase benefits in line with the consumer price index (CPI) from April 2023. Announced in Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's autumn statement on November 17, it means benefits will be increased in line with CPI of 10.1% which is taken from the figure from September.
This includes the likes of working tax credit, child benefit, child tax credit, universal credit, attendance allowance and PIP.
Pensions will rise
The pensions triple lock will be retained, Jeremy Hunt confirmed in November’s statement, after it was suspended during the pandemic. This means that pensions will rise in line with inflation at 10.1 per cent from April.
Energy bills support extended
The energy price cap put in place this winter will remain from April 2023 until the following year, although it will increase from £2,500 to £3,000. With prices expected to remain elevated throughout the next year this equates to an average of £500 support for households in 2023-24.
More than eight million households on means-tested benefits will also receive a cost of living payment of £900 in instalments similar to the £650 payment rolled out in July and November with £300 to be given to pensioners and £150 for people on disability benefits. The date for these payments has yet to be confirmed.
More people paying higher taxes
From April the threshold for when you start paying the top 45% tax rate is being lowered from its current £150,000 to £125,140. Mr Hunt also announced the 40% tax threshold will be frozen until 2028 meaning that more people will pay the higher rate of tax in the coming years as wages rise. The 20% threshold will also be frozen.
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