Debt advisers in England fear that government plans to change the way their service is funded will see big cuts in the amount of face-to-face advice available. We hear from a woman who says in-person debt advice helped turn her life around, in a way that online of over the phone assistance could never match. And debt adviser Amy Taylor, who is chair of the Greater Manchester Money Advice Group, tells us about the impact the changes could have in face-to-face help for people in her region. The pa...
Oct 16, 2021•26 min
Joice Etutu hears about some of the financial, mentoring and marketing initiatives supporting black entrepreneurs. Can business know-how and raising consumer awareness help to bring about positive change and address economic equality? We’d love to hear from you too, e-mail [email protected] with your ideas and experiences. Presenter: Joice Etutu Producer: Diane Richardson Editor: Emma Rippon
Oct 13, 2021•32 min
Hundreds of thousands of small businesses are not covered by the energy price cap which sets a maximum charge for each unit of electricity and gas. The existing cap only applies to domestic customers. Many small businesses have seen their bills soar over the last few weeks. Edinburgh University is denying some students access to its healthcare service because the GP register is full. But can the students claim for having to go private? And the contactless payment limit on your cards will rise to...
Oct 09, 2021•30 min
As temperatures drop and energy prices rise we're talking about bills, energy providers and switching on Wednesday's Money Box Live. What are your rights if your energy supplier stops trading? What happens about credits you’ve built up or money you owe? Do you have a say about the new tariff you’re moved to and is financial support available if you’re worried about paying your bills? We’d love to hear your energy stories, questions and views so e-mail [email protected] now. Please include a pho...
Oct 06, 2021•38 min
People in England and Wales who started university from September 2012 could see their student loan repayments rise by hundreds of pounds a year. Economic abuse has grown during the pandemic. We talk to one woman who was forced into debt by her husband. And one 82-year- old wants to know where his £1200 savings bond has gone which he took out in 1986. How do you trace old financial products? Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Anita Langary Production Coordinator: Janet Sta...
Oct 02, 2021•27 min
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, known as the furlough scheme is coming to an end and we'd like to hear what this means for your job or your business. Are you able to work as you did before the pandemic, or will you be facing difficult financial and personal decisions? What are the alternatives and potential solutions if staff or employers need or want to work differently? Whether you’re running a small business or you’re an employee, e-mail [email protected] now and please include a phone...
Sep 29, 2021•29 min
As the price of gas and electricity continues to soar. What more can be done to keep our bills in check? New pensioners who have turned 66 this year are facing long delays before their pension is paid as the queue of those waiting doubles. And as theft from customers bank accounts rises 80% in six months, should the Government declare fraud a threat to national security? Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Anita Langary Production co-ordinator: Janet Staples Producer: Alex ...
Sep 25, 2021•25 min
Do you have a question about saving and investing for children? Whether you’re interested in easy access, regular savings accounts or thinking of stocks and shares, our panel will be ready to help on Wednesday’s Money Box Live. Whatever your question, e-mail [email protected] now and please include a phone number if you’d like to take part in the programme. Joining presenter Charmaine Cozier are: • Chartered Financial Planner Claire Walsh • Rachel Springall from financial comparison site Moneyf...
Sep 22, 2021•28 min
Four energy companies go bust in a fortnight. Gas and electricity prices set to rise by 12% for millions of customers. And there are warnings of energy shortages this winter. What can consumers do to protect themselves? There has been a rapid growth in the number of young people who appear to be laundering money through their bank accounts for criminals. And a bank offering special deals for students turns down one eighteen year old because her credit score is only ‘good’. Presenter: Paul Lewis ...
Sep 18, 2021•25 min
Many workers send a share of their wages abroad to support loved ones financially, a responsibility they may or may not be able to shoulder. In this episode Joice Etutu explores the aspirations of those supporting family overseas plus the emotions, pressures and difficult questions that arise. What is the right amount of money to send, how do you choose between competing requests, what personal sacrifices do you make and where do you draw the line or say no? We’d love to hear your personal stori...
Sep 15, 2021•27 min
Thieves are going after the millions of pounds being handed over to people reaching the age of 18 from their Government-sponsored Child Trust Funds. Why are there not more effective, targeted fraud warnings? The unemployment rate among young black people during the pandemic was more than three times higher than the rate for white people of the same age. This week the Government was grilled over what's been described as a 'shocking inequality'. And mortgage interest rates hit record lows with mor...
