Care home leaders are the latest group criticising the Government for failing to get £400 of winter fuel help to the people entitled to it. The Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Fund was supposed to help nearly one million households who don't pay an energy supplier directly. 20,000 households in care homes got this money, but according to new BBC Verify analysis for this programme that suggests 1 in 7 who were eligible, didn't. The government says it spent billions of pounds helping millio...
Aug 26, 2023•25 min
An average of 20 potential tenants request to view each available rental home, more than triple the amount in 2019, according to data commissioned by the BBC. The queue to view is even longer in some regions, reaching 30 in the North West of England, according to the property portal Rightmove. From facing tough competition for a home to receiving a section 21 notice of eviction, we hear what renters are experiencing in the current market and we offer advice on what their rights are. The experts ...
Aug 23, 2023•28 min
Sick people in England are being caught out by the complex rules which exempt some from NHS prescription charges. The Patients Association says the rules surrounding the £9.65 per item levy should be simplified. The call comes after Money Box listeners told us how they struggled to navigate the rules. The NHS Business Services Authority which runs the system told us "Patients can check they are eligible for free NHS prescriptions before claiming by using the free eligibility checker at www.nhsbs...
Aug 19, 2023•24 min
The UK government has announced a package of reforms designed to boost pensions and increase investment in British businesses. A panel of experts explore the impact of this on your pots and what it could mean for your retirement. The experts in this podcast are Nigel Peaple, Director of Policy and Research at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) and Alice Guy, Head of Pensions and Savings at Interactive Investor. Presenter: Adam Shaw Reporter: Luke Smithurst Producer: Amber Mehmo...
Aug 16, 2023•29 min
A “staggering failure” is how one senior MP has described a government scheme designed to help nearly a million households with their energy bills last winter. Former SNP and now independent MP Angus MacNeil, who's Chair of Parliament’s Energy Security and Net Zero committee, has called on the government to reopen the scheme after a Money Box investigation reported that 750,000 eligible households have not received the £400 to help with their fuel costs and can't now apply for it. The Energy Bil...
Aug 12, 2023•25 min
Millions of people are booking their holidays right now, but with hundreds of flights already cancelled and the threat of air traffic control strikes looming, how do you fight for your rights if your travel plans get disrupted? What's the best way to manage your money overseas? And how is the cost of living impacting people's plans if you are lucky enough to be getting away? The experts in this podcast are: Cathy Adams, Senior Content Editor (Travel) at The Times and Sunday Times, Alan Dean, Man...
Aug 09, 2023•29 min
New data shows more than 700,000 households across Great Britain have missed out on £300 million worth of support with their energy bills. The government said in February 900,000 households were eligible to apply for a one-off £400 payment because they did not have an energy supplier that would apply it automatically. The government said it had spent more than £50m 'supporting households without a domestic energy supplier', but this data suggests just over £300 million of the possible £360 milli...
Aug 05, 2023•29 min
Bank bosses are being asked to explain why interest rates on savings aren't keeping up with the rising cost of borrowing. The heads of Lloyds, HSBC, NatWest and Barclays banks will meet the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on Thursday. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has already stepped in to tell banks to put up rates for savers. At the moment the Bank of England base rate is 5 per cent, following last months 13th consecutive rise. UK Finance who speak for banks say "savings rates are driven by a numbe...
Aug 02, 2023•29 min
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has stepped in to tell banks to put up the rates paid to savers after the Bank of England raised the official Bank Rate to 5%. Many mortgage rates went up at once and more have been increased this week, but the rates paid on savings by the banks have not followed them. The gap between the two has almost doubled from December 2021. We hear from Gillian who runs a business in Bromsgrove and ask how banks make decisions on savings rates. More than two million calls to a h...
Jul 29, 2023•25 min
Amidst a cost of living crisis, almost 9 in 10 young adults say that simply having enough money to cover their basic needs is classed as aspirational, according to a survey by the children's charity Barnardo's. We hear about some of the financial pressures burdening young people - from renting, to food costs and car expenses. In this podcast, BBC Newsbeat's Cost of Living Reporter, Sam Gruet, joins Felicity Hannah and Alice Haine, Personal Finance Analyst at Bestinvest. Presenter: Felicity Hanna...
