On Your Behalf

By BBC Radio UlsterBusiness

On Your Behalf episodes

December 09, 2023 Banks, Childcare and Pensions
Linda visits Kilkeel which has gone from a town with no banks to having a hub with a different bank there each day.
And there are four more of these Banking Hubs planned for N Ireland.
With the average cost of a full time childcare place in NI more than £10,000 a year who is staying home to mind the baby?
Linda talks to Aoife Hamilton who has published this year's NI Childcare report.
And the knock on affect for women's pensions when it’s time to retire. Alison Nicolson from Scottish Widows tells us why three quarters of single moms face pension poverty.
Johnny came to On Your Behalf when his identity was stolen, and his credit rating plummeted making getting a new mortgage very tricky.
And as people struggle to pay the bills, Buy Now Pay Later becomes the second most used form of Credit in N Ireland.
29 min
December 02, 2023 Floods, Christmas Shopping and Post
One month after devastating floods in Downpatrick Linda meets traders to see if they can get back to business in time for Christmas.
Consumer guru Jimmy Hughes is in the studio with his list of Christmas do’s and don’ts and to answer listener queries.
And Michael Legge from the Consumer Council gets us up to date with Christmas postal dates and parcel advice.
It’s Energy Saving Week and we investigate whether Geo-Energy has a future in Northern Ireland.
15 min
November 25, 2023 The Cost of Caring
Carers NI latest research shows that unpaid carers are saving the economy £5.8 billion a year. Linda looks at the research and talks to a woman who has been caring for her mother for thirty years.
Simon Murray from the Law Society joins Linda in the studio to answer listener questions on wills and power of attorney. And ahead of Energy Saving Week Kevin McGarry from the Energy Saving Trust has tips on saving money and we look at the potential for Geo-Energy in Northern Ireland. Finally we help one listener who faced losing 48 percent of her tax refund to a company she had never heard of.
29 min
November 18, 2023 Benefits, Borders and Black Friday
Universal credit – six benefits into one - affects hundreds of thousands of people in Northern Ireland. All those on legacy benefits are now being transferred. Linda visits Limavady Jobs and Benefits Office to see how the process works.
Paddy Rooney from the Dept of Communities and Kevin Higgins from Advice NI are in the studio to answer questions. Linda also talks to optician Sam Baird about why the move to Universal Credit is affecting free eye and dental care.
We also help one listener who is paying a daily roaming charge on her mobile phone despite never crossing the border and brace ourselves for the Black Friday sales.
Consumer Expert Martyn James tells Linda why the bargains are not all they are cracked up to be and how to protect yourself from scams.
41 min
November 11, 2023 Food, Fuel and Flu Jabs
Winter is here and food and energy costs are still very high. Linda talks to Philippa Mckeown-Brown and Raymond Gormley from the Consumer Council about how to get the best deals possible.
It’s flu season but take up of this year’s vaccine is lagging behind in Northern Ireland. Linda talks to Dr Hilary Jones about the reasons behind the reluctance. We also follow up on the case of the fire that destroyed lots of wedding dresses but so far the insurance has not paid out. And Cash v Card – Is Linda selfish for using her phone to pay for a newspaper? One listener thinks so but UK finance has a more measured approach.
18 min
November 04, 2023 Floods and Insurance
After the devastation brought by flooding to many parts of Northern Ireland, Paul Hatty, spokesperson for The British Insurance Brokers Association, explains what insurance can and cannot do in regards to claims. He also has advice for a number of listeners about claiming for dental work with travel insurance and how postcodes can change the amount you pay for insurance. Also, consumer expert Alice Beer has some tips to take some of the financial stress out of the fast approaching Christmas season.
14 min
October 28, 2023 Costly Caring, Banking Hubs and Digital Poverty
Your nearest bank is your Post Office , that's what it says on the bill hoardings! But is that enough to fill the gap when your bank shuts up shop? Linda visits a new banking hub in Holywood post office to see what people think.
It costs to care. New research shows almost half the carers in Northern Ireland are living in poverty. Linda hears from Barbara who cares for 2 autistic children and Craig Harrison from Carers NI who thinks the benefit system is failing carers. Also on the programme the Trussell trust explains why their food banks are giving out Sim Cards and we hear from the Consumer Council on passenger rights when things go wrong at airports.
20 min
October 21, 2023 Parenting, Tech Help and Travel
This week we look at the financial reality for single and separated parents. Linda joins Parenting NI at Stormont as they highlight the daily struggle faced by many.
Have you heard of AbilityNet? We hadn't but it's a charity that provides free IT support to older people and people with a disability. Linda goes on a house call to help one client learn how to get connected online. And On a wet stormy week we look at current travel hotspots and also talk to ATOL about protecting your package holidays.
11 min
October 14, 2023 Universal Credit, Book Week and Conveyancing fees
The migration to Universal Credit is upon us and people on a range of benefits will be receiving letters to migrate to the new system. We ask Paddy Rooney, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Welfare and Benefits at the Dept for Communities and Kevin Higgins from Advice N.I. what the practicalities are. Also, Samantha Gallagher, Assistant Manager and Welfare Rights Specialist with Fermanagh Community Advice centre will be telling us how Universal Credit will affect the rural community. It's Book Week across BBC Radio Ulster, Foyle and Sounds and Peter Hughes of Libraries NI has news of new apps from libraries allowing you to borrow e-books, and read magazines and newspapers. Solicitor Simon Murray and Charted Surveyor Samuel Dicky have information about how the conveyancing process has changed to make it easier for consumers.
33 min
October 07, 2023 Death, Deeds and Mental Health
Over a third of adults in the UK have no idea what kind of help is available when it comes to end of life care. Sara talks to Ciara Gallagher from Marie Curie about why we need to talk about this and also what support is available.
We also have lots of listener queries including Johns lost deeds, Patricks frozen bank account, Paul’s unfrozen food and John’s boiler replacement scheme woes. Finally Liam Neeson is looking for you, he will find you and he will help you.
Find out why the Hollywood star is supporting a new service here called FindhelpNi that will connect people to over 400 health and community groups.
12 min

About On Your Behalf

From the publisher's feed

Anna Curran champions the cause of consumers in Northern Ireland, helping them to solve their problems, make the right choices and avoid the pitfalls - contact the show with your consumer and benefits queries:

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