FCA warns insurers to cough up on coronavirus payouts April 15, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today urged insurers to pay out for business interruption claims that covered a coronavirus shutdown. In a letter to insurance bosses, the FCA’s interim chief executive Chris Woolard warned the watchdog would be carefully scrutinising the industry’s treatment of customers. The FCA said most business interruption policies did not cover [...]
Trump blames coronavirus spread on World Health Organisation and pulls funding April 15, 2020 US President Donald Trump last night attacked the World Health Organisation for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak and halted its funding. Trump has become increasingly hostile the the WHO amid criticism of his administration’s coroanvirus response. The US President said the WHO has spread China’s “disinformation” about coronavirus which lead to a wider outbreak [...]
Businesses still struggling to access coronavirus loan scheme, says BCC April 15, 2020 Only two per cent of businesses have successfully managed to access the government’s coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS), according to a survey published today. Nine per cent of respondents to the survey by the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) said they were unsuccessful with slow or no response from lenders the main reason cited. [...]
Barclays halts job cuts while coronavirus crisis ongoing April 14, 2020 Barclays has halted new job cuts while the coronavirus is ongoing the bank said in a memo. Barclays said it is also supporting staff in the process of being made redundant, the memo seen by Reuters said. The lender said it would support staff by paying up to 80 per cent of an employee’s wages [...]
JP Morgan’s profit dives on coronavirus credit provisions April 14, 2020 JP Morgan said today that its profit for the first quarter was 68 per cent down on a year previously after it set aside $6.8bn (£5.4bn) in coronavirus-related credit provisions. The bank reported net earnings of $2.9bn, down from $9.2bn for the same period last year. JP Morgan said reported revenue for the quarter was [...]
UK benefit claims surge to 1.4m as coronavirus economic crisis bites April 14, 2020 The UK has received about 1.4m new benefit claims for welfare payments as the coronavirus lockdown freezes large sections of the economy. “It’s now up to about 1.4m,” Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey told the BBC, adding that the figure included Universal Credit and job seekers’ allowance or employment support allowance. “We are capable [...]
Deaths in England and Wales hit 16,387 in a week with coronavirus involved in 21 per cent April 14, 2020 Registered deaths in England and Wales hit 16,387 in the week ending 3 April with coronavirus mentioned in 21 per cent of cases, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today. The ONS said this was the highest total since it started compiling weekly statistics in 2005. “The 16,387 deaths that were registered in England [...]
EDF withdraws financial guidance for 2020 and 2021 as coronavirus hits power demand April 14, 2020 French energy company EDF said today it was withdrawing its financial targets for 2020 and 2021 as a result of the coronavirus crisis. EDF said it was pulling all financial targets, including the lower end of the earnings Ebitda range of €17.5bn (£15.2bn) in 2020. “The economic turmoil that follows from the current sanitary crisis [...]
Heathrow Airport forecasts 90 per cent passenger number plunge in April April 14, 2020 Heathrow Airport, traditionally the busiest in Europe, forecast that passenger demand would plunge by over 90 per cent in April, as coronavirus restrictions stop most people from travelling. Heathrow said today that its passenger numbers were down 52 per cent in March compared with the same period last year, with many of those journeys being [...]
National Express pulls dividend and secures £800m in new cash facilities April 14, 2020 Transport group National Express said today it was scrapping its dividend and keeping future dividends under review as it said it had secured £800m in new cash facilities. National Express said that two of its workers had died of coronavirus globally and that other members of staff were suffering from the virus. The company said [...]