Most British households, many feeling a cost-of-living squeeze, can expect cheaper energy bills from July after regulator Ofgem slashed its price cap to reflect a slump in wholesale costs, Reuters reported. Britain has the joint-highest rate of inflation among the Group of Seven nations along with Italy, and official data this week showed consumer prices rose 8.7% in annual terms in April, slowing from March, but still at elevated levels.

A council has been warned urgent action is needed to avoid bankruptcy over the spiraling cost of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), BBC News reported. In the last financial year, Bristol City Council spent £94.6m on the sector, £16m more than was initially budgeted. Added to previous overspend, it now has a total deficit of £42.5m with three years to reduce the amount. The council is now working to lower costs despite rising demand in its SEND provision.

Bankrupt rocket company Virgin Orbit is shutting down after selling its facility leases and equipment to a trio of aerospace companies in an auction, the company confirmed on Tuesday, CNBC reported. “As Virgin Orbit embarks on this path, the management and employees would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to all stakeholders,” the company said in a statement. Spun out of Virgin Galactic  in 2017 by founder Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Orbit reached rarefied air by flying multiple missions.

Chemicals giant Venator will see a major reorganization of its finances as part of a bid to save the business, Gazette Live reported. The pigments producer, which employs hundreds of people on Teesside, including at its Wynyard headquarters, says it expects to continue paying wages and running normally despite having filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. News of the move follows a rough period for the firm and mounting losses, including net losses of $188m (£151.7) in 2022. Announcing the measures, Venator said it wanted to place itself on a better footing for growth.

Venator, the Huntsman spinoff that holds the family-owned business’s former titanium dioxide activities, has filed for protection from creditors under U.S. Chapter 11, Chemanager Online reported. The company, which is U.K.-registered but managed from the U.S. state of Texas, said it hopes to exit chapter 11 within approximately two months. CEO Simon Turner said Venator has reached agreement with the “overwhelming majority” of its lenders and noteholders on the terms of a comprehensive recapitalization plan that would equitize nearly all of its funded debt and strengthen its balance sheet.

The Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill proposes to introduce measures designed to help those in financial difficulty and suffering with mental health problems to get some much needed "breathing space,” Loxology.com reported. The week of 15-21 May 2023 is mental health awareness week in the U.K., and the theme this year is “anxiety.” The Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill ("the Bill") was introduced to the Scottish Parliament in April. It's no surprise that there is a correlation between financial pressures and mental health.

Wasps, one of England’s most storied rugby teams and a two-time European champion, must begin rebuilding from the bottom of the country’s league pyramid after having a license to play in the second-tier Championship revoked on Thursday, the Associated Press reported. The club was expelled from the top-flight Premiership after falling into administration — a form of bankruptcy protection — in October amid debts totaling 95 million pounds ($118 million).