Business
Government-backed NS&I facing £3bn bill for four-year overdue digital revamp
The Government-backed NS&I is facing a bill of £3 billion and a four-year delay for its major digital revamp, having “underestimated” the scale of the challenge, the pubic spending watchdog has said.
The savings giant does not have a realistic plan in place and lacks the capability to deliver on its programme, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
NS&I, which has more than 24 million customers and is backed by the Treasury, kickstarted a digital transformation programme in 2020.
It was hoping to reduce its running costs and modernise its IT systems as part of the plans.
The programme aims to replace its outsourcing arrangement with external supplier Atos, which it has had since 1999.
The arrangement covers most of its operations, including engagement with customers and processing payments.
NS&I said it expects the programme to end when the Atos contract expires in March 2028 – four years later than its original schedule of 2024, the NAO found in its report.
It is also set to go over budget with total costs expected to be £3 billion – up from the £1.7 billion estimated budget in 2020.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “NS&I faced complex, long-term technology challenges and saw the ending of the contract with its external supplier as an opportunity to resolve these and transform its business.
“But it underestimated the scale of this challenge and overestimated its ability to deliver its digital transformation programme, which led to significant cost and time increases.”
The NAO said NS&I reset its programme in 2024 and has “made progress by identifying the key issues to address”.
“It must now develop a realistic integrated plan to deliver its new operating model and achieve intended benefits for the business, customers and the taxpayer,” Mr Davies concluded.
NS&I is backed by the Treasury, so money held with it has 100% security.
It raises funds for government by borrowing from individual savers, who invest in products such as premium bonds and ISAs.
A spokesman for NS&I said: “We welcome the NAO’s report and accept its recommendations.
“We are on track to raise £12 billion this year to help support public services across the UK, while maintaining our operational performance and customer satisfaction for 24 million customers.
“Our business transformation programme is key to continuing to deliver cost-effective finance for government, and the services customers want.”
Fan spending for Harry Styles’s 12-night run at Wembley Stadium is set to reach £1.1 billion despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures, figures suggest.
Ticket-holders are expected to spend a total of £981 on average attending the Together, Together tour – which is limited to London in the UK – including travelling to the venue, staying overnight, buying merchandise and other costs, according to a survey for Barclays bank.
The figure exceeds the average £848 spent by fans who flocked to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and the average £766 on attending the Oasis Live ’25 shows, although these were both held across four UK locations, leading to lower travel costs.
Styles’ fans anticipate they will spend an average £102 on official tour merchandise, while nine in 10 will participate in a “fan trend” on the day with 63% planning to wear a Harry Styles-themed look.
A fifth (20%) will make sure their outfits are co-ordinated with their friends and 22% hope to create or exchange fan-made items with other fans.
Barclays said the event was set to be a “major cultural moment” as a million ticket-holders travel to London for the 12 dates beginning on June 12.
With just one other European tour location, in Amsterdam, Styles’ Wembley residency will be the most performances by any artist in a single year at the venue, which has a capacity of around 90,000 people for music events.
The survey found those going to the show spent an average of £143.20 on their ticket, with 19% saying this was more than they planned but 66% saying they would have been willing to pay more if needed.
Other expected costs include an average £141.20 on accommodation, £103.10 on transport and £103.10 on food and drinks before the show.
Some 28% of fans say they are planning other activities such as sightseeing and exhibitions while in London.
More than a quarter (27%) of ticket-holders view the concert as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and 17% said FOMO (fear of missing out) played a part in their purchase.
Almost 74% of those polled said getting tickets to sold-out or in-demand events now felt like a status symbol.
Tom Corbett, managing director of sponsorship and client experience at Barclays, said: “This tour shows just how powerful live entertainment can be, benefiting consumers and businesses alike.
“‘Concert tourism’ is on the rise because of the extent to which people value unique, shared experiences – so much so that they’re willing to invest in them even when cutting back elsewhere, and to travel to see their favourite artists perform.”
Opinium surveyed 2,000 respondents, and an additional 200 ticket-holders, between April 28 and May 1.
A sign sits outside of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Roybal campus in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 18, 2026.
Megan Varner | Reuters
One American has tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo in connection to the deadly outbreak in central Africa that global health agencies are racing to contain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday.
The person was exposed as part of their work in Congo, developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late Sunday, Dr. Satish Pillai, the CDC’s Ebola response incident manager, told reporters on a call. The CDC and State Department are working to move that individual and six other Americans exposed to Ebola to Germany for treatment, care and monitoring.
But Pillai emphasized that no cases tied to the outbreak have been confirmed in the U.S., and that the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low.
Still, the CDC also announced on Monday that for the next 30 days, it will restrict entry into the country for people without a U.S. passport who were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda in the last three weeks.
The update came one day after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola epidemic a “public health emergency of international concern.” The outbreak does not meet the criteria of a “pandemic emergency,” but the WHO warned that the high positivity rate and increasing cases and deaths point toward a “potentially much larger outbreak” than what is being detected and reported.
As of Sunday, more than 300 suspected cases and 88 suspected deaths have been reported, primarily in Congo but also in neighboring Uganda, according to the CDC.
The specific virus involved in this outbreak, called Bundibugyo, has no vaccine or treatment. Historically, that virus has death rates ranging from 25% to 50%, the CDC added.
But agency officials told reporters on Monday that work is underway to develop a monoclonal antibody therapy as a potential treatment for this specific strain of Ebola.
Musk’s loss against OpenAI is the latest in a string of courtroom defeats.
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