Money Box
Episodes
Tax Cuts, Housing Costs and Paying at the Pump
23 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We'll take a closer look at what the Autumn Statement means for your personal finances. On Wednesday the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, made announcements a...
Money Box Live: Autumn Statement Special
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt has opened the red briefcase once again to deliver the Autumn Statement in the Commons.But what does it mean for you and y...
QR Code Scams and Bank Account Access
16 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The number of reported scams involving QR codes has nearly quadrupled in less than three years according to figures seen by Money Box. The data was re...
Money Box Live: How to Save for Children
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most people would like to save for their children but it's not always straightforward. There are questions about the best accounts, about how much you...
Help for people in mortgage arrears and deferring your state pension.
09 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the number of homeowners behind on their mortgage jumps we look at a scheme in Wales trying to help people stay in their homes.Also on the programm...
Money Box Live: Love and Money
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are talking all things love and money and what co-habiting, marriage and divorce mean for your finances.Do you split the bills evenly or ...
Fraud Refunds Report and Savings Tax
02 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time we know the record of individual banks on reimbursing victims of fraud. The Payment Systems Regulator published figures this week w...
Lancaster Live: Can You Afford Your Home?
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week the team is live at a community centre in Lancaster to look at all things housing.It's one of the biggest financial stories of the year. Ri...
Loan Sharks and Car Insurance
25 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The official body which tackles loan sharks tells Money Box that for the first time in its almost 20 year history it is seeing people turn to loan sha...
Money Box Live: Fighting Back Against Fraud
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More than £500m was stolen by fraudsters in the first half of 2023, according to figures from UK Finance. This is less than the same period in 2022, ...
£1.6m fraud investigation and Help to Buy
18 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We investigate the case of Kent Brushes, a hairbrush company founded in 1777, which has had £1.6m stolen by thieves. The money was transferred in 40 ...
Money Box Live: Digital Divide
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just how much does technology impact your finances? Do you search for the best deals on your laptop or phone? Perhaps you keep track of your money thr...
Energy debt and Pension Withdrawals
11 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the energy watchdog Ofgem released data showing energy debts reached £2.6 billion between April and June. It says the rise in debt was du...
Money Box Live: Saving for Your Send Off
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of us like to save up for special occasions - a holiday, some home improvements - but, as we grow older, more of us think about saving for the c...
Funeral Plans and Energy Credit
04 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A funeral plan company with more than 13,000 customers has gone bust leaving thousands of people without the plan they paid for. One Life Funeral Pla...
Money Box Live: Cutting Energy Costs this Winter
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Money Box Live is looking at how to prepare for the cold nights ahead this winter following a year of high energy costs.The Ofgem energy price cap has...
Energy Credit and Bereavement Support
28 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Energy companies are holding on to too much of their customers' money in the form of credit on their accounts. That's according to Angus MacNeil, Cha...
Mortgages and Part-time Work for Students
21 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Bank of England has held interest rates at 5.25%, ending a run of 14 consecutive increases. What does that mean for mortgages? We'll also look b...
Money Box Live: The Battle Against Rising Bills
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Inflation has dropped to 6.7% but that doesn't mean our bills will be coming down anytime soon.The news offers a small amount of welcome relief as the...
Rationing to pay debts and Bank Account Closures
14 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Exclusive data for Money Box suggest that 1 in 5 UK adults have had to ration things like heating or electricity to keep up with their debt repayments...
Money Box Live: Pensions, Actually
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're talking about pensions for the next generation and taking your questions and comments.Writer and director Richard Curtis is with us to...
Saving for Retirement and Hollywood Strikes
07 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week there have been warnings that millions of people aren't saving enough for retirement and calls for pension contributions to be increased. On...
Money Box Live: How to Handle Debt
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
15 million adults in the UK feel financially insecure as a result of the rising cost of living. And almost 1 in 10 say they have debt they don’t kno...
Buy Now, Pay Later and Accessible Homes
30 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
New research has found that one in five people are paying for essentials - like food and household bills - by borrowing on Buy Now, Pay Later. A repo...
Money Box Live from Leeds: Student Finance
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Felicity Hannah and the team broadcast live from Leeds University as students from England face a massive overhaul to their finances. It's the bigges...
Surviving to Thriving? The High Street
23 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
High streets have a double challenge; they need to cope with their own rising costs and keeping hard pressed customers spending. We hear how Barnsley’...
Surviving or Thriving? School
16 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Schools are dealing with their own rising costs, but they are also coping with the impact of the cost-of-living on their pupils and their families. On...
Surviving or Thriving? Farms
09 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rising costs are having an impact on almost everyone, but that impact is very different for different sections of the economy. Rising food production ...
Money Box: Surviving or Thriving? Households
02 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 diff...
Money Box Live: The Mortgage Dilemma
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates again this week, for the fourteenth consecutive time. The increase will hike the monthly repay...
Care Homes, Consumer Duty and Stamps
26 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Energ...
Money Box Live: Your Rental Rights
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
NHS Prescriptions and Banks Defy Customers to Stop Fraud
19 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sick people in England are being caught out by the complex rules which exempt some from NHS prescription charges. The Patients Association says the ru...
Money Box Live: Can you afford to retire?
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The UK government has announced a package of reforms designed to boost pensions and increase investment in British businesses. A panel of experts expl...
Call to Reopen Energy Support Scheme
12 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A “staggering failure” is how one senior MP has described a government scheme designed to help nearly a million households with their energy bills...
Money Box Live: Your Travel Rights
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of people are booking their holidays right now, but with hundreds of flights already cancelled and the threat of air traffic control strikes ...
Energy Bill Support and AI in Banking
05 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 govern...
Money Box Live: Making Sense of Savings
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bank bosses are being asked to explain why interest rates on savings aren't keeping up with the rising cost of borrowing. The heads of Lloyds, HSBC, ...
Saving Rates and Pension Helpline Problems
29 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has stepped in to tell banks to put up the rates paid to savers after the Bank of England raised the official Bank Rate to ...
Money Box Live: Finance for the under 30s
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Amidst a cost of living crisis, almost 9 in 10 young adults say that simply having enough money to cover their basic needs is classed as aspirational,...
Rising Mortgage Costs and Young People's Finances
22 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rising interest rates are putting pressure on those homeowners with variable mortgages, or with fixed terms due to end this year. The Chancellor Jerem...
Money Box Live: Mortgage Affordability
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The average interest rate charged by mortgage lenders is now much higher than many homeowners have been used to.So what can those struggling to make r...
HMRC Helpline Closure and Insurance Costs
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On June 12th, HMRC closed its self assessment tax helpline - a helpline that last summer people tried to call over a million times. Instead, it's dire...
Money Box Live: How to protect your data
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A prolific cyber crime gang has stolen personal data belonging to more than 100,000 employees. It's a mass hack which has impacted organisations globa...
Child Trust Funds and Data Breaches
08 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Changes to how families of disabled children can access UK government-backed trust funds have been announced. Currently, parents and carers of 18-yea...
Money Box Live: The Cost of Owning a House
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
House prices have fallen by 1% compared with a year ago – the first drop since 2012 (Halifax) and as inflation remains high, lenders are increasing ...
Mortgages, Tax Free Childcare and Funeral plans
01 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mortgages are back in the headlines this week, with the news that hundreds of deals are being pulled from the market. Since the start of last week, t...
Money Box Live: Investing
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Financial Conduct Authority is concerned that young people in particular are turning to bloggers and influencers for investing advice - without fu...
Buy Now Pay Later and Mortgage Prisoners
24 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Chief Executive of the Association of British Credit Unions has told Money Box his members are seeing more people applying for borrowing who alrea...
Money Box Live: Being Widowed
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When your spouse dies your world changes, from admin to organising a funeral, new widows are hit with a slew of tasks amid dealing with grief.As well ...
Mobile Phone Scams and Scottish Widows
17 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Criminals are targeting victims more effectively and exploiting banking apps on phones to steal thousands of pounds. That's the warning from one of t...
Money Box Live: Fighting Fraud
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The UK is the fraud capital of the world with hundreds of thousands of victims and billions of pounds stolen every year. Every minute of 2022, thieves...
Fraud and Food Prices
10 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The banking trade body UK Finance says that every minute of 2022 thieves stole £2,300 from bank and credit card accounts. In total they took £1.2 b...
Money Box Live: Making Sense of Mortgages
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Bank of England is expected to hike interest rates for the 12th month in a row this week and deposit-free mortgages are back after a 15-year-long ...
Money Box Live: The King's Cash
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To mark the Coronation of King Charles III our presenter Adam Shaw gets exclusive access to the Royal Mint to witness how new £2 commemorative coins ...
Pensions and the Coronation
27 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The prospects for many current employees hoping for a comfortable retirement looks "risky at best". That's the warning from the Institute for Fiscal S...
Money Box Live: Small Businesses
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Small businesses represent as much as 99% of UK companies, according to government figures. They employ about half of the workforce and often contribu...
Self Employment and Scam Texts
20 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the Office for National Statistics employment data showed that one reason behind the increase in the number of people in work is the growth...
Money Box Live: Babies and Toddlers
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Raising children is expensive. It’s estimated that it costs over £200,000 to raise a child from birth to 18 in the UK. In this podcast we hear from...
Healthy Start and Digital Memories
13 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's estimated that more than 200 thousand low income parents --in England, Wales and Northern Ireland -- are missing out on government assistance to...
Money Box Live: Learning Disability and Neurodiversity
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Trying to understand interest rates, credit card changes and mortgage deals is an effort for most of us, so how do you manage if you have a learning d...
How to grow an entrepreneur
06 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are your children up to this weekend? Many will be busy eating chocolate eggs and enjoying their Easter break from school. Some youngsters are ou...
Money Box Live: New Financial Year
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From 6th April, there's set to be a host of financial changes. From household bills, changes to pensions, national insurance and help for energy bills...
Your Household Bills: Lincoln Live
29 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special extended programme broadcast live from Lincoln, the Money Box team covers all you need to know as the financial year comes to an end a...
Money Box Live: Rental Health Special
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Felicity Hannah and Winifred Robinson take questions on the legal rights of renters with experts Jasmine Basran from the housing and homelessness char...
Rental Health: Housing benefits frozen as rents rise
22 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Felicity Hannah starts a week of BBC coverage on the theme of Rental Health. For Money Box she examines the 3 year freeze in Local Housing Allowance (...
Money Box Live: First-Time Buyers
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast we hear from prospective and recent first-time buyers about the challenges, opportunities and top tips on taking the first steps into ...
Romance scam refund and prepayment meter penalty
15 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A Money Box investigation has resulted in a £150,000 refund for a vulnerable romance fraud victim, after their bank initially refused to reimburse. T...
Money Box Live: Budget Day Special
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast we breakdown what was in the Spring 2023 budget and how the chancellor’s announcements impact your finances. The experts on the pane...
HMRC National Insurance deadline extended
08 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Felicity Hannah hears how HMRC have extended the National Insurance top up deadline after a surge in calls plus a listener asks if a drop in house pri...
Money Box Live: Cost of Food
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Grocery prices have increased by 17.1% in the four weeks to 19th February, meaning it’s at the highest level they’ve ever been recorded. This coul...
Rising Rents and Energy Bills
01 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The BBC understands that the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is expected to extend the Energy Price Guarantee at current levels for a further three months- b...
Money Box Live: Working Over 50
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is expected to introduce measures in his March Budget to encourage people who have retired early to return to work in-ord...
Over 50s Workers and Faulty Prepayment Meters
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is expected to use his Budget on March 15th to introduce measures to to encourage people over 50 to return to work. Sinc...
Money Box Live: Your Pensions and Investments
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the end of the tax year fast approaching, people are looking at their finances and investments. But in a cost of living crisis with unstable mar...
