Not every dream job has an obvious route to success, so how do you make your passion project pay without falling behind on your bills?

Visa research shows that around 45% of Gen Zs (people born between the late1990s and the early 2010) have a side hustle, but it's not just for the cash. More than a quarter of those are working at a passion project.

So how do you make it if you want a career in comedy or to bag an Olympic gold? Do you have to tell your boss if you're doing extra work on the side? And what should you do about tax?

Today we're talking to an Olympian who worked as a custody officer, a comic book writer who worked in a biology lab and an aspiring DJ who's on a zero-hours bar contract.

Felicity Hannah is joined by Jack Gamble, Director and CEO of the Campaign for the Arts and employment lawyer Rupa Mooker.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 31st July 2024)

Nearly 10,000 people have needed free debt advice because of accidental overpayments by the Department for Work and Pensions in the past 12 months. That's according to figures from Money Wellness, a debt advice company which is funded by the government's Money and Pension Service. It says because most of its clients are low income households these debts can have significant knock-on impacts on the rest of their finances. The DWP says its staff work hard to support customers, and it's important to explore ways to reduce fraud and error so it can support the most vulnerable in society.

What will the new Pensions Bill announced by the Labour government in the King's Speech mean for your finances? We'll discuss plans to bring small pension pots, which people get after short term jobs, together.

Campaigners are calling for bereavement support payments to be extended for longer and for the amount given to families to rise with inflation. At the moment parents under pension age whose partner dies are entitled to bereavement benefits - as much £3,500 followed by 18 monthly payments of up to £350. The charity Widowed and Young would like those payments to be in place for longer. The Department for Work and Pensions told us that it knows losing a loved one is devastating and that it's committed to supporting those most in need through the welfare system.

And what's the best way to pay while you’re on holiday abroad?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 27th July 2024)

Felicity Hannah looks at giving someone Lasting Power of Attorney - that's the authority to manage your financial affairs in the event that you couldn't.

What are they, how do they work and how much do they cost? This programme is dedicated to answering your questions.

On the panel we have Sam Cox, knowledge officer from the Alzheimer's Society and Melinda Giles, partner and head of court protection at Giles Wilson Law.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 24th July 2024)

New tactics to fight mobile phone fraud are being rolled out across England and Wales. It's when mobile phones are stolen not for the value of the physical handset but for criminals to access the banking and financial apps and steal money from victims. Paul Lewis speaks to the national lead on robbery, Commander Richard Smith, about how new intelligence and techniques to pursue suspects have led to arrests and prosecutions going to court.

More and more of us are paying tax on our savings. Recent figures suggest that in April over 6 million savings accounts were set to earn enough interest to have to pay tax. That is more than double the number of accounts the year before, according to analysis by the lender Shawbrook. In November, HMRC told us that for the majority of customers this tax on savings interest is automatically collected using their tax code, but many listeners get in touch concerned they will have to pay tax and wondering how to do it. What should they do?

Listeners and lawyers who are court appointed deputies say banks won't let them act properly for the person they protect. We’ll speak to the Association of Lifetime Lawyers about what they're seeing. UK Finance, which represents banks, says it knows there's more to be done and that it's working with members and government bodies to look at how greater consistency can be achieved across the industry.

And, what's a children’s pension and how do they work?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 20th July 2024)

Average rents in the UK rose by well over 8% in the past year, according to the ONS. In today’s King’s Speech, the new government has committed to introducing legislation to give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes. That included ending no fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession.

So what will that mean for your money and your home?

Joining us are Jasmine Basran from Crisis - a charity for people experiencing homelessness, Richard Donnell, from the property platform Zoopla and Richard Blanco, a landlord and property expert from the National Residential Landlords Association.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 17th July 2024)

More than 9 out of 10 people did not pay for financial advice in the past two years and that number is growing. The figures come from surveys by the financial services consultancy The LangCat. It found the proportion of people paying for financial advice fell from 11% of adults to 9% between this year's report and one they did a year ago. We'll hear from them about the reasons behind it.

What will the new government do to change employment rights and wages? We’ll discuss the potential new employment bill ahead of the King's Speech.

And the new security measures people can take to protect themselves from mobile phone fraud. This is when people's phones are stolen not for the value of the physical handsets but so criminals can try to access the financial apps stored on them to steal hundreds or, often, thousands of pounds from victims.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 13th July 2024)

A new government has taken office so what might that mean for the financial issues you've told us you care about?

A big topic you got in touch with us about is the cost of care in old age.

Unlike NHS services, social care is not free at the point of use and a place in residential care costs around £60,000 a year according to carehome.co.uk. The bill can go up enormously for anyone who needs extra support. Plus it's a devolved issue with different rules depending on where you live.

A cap limiting the cost of personal care to £86,000 per person over a lifetime is due to come into force in October 2025 in England but will this still be the case?

Felicity Hannah is joined by Nadra Ahmed from the National Care Association, which represents care homes and Simon Bottery, Senior Fellow in Social Care at The King's Fund, which is an independent think tank, specialising in health.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(First broadcast at 3pm on Wednesday July 10th 2024)

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has swept to power promising change, but there will be no change in the rates of the three big taxes - income tax, National Insurance, and VAT to protect what their Manifesto called 'working people'. So what will the new Labour government and the new Chancellor Rachel Reeves mean for our money?

The listener being chased for more than £60,000 worth of energy debt she didn't owe. It comes as new, exclusive figures reveal more people are seeking help from Citizens Advice over debt collection.

And there are signs that mortgage rates are beginning to creep downwards – what does that mean for those coming off a fixed rate deal?

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 6th July 2024)

Almost 300,000 flights will take off over the summer months and whilst most holidays go without a hitch, others fail to get off the ground.

Last year saw widespread disruption at airports, in August there was an exceptional IT failure at the UK’s main air traffic services provider NATS over a bank holiday Monday which affected around three quarters of a million people. Strikes and staff shortages also caused disruption.

In this programme we'll discuss what your rights are if your trip is delayed or cancelled, as well as a Brexit passport rule which has been catching thousands of passengers out.

Felicity Hannah is joined by consumer rights champion Jane Hawkes and Sean Tipton from ABTA, which is the association of travel agents and tour operators.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

(This episode was first broadcast on the 3rd of July 2024.)

This time next week the General Election will be over. As the days count down we'll get into the nitty gritty with listener questions on Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax and ISAs.

Some lawyers and listeners who are acting as powers of attorney have told Money Box they're having problems dealing with banks on behalf of their clients and relatives. The Association of Lifetime Lawyers, a group of legal professionals who support vulnerable and older people, has also told this programme banks need a more streamlined and consistent approach to dealing with powers of attorney. UK Finance which speaks for the banks acknowledged there is more to be done. It says banks are working with members and government bodies to look at how greater consistency can be achieved across the industry.

And a tribute to former Money Box presenter and founder Vincent Duggleby, who sadly passed away earlier this month.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 29th June 2024)