The government has started issuing £25 cold weather payments to eligible households - as the UK is hit with a cold snap. Read this and the rest of today's consumer and personal finance news below.

The defendant's lack of co-operation means it is impossible to trace the businesses or venues where the food he supplied was used and not possible to properly assess the risks to public health ...

Wholesale goods prices edged up 0.1% after falling the previous two months. Excluding food and energy prices ... 20% higher ...