Money Box

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Money Box Live: Gambling Debt Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

Figures given exclusively to Money Box Live show that almost two-thirds of people who called the National Gambling Helpline had gambling related debt. So what are the options and what support is available?

This week Felicity Hannah speaks to those affected by gambling, either themselves or through a family member. Joining her to talk about it are Nicholas Hill from the Money and Pensions Service which is sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions and Raminta Diliso Head of Gambling Related Financial Harm at the Charity GamCare which is in part funded by the gambling industry.

If you've been affected by addiction - help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Sarah Rogers Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 3pm on Wednesday 11th September 2024)

Household Support Fund and Gambling with Credit Oct 05, 2024

Show notes

Hundreds of millions of pounds has been made available from the government for local authorities across the UK to spend on those most in need of financial help. Known as the Household Support Fund it's made up of £421 million for councils in England with another £79 million for devolved nations. Dan Whitworth meets Sam, who's 28 and got help from the fund via Stockport Disability.

A new report analysing the finances of people on low incomes who apply for loans has found a third were declined because of 'excessive gambling'. Salad Money is a social enterprise, providing credit to people earning between £25k and £35k per year. It says that out of 170,000 people who applied for loans in the first three months of this year, a third were turned down. We'll hear from the CEO of Salad Money, Tim Rooney.

The consultation which could mean fraud victims who lose more than £85k won’t get their money back when new refund rules come into force in October.

And what tax changes could the government make in its first budget? We’ll discuss Capital Gains Tax and how it might be impacted.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researchers: Catherine Lund and Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 7th September 2024)

Money Box Live: Cheaper Childcare? Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Working parents and carers of children aged 9 months or over are now entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare a week during term time.

50 hours of nursery can cost around £14,000 a year, so it's a welcome relief for many. There had been warnings that parents would struggle to find places but the government says it is confident about meeting demand.

From next September, the offer is set to rise to 30 hours, and include children up to school age too.

Education Minister, Baroness Smith has said it'll be a challenge to meet that level of demand with the Department for Education estimating about 85,000 more childcare places and 40,000 extra staff will be needed by 2025.

On today's programme we will be hearing from parents as well as the CEO of Kids Planet, one of the countries largest providers. Felicity Hannah will also be joined by Jonathan Broadberry, Policy Director at the National Day Nurseries Association and Emma Broome, Chief Executive of children's charity Coram.

We'll also look at the new rules coming in to make childcare cheaper in Northern Ireland.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Sarah Rogers Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast at 3pm on Wednesday the 4th of September, 2024)

Winter Fuel Payment and Using Cash Sep 28, 2024

Show notes

Many pensioners in England and Wales will lose Winter Fuel Payments this year. This annual payment had been universal and worth £200 or £300 pounds a year, depending on your age. From this winter it will be restricted to pensioners receiving Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits. The reason for means testing it this way is to save money - about £1.5bn each year. In a statement the government told us that "given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, it’s right that we target support to those who need it most." So how will you be affected? The Department for Work and Pensions has urged people to check if they could be eligible for Pension Credit - you can check here: https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator.

The Post Office handled a record amount of cash last month with customers either depositing or withdrawing more than £3.7bn. That new figure beat previous record highs set in May and April suggesting not only is there continued demand for cash, but that people are using Post Office branches more and more to get it. Dan Whitworth visits a branch in North Lincolnshire.

And, what does the expansion of funded childcare hours for working parents mean for those who’re set to benefit?

Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Catherine Lund Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 31st August 2024)

Money Box Live: Chasing a Dream Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

Not every dream job has an obvious route to success, so how do you make your passion project pay without falling behind on your bills?

Visa research shows that around 45% of Gen Zs (people born between the late1990s and the early 2010) have a side hustle, but it's not just for the cash. More than a quarter of those are working at a passion project.

So how do you make it if you want a career in comedy or to bag an Olympic gold? Do you have to tell your boss if you're doing extra work on the side? And what should you do about tax?

Today we're talking to an Olympian who worked as a custody officer, a comic book writer who worked in a biology lab and an aspiring DJ who's on a zero-hours bar contract.