Jul 26, 2023•29 min
Rising interest rates are putting pressure on those homeowners with variable mortgages, or with fixed terms due to end this year. The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has met with the big banks to discuss the forbearance options lenders can offer to customers in difficulty. We discuss the long term financial implications of options such as payment deferrals, extending the length of the mortgage or switching to interest only with Sarah Coles, Head of Personal Finance at Hargreaves Lansdown. The children's ...
Jul 22, 2023•24 min
The average interest rate charged by mortgage lenders is now much higher than many homeowners have been used to. So what can those struggling to make repayments do - and what if any help should lenders provide? The experts in this podcast are Charles Roe, Director of Mortgages at UK Finance, Andrew Wishart, Senior Economist at Capital Economist and Rita Kohli, Managing Director at The Mortgage Stop. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Amber Mehmood Editor: Beatrice Pickup (First broadcast 3pm, ...
Jul 19, 2023•29 min
On June 12th, HMRC closed its self assessment tax helpline - a helpline that last summer people tried to call over a million times. Instead, it's directing people who want advice or who need help with their online self assessments to its digital services. HMRC says this is a pilot for a new seasonal model and that it will reopen in September. It says the plan will free up staff time to deal with urgent queries. The decision has prompted criticism from tax groups who say that the closure is extre...
Jul 16, 2023•25 min
A prolific cyber crime gang has stolen personal data belonging to more than 100,000 employees. It's a mass hack which has impacted organisations globally. In the hands of criminals, your personal data can be used to make cloned credit cards, buy phone plans, falsely claim government benefits and even take out a mortgage, for which you can become liable. In this podcast, we discuss how you can try and prevent this from happening and what you can do if you are a victim. The experts on the panel ar...
Jul 12, 2023•29 min
Changes to how families of disabled children can access UK government-backed trust funds have been announced. Currently, parents and carers of 18-year-olds who lack mental capacity have to apply to the Court of Protection to access the money. The Ministry of Justice says claims will now be dealt with in eight weeks - rather than six months. We'll hear from Mike Freer the Minister for Courts and Legal Services and from a campaigner who says the changes don't go far enough. Hundreds of thousands o...
Jul 08, 2023•25 min
House prices have fallen by 1% compared with a year ago – the first drop since 2012 (Halifax) and as inflation remains high, lenders are increasing the cost of mortgage borrowing. But what do these changes in the housing market mean for anyone who dreams of owning their own home, for people trying to move up the ladder or those thinking about equity release? The experts in this podcast are Tim Bannister, Director of Property Science at Rightmove and Clare Beardmore, Director of Mortgages at Lega...
Jul 05, 2023•28 min
Mortgages are back in the headlines this week, with the news that hundreds of deals are being pulled from the market. Since the start of last week, the total number of mortgage products on the market has fallen by 11.3% according to new figures from Money Facts. We'll discuss this with Sonya Matharu, Senior Mortgage Broker with The Mortgage Mum. There are calls to simplify and reform the tax free childcare system. The charity Coram says many families don't even know they are eligible because the...
Jul 01, 2023•26 min
The Financial Conduct Authority is concerned that young people in particular are turning to bloggers and influencers for investing advice - without fully understanding the risks. Scammers are also using social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok to target people, as the cost of living pushes people to look for high return investments. In this podcast, we discuss what red flags to watch out for and how easy it can be to end up parted from your money. The experts on the pa...
Jun 28, 2023•30 min
The Chief Executive of the Association of British Credit Unions has told Money Box his members are seeing more people applying for borrowing who already have multiple buy now, pay later loans. We'll hear from a young woman who got into debt that way and get a response from the industry. Mortgage costs will go up again this week. That's going to put the squeeze on many households but it's especially bad news for the tens of thousands of people who are trapped paying unaffordable mortgages. We'll ...
Jun 24, 2023•25 min
When your spouse dies your world changes, from admin to organising a funeral, new widows are hit with a slew of tasks amid dealing with grief. As well as those challenges, losing a husband, wife or partner can mean significant changes to your finances. In this podcast we discuss what the death of your partner can mean for your money. What challenges are there and where can you find help and support. The experts on the panel are, Emma Gray, Ambassador at WAY Widowed & Young and Jane Hodges, C...
