Money Box

The number of emergency hardship loans issued to former civil servants who are facing long delays for pension payments is "pitiful" according to a senior MP. Clive Betts, the deputy chair of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, has told Money Box the loan system is "not adequate" after figures published for the first time earlier this week show fewer than 600 have been issued - compared to many thousands of people who are missing money. The Cabinet Office says an urgent recovery plan is underway and its immediate priority is to stabilise the service. Capita have previously apologised for the delays.Nearly one in five adults now use Buy Now, Pay Later - instead of paying the whole cost upfront with a debit or credit card you can spread the cost interest free over three or four monthly payments. At one time it was young people driving the rise. But some new research from the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol (commissioned by the Aberdeen Group Charitable Trust) suggests Buy Now, Pay Later is now spreading to older people. The number using it in their forties and sixties has grown by a third, with the biggest rise in the last two years among people in their fifties with the number using it up by half.And, as a rare Pokémon card sells for 12 million pounds at auction - what's the appeal for collectors - and what should you think about when buying them?Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Jo Krasner and Niamh McDermott Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast Saturday 28th February 2026)

Claims management firms have been warned by regulators to treat their customers fairly over compensation claims for mis-sold car finance. The financial regulator is set to announce its own free-to-use scheme for the millions of people who could be due compensation because the car finance deals they signed up to were mis-sold. Private claims management firms, which have already taken on many claims, can take as much as 40% of any compensation eventually paid out. The warning from the regulator includes telling consumers to guard against large charges to pull out of their claim, so-called exit fees, if they wish to switch to the free scheme.And, if you've been shopping online recently you may have been asked to eschew your usual credit-card payment in favour of a new way to hand over your money: pay by bank. By cutting out the credit or debit card middlemen, you'll be saving the retailer some cost from payment fees. But what's in it for the online shopper - apart from having to put up with weaker consumer protection? Also, the savings and investment divide between those who are, and aren't, using the tax-free benefits of a junior ISA and the new figures which show how online scammers are targeting those who are trying to improve their personal finances.Photo credit: Tim Goode/PA Wire

Lizzie Crowley, a skills adviser at the CIPD, and Barry Fletcher, chief executive of the Youth Futures Foundation, discuss youth job challenges. They explore why youth unemployment is rising and how employers are responding. They cover practical routes into work like apprenticeships, subsidised roles and volunteering. They also examine recruitment tools, degree choices and barriers faced by care leavers.

The Chief Executive of Capita Public Services has apologised for the serious delays thousands of civil servants are facing simply to get paid their pensions. Richard Holroyd was speaking to MPs on the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday when he admitted his service was "overwhelmed" when it took over the running of the civil service pension scheme in December. We'll get reaction from people affected and hear from Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Conservative Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.Love might be in the air for some today - but with the roses and candlelight, comes a warning about criminals working in the shadows to trick people into giving away their money. Romance scams are types of fraud when a scammer pretends to be in a relationship with someone to gain money or personal information from them. They often start online or on social media. More than twenty million pounds was lost to romance scams in the first half of last year, up more than a third compared to 2024. We'll hear from one listener who says he lost £30,000 to a romance scam.How will a planned replacement to the Lifetime ISA work and what will it mean for people who’ve already got one? And what to do if you think you might be eligible for the Warm Homes Discount this winter but haven't had the payment yet.Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researchers: Jo Krasner and Niamh McDermott Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 14th February 2026)

Mortgages are one of the most important financial products most of us ever come across, but they're also complicated. With more than 7,000 products on the market, how do you pick the right one for you?It can feel pretty overwhelming and hard to choose the best product at a time when rates are held at 3.75% but expected to fall, and relaxed lending rules mean some people can borrow 6.5 times their salary over longer terms. We'll answer listener questions about trackers, what term you should pick, and what to do if you're a first-time buyer.Paul Lewis is joined by Sally Mitchell, a mortgage advisor at Versed Financial, and Paul Broadhead from the Building Societies Association.Presenters: Paul Lewis and Felicity Hannah Producers: Sarah Rogers and James Graham Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 11th February 2026)

Niamh McDermott, BBC reporter who covers mortgages and first-time buyers. Jo Krasner, BBC reporter who tells personal debt stories. Dan Whitworth, BBC reporter who investigated civil service pension delays. They discuss soaring persistent credit card debt and why it keeps growing. They explore delayed civil service pensions, the hardship fund and banks refunding fraud losses. They also look at high-multiple mortgages and affordability concerns.

Student loans and their impact on graduates’ finances have dominated the news recently. The average student debt in England for 2024 graduates was approximately £53,000, with repayments being made when salaries hit a certain threshold set by the government.But, the finer details on who gets what and how it's all repaid varies vastly depending on when and where students study. Rules also differ vastly across the UK. Recent campaigns have highlighted 'Plan 2' loans which focused on students in England who studied between September 2012 and July 2023 and the Chancellor's decision to freeze the salary threshold for repayments on these loans for three years, which means some graduates will now have to pay even more.In this episode we'll discuss the rules for current students, past graduates, as well as how maintenance loans are worked out and what support might be available.Joining Felicity Hannah is Tom Allingham from student money website, Save the Student and Graham Wright from the University of the West of England Bristol and National Association of Money Advisors.Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Sarah Rogers Editor: Jess Quayle Senior Editor: Sara Wadeson(This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday the 4th of February 2026)

Billions of pounds is lost each year to fraud, be that by criminals simply stealing someone's money or by thieves tricking victims into giving them their details before draining their bank accounts. It's a crime that is massively under-reported, with very low conviction rates too. To tackle this, a new agency's been created called 'Report Fraud'. It replaces the problematic "Action Fraud" which had been the place for victims to report fraud for over a decade. Paul Lewis interviews Chief Superintendent Amanda Wolf who's the Head of Report Fraud.There are calls for a cut in the interest rate on some student loans. In recent weeks some graduates have been saying they feel they were missold their loans, because they're only paying off interest on what they owe, despite high levels of payments. The Department for Education says that its making what it called "tough but fair" decisions to protect taxpayers and students. We'll discuss that with the Higher Education Policy Institute.There is growing pressure from charities and MPs for the government to introduce statutory regulation of the bailiff sector in England and Wales as a matter of urgency. Campaigners say it's about making sure people who are in debt aren't on the receiving end of bad practice form bailiffs breaking the rules.And half a million households on heat networks now have new protections when it comes to their heating bills.Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Bisi Adebayo and Dan Whitworth Researcher: Niamh McDermott Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast on Radio 4 12pm Saturday 31st January 2026)

Julie Dennis, ACAS inclusive workplace lead, on age discrimination and reasonable adjustments. Morgan Vine, Independent Age policy director, on pension gaps and support for low‑income older people. Zoe Alexander, Pensions UK policy director, on retirement living standards and saving guidance. They discuss why more people work past state pension age, employer flexibility, pension differences and tax questions.

Jennifer Adam, curator at the Bank of England Museum, maps the history and current use of cheques. Dr Andrea Barry, economist at the Centre for Aging Better, explores why more people work past state pension age. Dan Whitworth, Money Box reporter, reveals cases of energy companies ignoring ombudsman rulings. Bill Esterson, MP and Energy Select Committee chair, argues for stronger ombudsman powers and supplier accountability.