It was a big week for carers as the Government announced an independent review into Carer's Allowance overpayments after families were told to pay back thousands of pounds, often pushing them into debt. The review will look at what happened, but in the meantime the Department for Work and Pensions has told Money Box it will continue to collect almost quarter of a billion pounds it says it's owed from more than a hundred thousand carers. We hear from Karina who cares for her 22-year-old...

Each year it’s estimated that £23 billion worth of help and support – from housing benefits to pension credit – goes unclaimed according to Policy in Practice. We look at the kind of help that is available, and hear from listeners on their experiences trying to claim the benefits they’re entitled to, as well as who might be able to get money off their childcare or broadband bills. Presenter Felicity Hannah is joined by a panel of experts who answer your questions on how to make the best of...

The Government is writing to 120,000 people aged 66 or more encouraging them to claim the means-tested benefit pension credit, which will also entitle them to the winter fuel payment. The letters will go out from next month to people the Department for Work and Pensions has identified as likely to be entitled following a targeted trial scheme last year. Also on the programme, a leading debt charity calls for the way council tax debt is collected to be reformed, and why do millions of renters...

Buying a home is legendarily one of the most stressful events in life so today on Money Box Live we're going to try to take some of the pressure off by talking you through how it should work. Obviously there's much more to it than finding your dream house and a lot that can happen between viewing a property and getting the keys. We talk to first-time buyers on the property hunt in Stockport in Greater Manchester, and our panel of experts, Simon Gammon, Head of Finance at Knight Frank and Beth...

In a special programme broadcast live from the Atrium in Quay House at MediaCityUK, Paul Lewis discusses a momentous change in the way banks treat customers who have money stolen from their bank accounts by what is called Authorised Push Payment Fraud. In 2023 a record number of people lost hundreds of millions of pounds to thieves who tricked them, manipulated them and then drained their bank accounts. On October 7th new rules will come into force which mean nearly all transfers will be...

This month the new government will reveal its plans for the nation's finances in the Budget. We've been told 'difficult decisions' lie ahead as the Chancellor Rachel Reeves seeks to plug what she says is a £22bn black hole left by the previous government. There's been plenty of speculation around Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax and pensions tax relief - but what are they and who pays them? Our email inbox has been full of questions from listeners - so on this weeks Money Box Live we will...

A new report given exclusively to Money Box is calling for more help for working families on Universal Credit. The University of Bath’s Institute for Policy Research wants the government to raise earning thresholds for extra help like free school meals, NHS prescriptions, council tax support and NHS dental help. The government says it's committed to supporting low-income families by extending the Household Support Fund by £421 million. It also told us its commitment to reviewing Universal...

Across the UK freshers are heading off to university, many leaving home for the first time and most of them are paying for at least some of that with their student loans. Graduates in England leave university with average debts of around £48,500 according to the Student Loans Company. Tuition fees vary depending on where you live in the UK. Last year students in England were told they'd be paying back their loans longer than the graduates who came before them. So, this week we're looking...

People are missing out on nearly two billion pounds' worth of discounts on water bills and broadband, according to Citizen's Advice. Social tariffs give lower prices to people on low incomes, but the charity says there's a "postcode lottery" when it comes to what people can get. The government says more than 1.3 million households in England and Wales benefitted from £200m worth of help with water bills in 2022/23 and that it's working with broadband providers to raise awareness of social...

There are nearly 70,000 children in the UK who are in foster care. Foster carers main concern has to be the children they look after, including many who have experienced neglect and trauma. But they are self-employed, so there are also financial considerations, from allowances and fees, to tax returns and receipts. In this programme we'll hear from charities, foster carers and care leavers. We'll also discuss new analysis from the Fostering Network, which found foster carers face a post...

Hundreds of thousands of disabled pensioners will be unfairly impacted by the cut in Winter Fuel Payment, according to two leading charities who've spoken exclusively to Money Box. Disability Rights UK and Age UK have both told us that disabled pensioners often have higher energy bills because of medical needs and sharp cuts to the number of people receiving the payment will disproportionally affect them more than others. The government says it's committed to giving pensioners the dignity...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

A new government has taken office so what might that mean for the financial issues you've told us you care about? A big topic you got in touch with us about is the cost of care in old age. Unlike NHS services, social care is not free at the point of use and a place in residential care costs around £60,000 a year according to carehome.co.uk. The bill can go up enormously for anyone who needs extra support. Plus it's a devolved issue with different rules depending on where you live. A cap...

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has swept to power promising change, but there will be no change in the rates of the three big taxes - income tax, National Insurance, and VAT to protect what their Manifesto called 'working people'. So what will the new Labour government and the new Chancellor Rachel Reeves mean for our money? The listener being chased for more than £60,000 worth of energy debt she didn't owe. It comes as new, exclusive figures reveal more people are seeking help from...

Almost 300,000 flights will take off over the summer months and whilst most holidays go without a hitch, others fail to get off the ground. Last year saw widespread disruption at airports, in August there was an exceptional IT failure at the UK’s main air traffic services provider NATS over a bank holiday Monday which affected around three quarters of a million people. Strikes and staff shortages also caused disruption. In this programme we'll discuss what your rights are if your trip is...