Money Box

The Chancellor announced dozens of changes in the Budget that will affect the money in your pocket from wages and energy bills to savings. Many of them won't happen for some time - years in some cases - so we look at the more imminent tax changes. That will include the freezing of tax thresholds that will see higher taxes for many and changes to the Cash ISA limits.A "bewildering system" of benefits - that's how the author of a new report has described the plight of tens of thousands of unpaid carers who were thrown into debt because of the overpayment of Carer's Allowance. This week an independent review was published that's been a year in the making. It started because carers had been working but had unwittingly slipped over the amount they're able to earn before losing their Carer's Allowance - a payment they're entitled to if they care for someone for over 35 hours a week, leaving them in debt to the government. Paul Lewis interviews the author of the report Liz Sayce, who has told Money Box the government must implement her recommendations "at pace".And, the families of thousands of people who were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C by the NHS when it used contaminated blood in the 1970s and 80s will not have to pay tax on the compensation many of them are still waiting for. That commitment came from Rachel Reeves in the Budget, after Money Box reported on a campaign to ensure those relatives weren't subject to inheritance tax bills of tens of even hundreds of thousands of pounds.Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner Researcher: Eimear Devlin Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 29th November 2025)

For months we’ve heard speculation about what the Autumn Budget might bring - now we know. The Chancellor has delivered her statement, setting out plans for taxes, benefits, and spending. But what does it mean for your money? Our panel of experts break down the key announcements and explain how they could affect you. Felicity Hannah is joined by David Dodgson, a partner at the independent financial advisors, The Private Office; Helen Thornley, a tax expert from the Association of Taxation Technicians; and Sarah Pennells, a consumer finance specialist for the mutual life and pensions company, Royal London. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Helen Ledwick Researcher: Eimear Devlin Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Radio 4 on the 26th of November 2025).

Money Box takes a special look at how victims of fraud are treated by those supposed to help them in the weeks and months afterwards. How are they helped in their fight for justice by the police, their banks and the courts? Or are they all too often left struggling to deal with both the financial and mental impact on their own? We also hear how a small regional charity in the UK has partnered with police to be there for victims when the spotlight of the original crime has faded.Parents who lost their child benefit because HMRC wrongly believed they had left the country deserved better treatment according to a senior MP. Dame Meg Hillier, the chair of the Treasury Select Committee, made the comments after the tax office stripped payments from almost 24,000 families after it used travel data to conclude they had left the UK permanently. As we previously reported, some of those people had simply been on holiday. HMRC says it took swift action and that, where there was evidence that customers had continued UK employment, it reinstated payments automatically without any need for customer contact and those payments have been backdated. As the Budget draws nearer how do frozen tax thresholds already impact people and how might that change on Wednesday?Plus, if you've got significant savings in a UK bank or building society or credit union, the level of protection you’d have if one of them goes bust is to rise from £85k to £120k – how will that work?Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner Researcher: Eimear Devlin Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 22nd November 2025)

A record number of households across England and Wales are now getting social tariffs from water suppliers to help cut their bills. Two million households now get support according to a new report from the Consumer Council for Water, which is up by 22% on last year. It comes as nearly 3 million are now in debt to water companies, owing an average of £744. What's behind that rise?If you're a recent graduate - or you know one - then you're probably already aware of how tough the jobs market can be right now. Several recent reports show finding work with a new degree has got harder in recent years. We'll look at what help there is for graduates.New data shows that hundreds of thousands of former students are eligible for nearly £100 million pounds worth of refunds on their loans. How can you apply?And how can banks do more to support people with learning disabilities?Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Eimear Devlin Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast on Radio 4 at 12pm, Saturday 15th November 2025)

MPs on the Treasury Select Committee are seeking answers from HMRC after thousands of parents have had their child benefit stopped because they took a holiday abroad. The mistakes happened during a fraud crackdown on people emigrating from the UK but still claiming the benefit for their children. Now, among all the financial pressures of recent years the costs faced by parents for school trips has continued to go up. And it's not just a cause for concern for parents, but also for school governors. The body which represents them in England, the National Governance Association, has told Money Box that schools should try to help parents with these costs to ease the growing financial pressures many feel. Plus, a big change is underway aimed at helping victims of domestic violence in financial trouble. And we continue to look at Budget issues raised by listeners. This week it’s potential changes to council tax. Speculation suggests that the two highest bands, and the way bands are decided, could be subject to change later this month.Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Eimear Devlin Editor: James Graham Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson