In a turbulent political year, there have been a number of law changes.
Now that we're entering 2023, more law and regulations changes are set to be made for those living in the country. Some of the new legislation was passed in the final hours of parliament this year, meaning from various points in the year they will become laws of the UK.
Some changes relate to the UK leaving the European Union. As the Government announced it will be able to change previous EU laws and create new regulations.
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While other switches include changes to how people vote and new rates of pay. Here we’ve listed some new laws that may directly or indirectly affect you in 2023:
Brexit Freedoms Bill
The Government has announced that all retained EU laws will be sunset on 31 December 2023, enabling the UK to create regulations for its people. The Bill will enable the UK Government to create regulations tailored to the UK’s own needs, "cutting red tape and supporting businesses to invest, stimulating economic growth across the UK economy."
By giving the Government new secondary powers to amend, replace or repeal any retained EU law, the amount of parliamentary time that is required has been dramatically reduced. They will also make it easier for departments to create agile regulation that keeps pace with technological change.
Business Secretary Jacob Rees Mogg said: "The Brexit Freedoms Bill will remove needless bureaucracy that prevents businesses from investing and innovating in the UK, cementing our position as a world class place to start and grow a business."
Mandatory Voter ID
At the next election, you won't be able to vote without showing photographic ID at polling stations. It is claimed the plans will tackle fraud, but there were only 34 reports of fraud at the polls in the whole of 2019.
The law will not come into effect until next year during the May elections. A limit on being able to vote abroad is being scrapped as well, while the Government also voted to give itself control over the Electoral Commission.
Rates of pay
The National Living Wage will be increased from April 2022. It will rise to £10.42 from 1 April 2023, an increase of 92 pence or 9.7%.
Alongside this, the Low Pay Commission (LPC) recommended significant increases in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates for younger workers. The 21-22 Year Old Rate will increase to £10.18, narrowing the gap with the NLW and leaving this age group on course to receive the full NLW by 2024.
National Minimum Wage rates for 18 to 20 and 16 to 17 year olds and apprentices will increase in line with the NLW increase of 9.7% in recognition of the tight labour market and strong demand for labour in youth-friendly sectors.
New buildings in England to have compulsory built-in EV chargers
2023 will be the first full year that all new properties built will need to have an EV charging point installed as standard. The new legal requirement includes all new homes and non-residential buildings such as supermarkets and offices, as well as substantially renovated buildings with more than 10 parking spots.
The change came into force from mid 2022 but the new year will be the first time the rule will be fully in place. The new legislation will help boost the number of EV chargers available to the public and further accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles, before the ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars in 2030.
Change in care costs
A cap of £86,000 is being introduced on social care in old age, starting from October 2023. This is equivalent to around three years of residential care. The level of the cap will be the same for all age groups. However the law will force people who have assets worth between £75,000 to £150,000 to pay more.
The Gov.UK website reads: "The cap will provide people with more clarity about what they will be expected to contribute towards the cost of their care and what help they can expect from the state. This will not only bring much needed protection and peace of mind, but also certainty that will enable people to better plan, provide and prepare for possible future care needs.
"The aim of the reforms is to create a fairer partnership between the person and the state to protect those with the highest needs from unlimited costs and to offer everyone peace of mind around the risks of needing care and support. "
New Clean Air Zones
Bradford, Bath and Birmingham introduced their own Clean Air Zones from May 30, 2022. However in 2023, more cities will be enforcing clean air zones.
Future clean air zones include Greater Manchester, Sheffield and Tyneside including Newcastle and Gateshead. The changes will be made in early 2023.
The idea of the zones is to improve air quality. If your vehicle exceeds emission standards, you may have to pay a charge if you drive in a clean air zone.
Noisy protests being banned
The Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Bill will allow police to put more restrictions on "noisy" marches that could cause "serious disruption." Someone who "resides on land" while causing noise could also be committing an offence.
The Act widens the range of situations in which police officers can place conditions on protests in England and Wales, allowing officers to set conditions to prevent the noise generated by the protest. This measure has nothing to do with the content of the noise generated by a protest, just the level of the noise.
Laying out the new rules, the Gov.UK website reads: "Protests by their nature often raise difficult and controversial issues faced by our society, and we fully support the right of individuals to express their feelings and concerns about such issues."
Nationality and Borders Bill
The Nationality and Borders Bill is set to come into effect. The Nationality and Borders Bill is being described by the Government as the "cornerstone" of the New Plan for Immigration.
Leaders say it's going to deliver the most "comprehensive reform" in decades to fix the broken asylum system. The bill – and the wider plan – has 3 key objectives: to make the system fairer and more effective so that we can better protect and support those in genuine need of asylum, to deter illegal entry into the UK breaking the business model of criminal trafficking networks and saving live and to remove from the UK those with no right to be here.
Home owners to pay up to £15,000 to fix unsafe property
Owners of unsafe flats will have to pay up to £15,000 to have them fixed under the Building Safety Bill, reports Yorkshire live. While the government has drummed up an action plan for cladding, many flat owners have "non-cladding" defects too.
These are not covered by many government schemes and there is a legal cap of £10,000, or £15,000 in London. The House of Lords had tried to introduce a £250 cap per leaseholder, but this was defeated by 22 votes by the Government.
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