Sep 11, 2021•25 min
As students across the UK set off for university, we’re taking a look at the big student money dilemmas. E-mail [email protected] with your experiences, ideas and questions now. From student loans to bank accounts, scholarships and finding a job. Felicity Hannah and guests will be ready with help and advice about paying your way through university. Joining Felicity are: Tom Allingham, Save The Student. Pamela Lockhart, Student Money Adviser, Dundee University. Rachel Springall, Moneyfacts Compa...
Sep 08, 2021•31 min
Money Box hears from the successful businessman who had half a million pounds stolen in three months through a Bitcoin fraud. He wants to warn people that "if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone" Plus we speak to cyber security expert Lisa Forte about how to help protect yourself when investing in cryptocurrency. Buy Now, Debt Later - how spreading the cost of buying could lead to being chased by debt collectors. A report by Citizens Advice says 10% of BNPL users end up being chased by ...
Sep 04, 2021•25 min
Covid has been an economic crisis as well as a health emergency. In this four-part series Felicity Hannah meets families, businesses & local councils whose lives and fortunes have been changed completely by the pandemic. This week, in the final programme, she chairs a discussion looking at what Covid will cost the nation’s economy with panellists Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist, Institute for Government, Lord Jim O’Neill, former Conservative Treasury minister & John Gathergood, Professo...
Aug 28, 2021•24 min
Covid has been an economic crisis as well as a health emergency. In a new four-part series Felicity Hannah meets families, businesses & local councils whose lives and fortunes have been changed completely by the pandemic. This week, she meets the leaders of three local councils – Wirral, Lancashire and Newcastle - to find out what Covid has done to their budgets and how that will hit their communities. We hear how some councils saved money because families were too scared to send elderly rel...
Aug 21, 2021•28 min
Covid has been an economic crisis as well as a health emergency. In a new four-part series Felicity Hannah meets households, businesses & local councils whose lives have been changed completely. Who are the winners and the losers of the pandemic? This week she travels to Manchester to meet three very different businesses who have experienced the financial highs and lows of the Covid crisis. From a small booming online enterprise to an iconic music venue which saw sales disappear overnight an...
Aug 14, 2021•28 min
Covid has been an economic crisis as well as a health emergency. In a new four-part series Felicity Hannah meets households, businesses and local councils whose lives have been changed completely. Who are the the winners and the losers of the pandemic? This week she travels to Stoke on Trent to meet two households who have experienced the financial highs and lows of the Covid crisis - Katie, a self employed piano teacher and a single mum of four, and Tyler, in his early twenties, who lives at ho...
Aug 07, 2021•28 min
How does timeshare holiday ownership work and what should you find out before signing up? On Wednesday’s Money Box Live Louise Cooper and guests look at the costs and considerations of timeshare holidays. We’d love to hear from you too. If you’re thinking of becoming a timeshare owner send us your questions and if you’ve already got one please share your wisdom! e-mail [email protected] now. On the panel: Laura Johnston, Adviser, UK International Consumer Centre Paul Gardner Bougaard, Chief Exe...
Aug 06, 2021•29 min
A new plan has been brokered to cut down on aggressive debt collection by bailiffs. Will it work amidst fears of a post-pandemic surge in debt problems? Tesco and M&S are both closing all the personal currents accounts they operate. What does this say about the role of supermarkets as financial institutions, and what should you do if you’re affected? Digital current account provider Pockit says it’s had to freeze around 1,000 accounts due to suspicious activity reports. A number of those cus...
Jul 31, 2021•27 min
How can our workplaces become an inclusive and fair environment for employees with a disability? If you’ve an idea or experience about job hunting, career support or staff retention e-mail [email protected] now, whether you’re an employer or an employee, we’d love to hear from you. On the panel with presenter Charmaine Cozier are: • Liz Johnson, Co-Founder, The Ability People • Martin Sigsworth, Employment Manager. Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) • Angela Matthews, Head of Policy and Research, B...
