A record number of people in England and Wales are getting help with the cost of their water bills. The number of people on low incomes who have been given a reduction in their bill grew last year by 250,000 to 1.6 million. They are called 'social tariffs' but newly released data from the Consumer Council for Water shows the amount people get varies widely depending on where they live. Water UK, which represents the water industry, says these are average figures with eligible customers able to receive a much higher deduction. Dan Whitworth will have the full details of this story.

In a week where changes to Inheritance Tax for farmers have dominated the headlines, we’ll discuss how the changes will work and who will be affected.

There's a new inflation measure developed specifically for Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Consumer Prices Index allows statisticians to compare how fast prices are rising against the UK rate. We'll find out more about how it's calculated.

Plus, the listener who got a £1,500 refund on his student loan after listening to Money Box.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 16th November 2024)

New research estimates that there are more than 3 million lost pension pots in the UK. These are pensions that have been paid into by an employer but the scheme can no longer find the person who owns it. The Pensions Policy Institute research also found number of lost pots has risen more than 17% since 2022. The Department for Work and Pensions told us millions of people will be saved from losing track of their pension pots thanks to its plans to consolidate deferred small pots in its forthcoming Pension Schemes Bill. The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association says the industry has funded campaigns to raise awareness. Go to gov.uk and search 'pension tracing' to find contact details for your old pensions.

Hundreds of thousands of former university students are being urged to check if they have paid too much towards their student loan and if so to claim a refund. The campaign group Save the Student made the call in response to new figures from the Student Loans Company, published for the first time, which show former students are eligible for refunds worth £184m.

And in last week's Budget the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced a reduction in the level of debt repayments that can be taken from a household’s Universal Credit payment each month. The new "Fair Repayment Rate" will reduce Universal Credit deductions from 25% to 15% per month. The government says that means that 1.2 million households will keep more of their award each month and those who benefit will gain an average of £420 a year.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday November 9th 2024)

Wednesday saw the first Budget from a Labour government for nearly 15 years and the first ever delivered by a female Chancellor. Rachel Reeves wasn't the first to stand up in the Commons and announce tax rises, but the scale of them was large by historical standards - about £40bn a year by 2029/30.

The bulk of that will come from raising National Insurance contributions paid by employers. There will also be higher rates of Capital Gains Tax, VAT on private school fees, changes to Inheritance Tax and a rise in stamp duty in England and Northern Ireland.

As promised, there was no rise in the rates of Income Tax, VAT or National Insurance in what the government called the payslips of working people. There was some welcome news as the freeze on Income Tax thresholds will end in April 2028, minimum wages will rise, and the tax on petrol and diesel will not. Paul Lewis discusses the details with a panel of experts.

And, could a landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal pave the way for millions of pounds of compensation for people who bought their cars on finance?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday November 2nd 2024)

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has announced her Budget but what does it mean for yours?

Money Box Live is breaking down what the Budget mean for your finances, from pensions and Inheritance Tax to the cost of a pint. We hear from the experts who are on hand to answer your questions and comments.

Felicity Hannah is joined by Dr Arun Advani, Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick and Kirsty Stone a partner at the independent financial advisers, The Private Office.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Wednesday the 30th of October 2024)

There are just a few days to go until Rachel Reeves stands up in Parliament to deliver her first Budget as Chancellor. Since the Labour Party won the election in July, there's been a huge amount of speculation about what she might do to plug what she calls a 22 billion pound black hole left by the previous government. The Treasury says it does not comment on speculation around tax changes outside of fiscal events. But what tax changes might she make and how are people already preparing?

Figures seen by this programme suggest 2.5mn households will face tough decisions this winter about choosing whether to heat their homes or put food on their table. That's an increase of 400,000 in just a few months. The numbers come from official data modelled by the consultancy firm Baringa and indicate many of those who will be affected this winter are middle aged people struggling to get by.

What do changes to Premium Bond rates mean for savers and where are the best deals at the moment?

And, as the Financial Conduct Authority cracks down on some so-called “finfluencers” – for potentially giving money advice illegally – how can you spot the good from the bad?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 26th October 2024)

More than half a million young people are yet to claim their Child Trust Fund which could be worth up to £2,200 according to the government, but how do you know if your child has one or even how to get it?

Plus with the Chancellor's budget on the way, we know parents are topping up Junior ISAs and giving away monetary gifts ahead of any changes she might make.

So, today we're looking at how to build a solid financial future for the children in your life and how to help get them get engaged when it comes to their finances.

Felicity Hannah is joined by Stephanie Fitzgerald, Head of Young People at the Money Charity and Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(This programme was first broadcast at 3pm on Wednesday the 23rd of October 2024)

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 daughter and ended up in £11,000 worth of debt. The DWP said it is committed to working with anyone struggling with repayment terms.

A major investment firm has said it will review its Child Trust Fund accounts after Money Box revealed one young man's £250 investment had all but disappeared when he claimed it at 18 due to high administration charges.

In the run up to the Chancellor's budget we look at fuel duty and whether the 5p cut could be scrapped.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

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 available support: Rachael Walker, research and policy director at Policy In Practice; Sam Hubbard, Head of Core Services at Citizens Advice in Staffordshire North and Stoke On Trent and David Samson, a benefits expert at Turn2Us.

And we hear from a range of people with their own experiences of trying to secure benefits – sometimes during life-changing moments. Gary from Lincolnshire tells us how he had to become a carer for his poorly wife. But during a difficult journey to obtain benefits, it was only by chance that he discovered certain types of support he was entitled to. Meanwhile, Esther from London tells us how she wasn’t aware she could be entitled to a carer’s allowance for her children – two of whom have complex needs .

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday 16th October 2024).

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 not insure their belongings?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 12th October 2024)

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 Rudolf from the Conveyancing Association joins Felicity Hannah to take questions from listeners.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

This episode was first broadcast on Weds 9th October 2024.