Money Box

There's a topic that often appears in the Money Box inbox, inheritance tax.

It's money paid by the estate of someone once they die, as long as the total value of all their property, possessions, cash and soon pensions are worth more than a fixed threshold set by the government.

At the moment Government figures say just 5% of estates actually pay the tax, so relatively low, but there are changes coming in this year and next which could increase that number.

Questions around who pays it and how much it is as well as the rules around passing on wealth to loved ones are never far away from the top of our in tray. So, today we'll answer as many as we can.

Joining presenter Felicity Hannah this week is Clare Moffat, pension and tax specialist at the mutual life, pensions and investment company Royal London and Nina Sperring, wealth protection solicitor and partner at the law firm Price, Slater, Gawne.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Wednesday the 14th of January 2026)

More than 60% of parents who lost their child benefit because the tax office believed incorrectly they'd moved abroad, were in fact eligible for the benefit, which is worth at least a hundred pounds a month. As we've reported on this programme before, the mistakes were made after travel data was used to conclude parents had permanently left the UK, but actually many of them had simply been on holiday. The scale of the mistake has been shown in a written question raised in parliament, where the government revealed that 63% of payments were wrongly suspended. HMRC has apologised to customers who had their Child Benefit suspended incorrectly. It also told us that it estimates that £270 million of Child Benefit payments were incorrectly claimed in 2024-25 – with unreported residency changes a leading cause.

Credit card borrowing rose at the fastest annual rate for almost two years in November. The new data from the Bank of England shows that outstanding credit card balances rose to nearly 78 billion pounds, which is up almost 12 per cent on November the year before. What might be behind that rise?

And the pension ruling which could help boost your pension by 720 pounds every year.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 10th January 2026)

It's 50 years since the Sex Discrimination Act meant all women could take out mortgages and loans without needing a man to approve it.

In this programme we'll take a look at how things have changed for women's finances since then and what challenges they still face. From the cost of childcare to lower wages and pension pots.

Felicity Hannah is joined by Penny East, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, which is a gender equality and women's rights charity, and Louise Claro, Managing Director of Circle Financial Services and an independent financial adviser.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(First broadcast at 3pm Wednesday 7th January 2026)

"A big change" - that's how HMRC has described a major transformation starting in April, which affects the way sole traders and landlords report their income and expenses. The tax office has told Money Box that self assessment has to be modernised to reduce errors and allow them to collect more of what's owed to the Treasury.

According to the financial data firm Moneyfacts, since the Bank of England cut the interest rate to 3.75% in December around a third of providers have dropped their rates on their savings products. Where are the best deals?

As energy prices rise, there's a warning about the scammers trying to trick you into giving away your data.

And new research suggests only 1 in 4 people know about a big change coming for pensions and inheritance tax. We'll answer listener questions.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 3rd January 2026)

The creative industries add around £124 billion to the UK economy according to government figures, but for actors, painters, or even influencers, making it pay can seem impossible.

The actor Christopher Biggins joins the programme to share how he's managed to work in the arts for more than 50 years as well as exactly what you can earn from Christmas Panto.

We'll also discuss how there's more than just booking the gig, people should also consider setting money aside to pay taxes and think about paying into a pension.

Plus we'll hear from an illustrator, content creator and a theatre group working to improve access to the arts through 'pay what you can' classes.

Felicity Hannah is joined by Jack Gamble, Director at Campaign for the Arts and Vicks Rodwell, Managing Director at The Self-Employment Association, IPSE.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(This episode was first broadcast on Saturday the 27th of December 2025)

Photo Credit: Simon Hadley

This week the Bank of England cut interest rates to the lowest level for more than two years. The decision to cut Bank Rate to 3.75% came after new figures also showed inflation had slowed, falling to 3.2% in the year to November. What will that mean for mortgages in 2026?

Financial advisors say there's been a rise in older couples getting married because of changes to the rules around inheritance tax and pensions. We'll speak to a couple about their recent decision to tie the knot.

Arguably the most successful investor of all time, Warren Buffett, will retire at the end of this month after sixty years as the CEO of the American company Berkshire Hathaway. What will his legacy be?

And festive messages from just a handful of the listeners we’ve helped over the past 12 months.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 20th December 2025)

Life can sometimes get very complicated and messy so can our finances, so we're doing something a bit different to our usual Money Box Live.

Introducing Money Box Life where we're looking at the finances of blended families. What we mean is family groups with some children from one parent, some from another and maybe a child or children together thrown into the mix as well.

The number of families living this way is on the increase with some reports suggesting as many as 1 in 3 are blended. So how do people manage it? From birthday presents to who goes on holidays with whom to making a will. And how do the children feel about it all?

Joining Felicity Hannha is Jo Thurston, a parenting coach and advisor for Parent Talk, which is the free online support service from the charity Action for Children and Liz Wyatt, Family Lawyer and Partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

This episode was first broadcast of Wednesday the 17th of December 2025.

Sweeping changes to the way investments are recommended across the UK will start in April. This week the Financial Conduct Authority set out its plans. The regulator hopes they will encourage more people to invest their savings rather than keep them in cash. From April it will bring in what it calls 'targeted support'. That would allow firms to suggest how customers in different groups should manage their money. The FCA has also issued new guidance on how investments can be marketed and what warnings customers are given. Paul Lewis speaks to its Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Pritchard.

Just 50 years ago, women couldn’t apply for loan or get a mortgage without a man. That came to an end thanks to the Sex Discrimination Act which came into force in December 1975. We'll hear from Kath and Sue who remember what it was like at that time.

And a new scheme aimed at bringing down energy debt targets people who are moving home. We'll speak to Ofgem, the energy regulator, about that.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast at 12pm Saturday 13th December 2025)

It’s December, a time of year when there’s pressure to say yes to every night out, buy the perfect presents and spend without really thinking. All that can lead to snap decisions we later regret, whilst for others, impulse spending can be a real issue all year round.

In this programme, Felicity Hannah discusses the psychology behind impulse buying, why do we do it, what are the triggers, and who is impacted most?

We hear from one mum whose impulse spending led to her falling deep in debt and turning to Buy Now Pay Later to pay for the basics, and give advice on where you can get help.

Joining Felicity is Dr Pragya Agarwal, who is a behaviour and data scientist and author, and Vikki Brownridge, chief executive of the debt support charity StepChange.

If you've been affected by the topics raised in this programme, details of organisations offering help and support with debt, hardship or homelessness are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free at any time to hear recorded information on 08000 159 774.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday the 10th of December 2025)

New research suggests there are 6 million children across the UK living in fuel poverty, according to the charity National Energy Action. It defines fuel poverty as when a household has to spend at least 10% of its income to keep their home warm. It says the impact on children of living in a home which parents and carers struggle to keep warm can be significant. We'll hear more about what it would like to see change and discuss how the government and suppliers already help those struggling with bills.

Of all the Budget measures perhaps the most misunderstood is the plan to restrict what is called salary sacrifice - giving up some of your pay so your employer can use that money to boost your pension. It won't actually happen until April 2029 but many Money Box listeners have been getting touch with questions. We'll take a look at those.

How to keep Christmas costs low, as a debt charity finds thousands of people used its website for help on Christmas Day.

And how tax relief for people who are asked to work from home is changing.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast on Radio 4 at 12pm Saturday 6th December 2025)