Jun 21, 2023•32 min
Criminals are targeting victims more effectively and exploiting banking apps on phones to steal thousands of pounds. That's the warning from one of the UK's most senior fraud officers, Detective Superintendent John Roch, who runs the Economic Crime Unit for London's Metropolitan Police. He's been speaking exclusively to Money Box - and you can hear that interview in full. The Financial Conduct Authority has told this programme it has been speaking to Scottish Widows about concerns over the compa...
Jun 17, 2023•25 min
The UK is the fraud capital of the world with hundreds of thousands of victims and billions of pounds stolen every year. Every minute of 2022, thieves stole £2300 from bank and credit card accounts. They took a total of 1.2 billion from nearly 3 million people. In this podcast, we discuss these figures by the banking trade body, UK Finance, and we speak to victims of fraud about the impact it’s had on them and the steps you can take to protect yourself. On the panel are experts Kathryn Westmore,...
Jun 14, 2023•28 min
The banking trade body UK Finance says that every minute of 2022 thieves stole £2,300 from bank and credit card accounts. In total they took £1.2 billion from nearly 3 million people. These figures were released this week in its Annual Fraud Report. We'll discuss the figures and get reaction from Arun Chauhan, a solicitor at Tenet Law, who specialises in fraud and financial crime. There were new warnings about inflation this week. The Bank of England said that headline rate would soon fall, thou...
Jun 10, 2023•26 min
The Bank of England is expected to hike interest rates for the 12th month in a row this week and deposit-free mortgages are back after a 15-year-long absence from the market that stretches back to the financial crisis. We find out how they’ll really work, who can benefit from them and what interest rates mean for you whether you’re a renter, homeowner or prospective new buyer. The experts in this podcast are, Nick Mendes, Mortgage Technical Manager at John Charcol, Charles Roe, Director of Mortg...
Jun 07, 2023•32 min
To mark the Coronation of King Charles III our presenter Adam Shaw gets exclusive access to the Royal Mint to witness how new £2 commemorative coins are produced and to see its extensive archives. In this programme, we discuss how different monarchs have affected our money and what the future might hold for the physical cash that we carry in our pockets. To help explore the Crown and our currency, Adam is joined be a panel of experts, Dominic Chorney, an Ancient Coin Specialist at Baldwin's, Cat...
May 31, 2023•29 min
The prospects for many current employees hoping for a comfortable retirement looks "risky at best". That's the warning from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which has started a major review of pensions together with Financial Fairness Trust, a charity funded by the investment firm Abrdn. We'll speak to the IFS and answer your questions on pensions. The listener who had to remortgage but was turned down because he had a Ukrainian family living in part of his home. Are you going to Europe this su...
May 27, 2023•25 min
Small businesses represent as much as 99% of UK companies, according to government figures. They employ about half of the workforce and often contribute a vital service to local communities. The small business sector has been facing significant challenges - higher inflation, more expensive business loans and uncertain markets. In this podcast, we look at both the challenges and the opportunities for small businesses. The experts on the panel are: Charlotte Thomason, Head of Policy and Government...
May 24, 2023•29 min
This week, the Office for National Statistics employment data showed that one reason behind the increase in the number of people in work is the growth in self-employment. Though the total numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels, more people are now starting a new business. We'll hear from four entrepreneurs about their experiences and have some advice for anyone thinking about doing so. Money Box has learned more than 1,100 people have reported having had a total of £1.3m stolen from them in...
May 20, 2023•25 min
Raising children is expensive. It’s estimated that it costs over £200,000 to raise a child from birth to 18 in the UK. In this podcast we hear from parents about how they're managing these costs from new-born baby necessities to nursery fees. The experts on the panel are, Anna Stevenson, Senior Welfare Benefits Specialist at the Charity Turn2Us, and Tara Spence, the CEO of Homestart Suffolk, a community network of trained volunteers that helps families with young children. Presenter: Felicity Ha...
May 17, 2023•28 min
It's estimated that more than 200 thousand low income parents --in England, Wales and Northern Ireland -- are missing out on government assistance to help them buy food for their children. The Healthy Start Scheme offers money for milk, fruit and vegetables - but uptake is well below the government's target. In response Department of Health says uptake is increasing and it's committed to promoting a healthy diet for children. The high-cost lender Amigo has said it will halt all lending and wind ...
May 13, 2023•25 min