Lasting Power of Attorney delays and Mortgages
18 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Office of the Public Guardian has told Money Box it apologises to its customers for the distress caused by delays in dealing with applications for...
Money Box Live: Are you worried about debt?
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The problem of debt is never too far from the headlines at the moment. This week a group of charities - Citizens Advice, Step Change and Christians Ag...
Cost of Living Crisis: Working People
11 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The charity Citizens Advice says it's seen a sharp rise in the number of working people accessing crisis support in the past few years. In 2022, of th...
Money Box Live: The Art of a Complaint
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the UK, millions of people go without the refunds, the replacements and resolutions they're entitled to - because they don’t know how to complain...
Energy complaints rise to record levels
04 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Lewis hears how complaints to the Energy Ombudsman reached a record high last year. Plus, the child benefit trap that is catching parents unaware...
Money Box Live: Dementia and Money
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s estimated that more than 900,000 people in the UK have dementia but that’s a number that's on the rise. It’s a diagnosis that raises a lot ...
Bereavement Support and Energy Vouchers
25 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time unmarried parents will be entitled to bereavement benefits after a change in law was passed this week. Until now these benefits hav...
Money Box Live: Your Mortgage
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special programme we'll answer questions on mortgages, from interest rates to what to do if you're struggling to afford yours. Perhaps you’r...
Debt Advice, Mortgage Costs and Savings
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As hundreds of people at two large debt advice charities face redundancy – we visit a local debt advice centre to see who they help and how.Mortgage...
Money Box Live: How to get a pay rise
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you feel your income needs a boost, or you want a pay rise, then this is the podcast for you. We discuss top tips on how to negotiate a higher sala...
Mobile Phone Fraud and Pay Rises
11 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The anti-fraud charity the Fraud Advisory Panel says banks are inconsistent and being caught off guard by the emerging and growing threat of mobile ph...
Money Box Live: How to fill out your tax return
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As 31st January looms, there’s less than one month left for around 5.7 million Self Assessment customers to file their tax return or they may face a...
Lasting Powers of Attorney and Tax Returns
04 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2020, Lasting Powers of Attorney in England and Wales went digital. If you had permission to act on behalf of a relative who could no longer do it...
Money Box Live: Happiness and Money
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the calendar page turns, so many of us also think of turning over new leaves, re-assessing what we're doing and how we are doing it. In this pod...
Heating the homes of the future
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Money Box takes a look at three innovative energy projects changing the way people heat their homes to try to improve efficiency and reduce bills.Firs...
Money Box Christmas
21 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a year when the cost of living has dominated so many of our programmes and of course your lives, we’ll return to some of the organisations and in...
Money Box Live: Cost of Living and Charities
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Christmas is a time for giving and often that means charitable donations. New research from the Charities Aid Foundation suggests fewer people are su...
Scottish Budget and Cold Weather Payments
14 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss this week's Scottish Budget, from income tax to benefits. Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced that everyone earning more than £43...
Money Box Live: Bereavement Finances
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At some point in our lives, we all experience the death of family, friends or partners, and it is never easy. It's made worse - by what can feel lik...
Where to keep warm this winter
07 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's going to be the coldest weekend of the year so far. We already know that typical energy bills will be double what they were last winter. So every...
Money Box Live: Christmas Spending
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As households grapple with cost of living pressures and with Christmas just around the corner, many will be looking for cheaper options for the big da...
Loot Boxes, Pension Compensation and Bank Closures
31 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An new report suggests children are put at risk by 'loot boxes' in video games. More than a thousand steelworkers will share compensation of £49 mill...
Money Box Live: Cohabitation
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
3.6 million couples in the UK cohabit, meaning they live together in a relationship but without getting married or civil partnered. In fact, they are ...
Spray Foam, Fraud & Pay Gaps
24 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We hear from a man whose home was valued at zero pounds which his mortgage provider said was because his loft was insulated with spray foam.70,000 vic...
Money Box Live: Your Spending Strategies
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The surge in inflation is hitting wide and hitting deep, impacting everything from energy and fuel, to food and everyday household goods. With inflati...