What the numbers actually say, once the headlines are set aside.
The rules are not new. What is new is how many people they now apply to.
Where the confusion starts
The figures move about, but the direction has been the same for three years. There is a deadline involved, and missing it costs more than the difference.
What to check first
There is a deadline involved, and missing it costs more than the difference. The exceptions matter more than the rule, and there are three of them.
What actually changed
Most of the confusion comes from two terms that sound alike and mean different things. Nobody is required to explain this to you, which is half the problem.
The short answer: check the date, then check the figure, then decide.