Jul 28, 2021•29 min
Thousands of people say they’ve been shut out of their bank accounts without warning or explanation. MPs are investigating whether innocent customers have been caught up in a crackdown on money laundering. For the first time in 25 years the one-off payment given to adult prison leavers in England and Wales is to be raised. The Prison Discharge Grant will increase from £46 to £76, but what difference will that make? Last year 155,000 people shared an extra £16m in pay after that HMRC ensured they...
Jul 24, 2021•25 min
What do you need to know about travel rights, money and insurance this summer? Adam Shaw and guests answer your questions about the practicalities and costs of travelling this year. Are you considering a summer holiday? Have you rebooked a cancelled trip? How much is a PCR test, what does the travel traffic light system mean for your insurance and how do you get the best deal on your travel money? e-mail [email protected] now with your questions and stories. If you’ve just returned from a trip ...
Jul 21, 2021•35 min
More than 20,000 bereaved families can now claim financial support once restricted to married couples and civil partners. The payments worth up to £10,000 have been extended to cover all couples who lived together and claimed child benefit. Eight years ago the government said it would introduce funding for university and higher education that is comparable with the principle of Islamic finance. So when will it happen? And what should banks do to protect problem gamblers. GUESTS: Omar Shaikh - Ad...
Jul 17, 2021•25 min
There are almost 3m lone parent families in the UK and for many the pandemic has put increased pressure on already stretched family finances. The charity Gingerbread say that single parents are more likely to have lost jobs or experienced reduced hours and falling incomes. If you’ve a question or a tip about supporting children when you separate, dealing with child maintenance payments and arrears or maximising your income, we’d love to hear from you. Or if you’ve got some advice to share about ...
Jul 14, 2021•32 min
When banks stop you spending your own money. Barclays and Santander have banned payments to one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges while TSB may soon stop payments to all exchanges. Why tens of thousands of people could be eligible for significant refunds after the HMRC lost what could prove to be a landmark case concerning the way it deals with child benefit paid to high earners. What will change when the Financial Conduct Authority takes over regulation of pre-paid funeral plans? Using yo...
Jul 10, 2021•34 min
What help and support is available to people with a business dream? How do you develop the skills you need to run your own business? We hear from some entrepreneurs about the experience of turning their ideas into reality. To share your experiences and any questions e-mail: [email protected] Presenter Louise Cooper is joined by an expert panel: • Lisa Wardlaw, College Delivery Manager, Young Enterprise Scotland • Julian Hall, founder, Ultra Education • Alison Edgar, The Entrepreneur's Godmother...
Jul 07, 2021•28 min
Google is cracking down on financial-scam adverts in the UK, but will it work? Campaigner Mark Taber tells us what needs to be done to stem the millions of pounds lost to bogus investment schemes each year. It was reported this week that the financial regulator has banned one of the biggest crypto currency exchanges from operating in the UK. Jannah Patchay, founder of Markets Evolution, and Jason Deane – a consultant for Luno, explain why those reports were wrong. Park Christmas Savings, one of ...
Jul 03, 2021•30 min
Would you like to generate your electricity through a local, renewable energy project rather than buying it from a big supplier? In this episode, Adam Shaw and guests consider the costs and practicalities of setting up and running community-led energy projects, do such initiatives make financial and environmental sense? Joining Adam are: Jodie Giles, head of community and local energy at Regen Tanuja Pandit, director of Power Up North London Steve Shaw, the director of Power for People If you've...
Jun 30, 2021•36 min
Should the government force banks to guarantee everyone access to cash? Age UK warns that despite the rise of digital payments, millions of people still rely on cash and the charity says it should be seen as an essential service - like electricity, water, or the post. Barclays bank is to repay millions of pounds to customers miss-sold loans to pay for a timeshare scheme in Malta, but hundreds of others say they should be getting their money back too. The UK’s biggest insurance firm and a major h...
Jun 26, 2021•25 min
Arranging your wedding or civil partnership during Covid can be very tricky, especially as rules and restrictions change. But what are your rights if your plans are disrupted? Can you cancel and get a refund if your guest numbers are cut, you're told not to dance, or people - perhaps close family - are not able to attend because of changes to rules? Should you expect to be able to postpone without penalty? Can venues hang on to part of what you've paid up front? Is there any point in getting wed...
Jun 23, 2021•29 min
