Money Box

Rising costs are having an impact on almost everyone, but that impact is very different for different sections of the economy. Rising food production costs are pushing up everyone’s grocery bills, and squeezing farmers’ profit margins. How are farms adapting to survive difficult times? Are any of them finding new ways to thrive?

Felicity Hannah travels to South Wales to meet two farmers, both running family businesses. Kevin and Sian, who, since covid, have diversified their 200 acre mixed farm into a profit making business. And Abi who works alongside her parents and uncle on a 700 acres mixed farm of dairy, sheep, arable, and beef has seen costs spiral but has long term financial solutions for her family business to thrive again.

The programme also talks to Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union which represents 47,000 farming businesses across England and Wales, to ask what does the future look like for farmers.

Series Producer Smita Patel

Rising costs are having an impact on almost everyone, but that impact is very different for different social groups. Is anyone managing to make a difference to their own budget, however small? Whether they be high earners or low income households, how are people taking control of their finances?

Felicity Hannah meets Peter who lives alone in a rented flat in Stoke and has a disability that prevents him from working; Hollie, a new mum, living with her fiancé in Wigan, who’s trying to juggle money while on maternity leave with the rising costs of having a small baby. And Kishan, one of many people being bitten by monthly mortgage rate hikes. He lives in London and has three mortgages; his own plus two buy to lets.

The programme also talks to Dr Gemma Tetlow Chief Economist at the Institute for Government to ask what does Peter, Hollie and Kishan’s experience tell us about the cost of living crisis across the nation. Are households surviving or thriving?

Series Producer Smita Patel

The Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates again this week, for the fourteenth consecutive time. The increase will hike the monthly repayments for anyone on a variable rate mortgage, for those trying to re-mortgage after coming off a fixed-rate and for first time buyers with new home loans.

In this podcast we look at the dilemmas created by high borrowing rates. The experts in this podcast are Sonya Matharu, Senior Mortgage Broker at The Mortgage Mum and Tom Bill, Head of UK Residential Research at Knight Frank.

Presenter: Sam Fenwick

(First broadcast 3pm, Wednesday 2nd August, 2023)

Care home leaders are the latest group criticising the Government for failing to get £400 of winter fuel help to the people entitled to it. The Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Fund was supposed to help nearly one million households who don't pay an energy supplier directly. 20,000 households in care homes got this money, but according to new BBC Verify analysis for this programme that suggests 1 in 7 who were eligible, didn't. The government says it spent billions of pounds helping millions of households last winter with their energy bills, covering nearly half the cost of a typical household's bill.

On Monday major changes begin in the way we are sold financial products and services by regulated firms like banks, insurers, advisers. Not only will they have to stick to the 20 year old rules about treating customers fairly. They will be subject to a new Consumer Duty. What is it and what does it mean?

A scheme which offers debt advice and help with money problems through doctors’ surgeries, is being extended thanks to some new funding. We first reported on the trial two years ago. Since then the Centre for Responsible Credit which runs the scheme says hundreds of people have been helped to access hundreds of thousands of pounds in support.

Plus, from 1st August most old first and second class stamps without barcodes are no longer valid. What should you do if you still have any old stamps?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast, 12pm Saturday 29th July, 2023)

An average of 20 potential tenants request to view each available rental home, more than triple the amount in 2019, according to data commissioned by the BBC. The queue to view is even longer in some regions, reaching 30 in the North West of England, according to the property portal Rightmove.

From facing tough competition for a home to receiving a section 21 notice of eviction, we hear what renters are experiencing in the current market and we offer advice on what their rights are.

The experts on the panel are Nyree Applegarth, Partner at Higgs LLP, Tim Bannister, Director at Rightmove and Ben Beadle, Chief Executive at National Residential Landlords Association.

For tips on how to get ahead in the race to secure a rental property and information on your rights as a tenant go to the Tackling it Together section on the front page of the BBC News website.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(First Broadcast at 3pm, Wednesday 26th July, 2023)

Sick people in England are being caught out by the complex rules which exempt some from NHS prescription charges. The Patients Association says the rules surrounding the £9.65 per item levy should be simplified. The call comes after Money Box listeners told us how they struggled to navigate the rules. The NHS Business Services Authority which runs the system told us "Patients can check they are eligible for free NHS prescriptions before claiming by using the free eligibility checker at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check. It takes just three minutes".

Money Box can exclusively reveal that £55 million of fraud was prevented last year by bank and building society employees deliberately ignoring customers' instructions to transfer their money to thieves. They're allowed to do that in a branch because of what is called the banking protocol - a UK-wide law that allows staff in the branch to stop transfers and ask customers what they're doing with their money and why. We'll hear from Sophie who saved one of her customers £90,000.

And, what does this week's fall in inflation really mean for your personal finances?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 22nd July, 2023)

The UK government has announced a package of reforms designed to boost pensions and increase investment in British businesses. A panel of experts explore the impact of this on your pots and what it could mean for your retirement.

The experts in this podcast are Nigel Peaple, Director of Policy and Research at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) and Alice Guy, Head of Pensions and Savings at Interactive Investor.

Presenter: Adam Shaw

(First broadcast 3pm, Wednesday 19th July, 2023)

A “staggering failure” is how one senior MP has described a government scheme designed to help nearly a million households with their energy bills last winter. Former SNP and now independent MP Angus MacNeil, who's Chair of Parliament’s Energy Security and Net Zero committee, has called on the government to reopen the scheme after a Money Box investigation reported that 750,000 eligible households have not received the £400 to help with their fuel costs and can't now apply for it. The Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding was launched in February to give the £400 to people who live in park homes, on narrow boats, in care homes, and travellers who had not automatically had the £400 which was sent to households with an electricity meter.

What do the government’s new proposals for pensions mean for the millions of people with money invested and how risky are the plans?

There's a warning about mortgage scams where people are being tricked into giving away personal details by phishing emails and texts.

And will government plans to reform consumer credit law strengthen or weaken our rights?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 15th July, 2023)

Millions of people are booking their holidays right now, but with hundreds of flights already cancelled and the threat of air traffic control strikes looming, how do you fight for your rights if your travel plans get disrupted? What's the best way to manage your money overseas? And how is the cost of living impacting people's plans if you are lucky enough to be getting away?

The experts in this podcast are: Cathy Adams, Senior Content Editor (Travel) at The Times and Sunday Times, Alan Dean, Managing Director at CoverForYou and Cedar Tree, and Sean Tipton, Media Relations Manager at the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

Presenter: Dan Whitworth

(First broadcast 3pm, Wednesday 12th July, 2023)

New data shows more than 700,000 households across Great Britain have missed out on £300 million worth of support with their energy bills. The government said in February 900,000 households were eligible to apply for a one-off £400 payment because they did not have an energy supplier that would apply it automatically. The government said it had spent more than £50m 'supporting households without a domestic energy supplier', but this data suggests just over £300 million of the possible £360 million in Great Britain had not been claimed before the deadline.

The big high street banks have been told to be more open with their customers about savings rates - what will that mean in practice?

And could Artificial Intelligence transform how banks decide whether to lend us money?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 8th July, 2023)