Money Box

A scheme offering interest-free loans to the financially vulnerable is being expanded to reach up to 20,000 people. After a successful trial at South Manchester Credit Union the No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) will be rolled out across the UK from September. It's backed by the Treasury but will be run by credit unions and other lenders. The aim is to offer emergency loans to people who would normally be turned down because they can't afford the interest payments. We'll speak to Economic Secretary to the Treasury John Glen.As a new survey, commissioned by the BBC, suggests half of people working are planning to increase their hours to boost their income and almost one in three people are thinking about taking a second job, we'll hear from the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group about the implications for tax and benefits.More on how thousands of people may be able to boost their state pension by paying extra National Insurance Contributions. Paying just one missing year can mean an extra £275 a year for your pension.Plus, less than half the firms that sell funeral plans look set to be approved by the regulator when tough new rules begin in six weeks. More on how you can check yours.Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Katie Barnfield Researcher: Sandra Hardial Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 18th June, 2022)

In England and Wales the school summer holiday is just beginning but Scotland and Northern Ireland are already well into their long and, often costly, summer.But for some families the challenge isn’t just keeping the kids busy, it’s keeping them fed – particularly when food prices are rising.Felicity Hannah, along with a panel of experts, are looking at what support is out there to help with food poverty and holiday hunger.Panel:Dr Megan Blake – Senior Lecturer, Food Security ExpertBilly McGranaghan – Founder of Dad’s HouseJonathan Sharples – Community Support WorkerReporter: Dan WhitworthProducer: Amber MehmoodEditor: Elisabeth Mahy

Food banks across the UK have told Money Box they are facing increased demand, but falling donations, as the cost of living crisis bites people across the income range. This research, which took place in June, covered 116 out of 505 organisations which are part of IFAN - the Independent Food Aid Network. Those 116 organisations cover 203 food banks across the UK and 9 out of 10 of them told us they had seen an increase in demand since the start of this year. More than half said they've also seen seen food donations fall. IFAN, a registered charity and anti-poverty campaign group, helps run food banks which tend to be run by volunteers across local communities. For context, we don't know how many food banks there are in the UK, but the Trussell Trust, which has its own network of more than 1,400 of them, recently reported giving out more than 2.1 million food parcels in the year to March. We reported on Money Box a couple of weeks ago that energy prices are expected to rise substantially in October and then again in January. But why does the price get fixed by the regulator Ofgem? Would a change in the way the market works bring bills down? We'll hear from Dr Craig Lowrey, Senior Consultant at Cornwall Insight which produces forecasts of where the price of energy is going.Why it's not too late for pensioners to claim extra help and get the first £326 cost of living payment that is being sent out this week. (the number for claiming is 0800 991234) Plus, new data suggests many homeowners are fixing their mortgage rates early, in the hope of securing a better deal. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Sandra Hardial Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 23rd July, 12pm)

Being transgender or non-binary means you can have a lot of extra things to manage and finances, along with the admin involved, can be a big one.Felicity Hannah is joined by a panel of experts to discuss changing your name and gender at the bank, the lack of options when filling in forms, and raising money for medical care.Panel:jane fae – Director – TransActualCleo Madeleine – Spokesperson – Gendered Intelligence More info:https://genderedintelligence.co.uk/ https://www.transactual.org.uk/

Families on a low income face spending more than a quarter of the money they have left after paying their mortgage or rent on energy bills from April next year. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation says it's even tougher for single people on a low income with no children, where it rises to more than two thirds. The calculations are based on latest predictions from the energy analyst Cornwall Insight, which says the typical annual bill could reach more than £3,300 in the new year. The data also shows that the government's £37 billion support package has reduced costs this year. We'll get reaction from the government, the energy regulator Ofgem, and Energy UK who represent the industry.It's not long until school's out for summer, in England and Wales at least - Scotland and Northern Ireland are already deep into that school summer break. We'll take a look at what financial support is on offer for families to help with costs.How rising inflation is pushing more people into higher tax bands and what you can do about it.And the listener who paid off her mortgage, only to discover the bank had used her money to pay off someone else’s.Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporter: Katie Barnfield Researcher: Sandra Hardial Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 16th July, 2022)

After two years of Covid restrictions, much of the world has now opened back up and plenty of us are planning to take full advantage this summer.But what if it all goes wrong? What are you entitled to? What kind of insurance cover should you get? And how can you make sure you have a happy holiday?Felicity Hannah, along with a panel of experts, are here to give you the answers on all things travel.Panel:Simon Calder - travel journalistLisa Minot - travel editor - The SunProducer: Drew Hyndman and Di RichardsonEditor: Richard Fenton-Smith

It's been quite the week in politics and on this week's Money Box we'll take a look at what it could mean for your personal finances. One of the biggest challenges the next PM will face is the economy and the many households feeling the squeeze. It's thought some of the candidates favour tax cuts, but there's also pressure to increase taxes to control government borrowing. Heather Self a tax expert at Blick Rothenberg and Tom Selby from the investment company AJ Bell will discuss.According to a new report, out on Monday, more people are falling behind with at least one household bill as the cost of living rises. Money Box has been given an early look at the Coronavirus Financial Impact Tracker, which suggests one-in-six households are now ‘in serious financial difficulty' compared to one-in-ten in October. Debt is also climbing - particularly among people who were already struggling. We'll speak to Professor Sharon Collard from the University of Bristol, who is one of the authors of the financial impact report which is funded by the Aberdeen Financial Fairness Trust. Plus advice from the debt charity Stepchange.Also, if you ignore a current account for too long - can your bank really take your money? And how hard is it to get it back? Our reporter Dan Whitworth investigates.Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Sandra Hardial Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 9th July, 2022)

Getting a cancer diagnosis can be a scary and fraught time, before you even begin to consider the financial pressures. Affording time out of work, the cost of getting to appointments, or even the price of drugs in different parts of the country can present issues for many.Ruth Alexander is joined by a panel of experts to hear caller experiences of the costs of cancer.Panel: Ceinwen Giles - Shine Richard Pugh - MacmillanProducer: Drew Hyndman and Amber Mehmood Editor: Beatrice Pickup

From 6th July, everyone in work will see a cut in the taxes they pay. It's because the level of pay at which National Insurance begins will be raised. Two million people on part-time low pay will not pay any national insurance at all. Ministers say it's a tax cut of 330 pounds per year for a typical employee, but that is not the whole picture. The rate of national insurance rose three months ago. So this cut is in a tax that is already costing millions of workers more. We'll hear from families in Stockport on how their income is being squeezed and speak to the Minister responsible for tax policy Lucy Frazer, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.If you are a victim of crime it is most likely that your money is stolen through fraud. New figures out this week showed the amount stolen and the number of victims rose substantially last year - as they have every year that the figures have been collected. We'll get reaction from Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, Matt Parr.A new act banning ground rents for most new residential leases in England and Wales came into force this week. It's part of the government’s Leasehold Reform plans. We'll find out more about the new rules from a legal specialist in leasehold. Plus, why has a much anticipated code of practice designed to regulate the private parking sector been withdrawn?Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Sandra Hardial Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast at 12pm, Saturday 2nd July, 2022)

Fraudsters are always trying to get at our money, and the pandemic has changed their tactics and their access to our data.Felicity Hannah and our expert panel discuss the latest fraud figures, how to protect yourself, what your rights are, and what to do if you're targeted by scammers.Reporter: Dan WhitworthProducer: Drew HyndmanEditor: Justin Bones and Elisabeth Mahy