Lawyers acting for victims of the infected blood scandal have written to the Chancellor demanding urgent action to avoid families and loved ones having to pay £100,000s in tax. The government has previously said compensation payments would not be subject to Inheritance Tax. But with around 3,000 victims having already died they say a change in the rules is needed to avoid their loved ones facing huge tax bills. The Treasury says it's "considering" the issue and a decision will be made at the Budget.Plans to reform standing charges for gas and electricity "will not work" and should be scrapped, the trade body for the energy industry Energy UK has told Money Box. Standing charges are the fixed daily cost that households pay just to be connect to electricity or gas supply. They rose sharply this month to an average £320 a year - more than £6 a week - a cost you must pay before you turn on a light or cook your dinner. Suppliers say they cover the cost of providing and maintaining the supply. However, the energy regulator Ofgem is considering proposals to offer all customers a reduced standing charge, but at the cost of paying more for the electricity and gas they actually use. It says that will increase choice for consumers but Energy UK wants them to rethink the proposal.How much will benefits rise in April?And with one month to go, what would you like to know ahead of the Autumn Budget?Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Eimear Devlin
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast at 12pm on Saturday 25th October 2025)
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25:01
Money Box Live: First-Time Buyers
For some it's the dream, for others it's the plan, for most it's an effort. On this programme we look at buying a first home. It's rarely easy but plenty of people are making the jump. The property site Zoopla says first time buyers accounted for 40% of sales in the first half of the year.But the picture can be so different depending on where you live and how much family support you can tap into. We'll hear from those who've just bought as well as others struggling to make it work because their salaries are out of step with prices.Felicity Hannah is joined by Richard Donnell who heads the research and insights team at the property website Zoopla and Jane King a mortgage adviser at the firm, Ash Ridge.Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producers: James Graham
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson
(This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Radio 4 on Wednesday the 22nd October 2025).
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Unauthorised Recurring Card Payments and Overpaying Mortgages
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute is warning people to keep a close eye on their bank and credit card accounts after thousands of unsuspecting shoppers have said they're having money taken without their knowledge. Individual payments are usually quite low, but if not spotted, they can quickly start to add up. Trading Standards say it's "outrageous" these payments are being taken without explicit consent. How can you spot and stop these payments?Two thirds of first time buyers are overpaying their mortgage and one in six hope to be mortgage free by the time they're 40 according to a report from TSB. Is it the same for other mortgage holders and what should you think about if you're considering overpaying on your mortgage?More than half of adults in the UK do not have a will. So if they die they will have no say in how their money, property, and possessions are distributed. WillAid, where solicitors all over the UK make free wills and suggest a donation to charity in exchange. How does it all work and what happens if someone dies without a will?Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Eimear Devlin and Jo Krasner
Producers: Robert Cave
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast at 12pm on Saturday 18th October 2025)
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24:38
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24:38
Money Box Live: Apprenticeships
The government wants more young people to be offered "gold standard apprenticeships". The plan was unveiled at the Labour party conference as the Prime Minister ditched the ambition for half of young people to go to university.So we're looking at the financial side of apprenticeships, from how much they pay to what they can mean for a family's finances. Felicity Hannah is joined by Ben Rowland, the author of Understanding Apprenticeships and also the chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, a trade body for organisations that train apprentices. And also Rachel Kayes, community manager for the Association of Apprentices, an apprentice support body with around 50,000 members.Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producers: James Graham
Editor: Jess Quayle(This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Radio 4 on the 15th of October 2025).
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28:32
Investing and Car Finance Compensation
The Chancellor wants more people to invest in shares, UK companies and infrastructure projects in a bid to boost growth in the economy. Rachel Reeves argued in her recent Mansion House speech that it would make people better off, but this kind of investment involves risk and is making some people nervous. We put those concerns to Treasury Minister Lucy Rigby.When is the best time to start a pension? Around 45,000 parents and grandparents seem to think saving should start when you're born. Figures from HMRC show nearly £80 million was invested in private pensions for children in 2022/23 that's up 15%.
And the buyers of around 14 million cars who were deceived or misled about the commission paid to the dealer when they took out a car loan are set to receive an average payout of £700 for each deal. That estimate came from the Financial Conduct Authority this week when it set out details of a plan to compensate them, but it's less than the 'up-to-£950' it had suggested just a few months ago.Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Catherine Lund
Producers: Robert Cave, Craig Henderson
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Justin Bones(First broadcast at 12pm on Saturday 11th October 2025)
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