Felicity Hannah is joined by Jack Gamble, Director and CEO of the Campaign for the Arts and employment lawyer Rupa Mooker.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Sarah Rogers & Catherine Lund Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 31st July 2024)

Benefit Overpayments and Travel Money Aug 24, 2024

Show notes

Nearly 10,000 people have needed free debt advice because of accidental overpayments by the Department for Work and Pensions in the past 12 months. That's according to figures from Money Wellness, a debt advice company which is funded by the government's Money and Pension Service. It says because most of its clients are low income households these debts can have significant knock-on impacts on the rest of their finances. The DWP says its staff work hard to support customers, and it's important to explore ways to reduce fraud and error so it can support the most vulnerable in society.

What will the new Pensions Bill announced by the Labour government in the King's Speech mean for your finances? We'll discuss plans to bring small pension pots, which people get after short term jobs, together.

Campaigners are calling for bereavement support payments to be extended for longer and for the amount given to families to rise with inflation. At the moment parents under pension age whose partner dies are entitled to bereavement benefits - as much £3,500 followed by 18 monthly payments of up to £350. The charity Widowed and Young would like those payments to be in place for longer. The Department for Work and Pensions told us that it knows losing a loved one is devastating and that it's committed to supporting those most in need through the welfare system.

And what's the best way to pay while you’re on holiday abroad?

Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth, Sarah Rogers and Jo Krasner Researchers: Immie Rhodes Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 27th July 2024)

Money Box Live: Your Power of Attorney Questions Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

Felicity Hannah looks at giving someone Lasting Power of Attorney - that's the authority to manage your financial affairs in the event that you couldn't.

What are they, how do they work and how much do they cost? This programme is dedicated to answering your questions.

On the panel we have Sam Cox, knowledge officer from the Alzheimer's Society and Melinda Giles, partner and head of court protection at Giles Wilson Law.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Neil Morrow Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 24th July 2024)

Tackling Mobile Fraud and Savings Tax Aug 17, 2024

Show notes

New tactics to fight mobile phone fraud are being rolled out across England and Wales. It's when mobile phones are stolen not for the value of the physical handset but for criminals to access the banking and financial apps and steal money from victims. Paul Lewis speaks to the national lead on robbery, Commander Richard Smith, about how new intelligence and techniques to pursue suspects have led to arrests and prosecutions going to court.

More and more of us are paying tax on our savings. Recent figures suggest that in April over 6 million savings accounts were set to earn enough interest to have to pay tax. That is more than double the number of accounts the year before, according to analysis by the lender Shawbrook. In November, HMRC told us that for the majority of customers this tax on savings interest is automatically collected using their tax code, but many listeners get in touch concerned they will have to pay tax and wondering how to do it. What should they do?

Listeners and lawyers who are court appointed deputies say banks won't let them act properly for the person they protect. We’ll speak to the Association of Lifetime Lawyers about what they're seeing. UK Finance, which represents banks, says it knows there's more to be done and that it's working with members and government bodies to look at how greater consistency can be achieved across the industry.

And, what's a children’s pension and how do they work?

Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Catherine Lund Researcher: Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 20th July 2024)

Money Box Live: Renting and the King's Speech Aug 14, 2024

Show notes

Average rents in the UK rose by well over 8% in the past year, according to the ONS. In today’s King’s Speech, the new government has committed to introducing legislation to give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes. That included ending no fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession.

So what will that mean for your money and your home?

Joining us are Jasmine Basran from Crisis - a charity for people experiencing homelessness, Richard Donnell, from the property platform Zoopla and Richard Blanco, a landlord and property expert from the National Residential Landlords Association.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Sarah Rogers Studio Producer: Neil Morrow Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 17th July 2024)

Financial Advice Barriers and Wages Aug 10, 2024

Show notes

More than 9 out of 10 people did not pay for financial advice in the past two years and that number is growing. The figures come from surveys by the financial services consultancy The LangCat. It found the proportion of people paying for financial advice fell from 11% of adults to 9% between this year's report and one they did a year ago. We'll hear from them about the reasons behind it.

What will the new government do to change employment rights and wages? We’ll discuss the potential new employment bill ahead of the King's Speech.

And the new security measures people can take to protect themselves from mobile phone fraud. This is when people's phones are stolen not for the value of the physical handsets but so criminals can try to access the financial apps stored on them to steal hundreds or, often, thousands of pounds from victims.

Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Catherine Lund Researcher: Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 13th July 2024)

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