DWP announces extra £41m for Scottish councils to help more people during cost of living crisis

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation reached 10.1% in September. This matches the 40-year high inflation hit in July and remains well above the UK Government’s target of 2%.

Cost of living payments will provide a much-needed boost to millions of households across the UK between November and the end of the year. Payments of £324 are set to land in bank accounts next month for people on means-tested benefits including Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Tax Credits.

Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe have announced that they will bring their co-headline tour to the UK and Ireland next summer.“After finally getting back on the road and having a monumental summer tour in the US and Canada this year, we’re beyond THRILLED to be bringing this massive stadium tour to major cities all over the world, and kicking off Europe in Sheffield where it all started for us 45 years ago”, says Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott. “We’re looking to forward to seeing you out there, somewhere soon!”Mötley Crüe add: “We had an incredible time playing The Stadium Tour in North America this summer and we truly can’t wait to take the show around the globe with The World Tour in 2023.

A Scottish coffee roaster is worried for the future of his business, as the crippling cost of living crisis is set to jack up prices of the well loved drink.

Porridge Radio have announced that a set number of discounted tickets will be set aside for each of their shows, designed to help fans struggling to afford them in the current economic climate.The initiative comes after it was reported that the annual cost of energy bills in the UK is forecast to hit £4,347, following Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss’ recent U-turn on government support.Posting on the band’s Instagram account, they wrote: “In response to the current cost of living crisis, we’ve decided to set aside 30 tickets per show for our headline UK shows to be discounted for people who have not been able to buy tickets due to financial worries. We hope this makes the shows more accessible to those who want to come.“These tickets will be sold purely on an honour system – we will trust that those who do not need the discount will not use up the limited supply.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Grammy and Oscar winning singer-songwriter Sam Smith has announced their fourth studio album, “Gloria,” will be released on January 27, 2023 via Capitol Records. Made with longtime collaborators Jimmy Napes, Stargate and Max Martin stablemate Ilya, the album is described in the announcement as “not only a creative revelation but something of a personal revolution for the celebrated artist. Lyrically, the subjects dive deep and wide, into contemporary narratives around sex, lies, passion, self-expression and imperfection.” Smith says, “It feels like emotional, sexual and spiritual liberation. It was beautiful, with this album, to sing freely again. Oddly, it feels like my first-ever record. And it feels like a coming of age.”

Geena Davis is opening up about a “bad” experience she had with Quick Change co-star Bill Murray on the set of the 1990 film. The star recalled in her new memoir Dying of Politeness an uncomfortable meeting with Murray, who co-directed the crime comedy with Howard Franklin.

Zack Sharf Geena Davis writes in her new memoir, “Dying of Politeness,” about a “bad” experience she had with Bill Murray when the two were making their 1990 crime comedy “Quick Change,” which Murray co-directed with Howard Franklin. Davis details an uncomfortable first meeting with Murray in a hotel suite, followed by a time on set when Murray repeatedly screamed at her in front of the crew. As summarized by The Times UK (via NME): “She’s introduced to [Murray], she writes, in a hotel suite, where Murray greets her with something called The Thumper, a massage device he insists on using on her, despite her emphatically refusing; later, while they’re filming on location, Murray tracks Davis down in her trailer and begins screaming at her for being late (she’s waiting for her wardrobe), continues to scream at her as she hurries onto the set and even as she gets there, in front of hundreds of cast, crew, curious passers-by.”

Disabled people in Dumfries and Galloway could die because they cannot afford the electricity to power their vital medical equipment, a councillor warned this week. Councillor Willie Scobie raised his serious concerns at a social work meeting on Tuesday, and the region’s social work chief admitted she was “acutely aware” of the severe impact the cost-of-living crisis is having on people with disabilities.

Arctic Monkeys have added two tour dates to their 2023 US tour. View details for the additional Red Rocks and Los Angeles gigs below.The Sheffield band announced their run of North American dates earlier this week, sharing that they’d be kicking off the tour at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 25 and wrapping it up at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on September 29.Now, the band has shared an additional date in California on Saturday, September 30. The band also announced a second show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on September 19.

Asda has stepped up its support for older customers as they continue to be disproportionately affected by spiralling living costs. Shoppers over the age of 60 will soon be able to benefit from a cheap ‘winter warmer’ meal deal at Asda cafes as the temperatures begin to dip.

Suede have added new dates to their 2023 UK headline tour – find all the details below.The band are due to hit the road next March in support of their ninth studio album ‘Autofiction’, which came out on September 16.Today (October 4), Suede have announced extra performances in Bristol, Manchester and Leeds for 2023.The additional dates are as follows: O2 Academy Bristol (March 28), Manchester’s Albert Hall (29) and O2 Academy Leeds (30).Tickets go on general sale at 9am BST this Friday (October 7) – you’ll be able to purchase yours from here.

The Scottish Government has launched a new website providing information on the wide range of advice, information and financial support available to people across the country. Similar to the UK Government’s dedicated pages on GOV.UK, the site has been developed as a ‘one stop shop’ designed to help households struggling with the rising costs of daily living and soaring energy bills to find out if they are eligible for additional support.

Stacey Solomon has admitted that she may struggle to pay her energy bills this winter amid the cost of living crisis.