Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 21st Jun)

Rule change: you cannot bring a spouse into the UK unless you earn above £18,600. The price of love?
Unless you have an annual income of at least £18,600 per year the government proposes that you will not be allowed to bring a spouse into the UK (regardless of whether you are foreign born or you are a direct descendent of Boadicea). According to Oxford University's Migration Observatory, These changes mean that, of British citizens in employment:
- 47% will not qualify to bring in a family member.
- 58% of people aged between 20 and 30 will not qualify to bring in a family member 
CHANNEL4 NEWS and OXFORD UNIVERSITY MIGRATION OBSERVATORY


Home ownership £200,000 cheaper than lifetime of renting

Barclays researchers say figure is a conservative estimate and does not factor in high inflation or resale value. Another reminder of how expensive it is to be poor GUARDIAN

Will banks hold on to £140bn of new government cash intended for small businesses?

Federation of Small Businesses warns against banks simply using the money to shore up their own finances DAILY MAIL

Work is not a way out of poverty for millions of working families

3.6m working households have little or no savings, nor equity in their homes, and struggle at the end of each month to feed themselves and their children adequately GUARDIAN and DAILY MAIL

Tax avoidance scheme used by Jimmy Carr, and Take That pop band, investigated by HMRC

Authorities to challenge Jersey-based scheme that allegedly shelters £168m by creating offshore loans for UK earners GUARDIAN

Quantitative Easing "experiment" that channels new money to the banks is costing savers nearly £18bn, without any end in sight to the downturn
"QE is a monetary experiment that has not boosted the economy as intended but instead has boosted inflation and damaged pensions and savings"  DAILY MAIL


Wonga adverts dropped by Football League

Advertising for loan company that charges 4,000% APR will no longer be carried by league websites following fans' campaign GUARDIAN

National Audit Office gives blessing to sweetheart tax deals between HMRC and five mega-corps. 
Deals in which HMRC let companies off £millions in tax and penalties, generating public outrage and earning former HMRC permanent secretary David Hartnett accusations of lying to a parliamentary committee, were given the thumbs up by the National Audit Office. NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE


British arms exporters refuse to co-operate with inquiry into the Export Credits Guarantee Department
ECGD is the government department that guarantees to cover losses if foreigners don't pay the exporters for their weapons. Think Mugabe GUARDIAN

Ministry of Defence accused of sacking soldiers, some within days of their full pensions start
One 40-year-old sergeant serving in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was only three days away from serving 22 years and qualifying for an immediate pension pot worth £108,000. He will now have to wait until he is 65 to receive the pension. DAILY TELEGRAPH


Government ends Beecroft's "no-fault" dismissals plans
Adrian Beecroft's 'hire and fire' law shelved after majority of small businesses fail to get behind it GUARDIAN