Money Box

The creative industries add around £124 billion to the UK economy according to government figures, but for actors, painters, or even influencers, making it pay can seem impossible. The actor Christopher Biggins joins the programme to share how he's managed to work in the arts for more than 50 years as well as exactly what you can earn from Christmas Panto. We'll also discuss how there's more than just booking the gig, people should also consider setting money aside to pay taxes and think about paying into a pension. Plus we'll hear from an illustrator, content creator and a theatre group working to improve access to the arts through 'pay what you can' classes. Felicity Hannah is joined by Jack Gamble, Director at Campaign for the Arts and Vicks Rodwell, Managing Director at The Self-Employment Association, IPSE. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Sarah Rogers Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (This episode was first broadcast on Saturday the 27th of December 2025) Photo Credit: Simon Hadley

This week the Bank of England cut interest rates to the lowest level for more than two years. The decision to cut Bank Rate to 3.75% came after new figures also showed inflation had slowed, falling to 3.2% in the year to November. What will that mean for mortgages in 2026? Financial advisors say there's been a rise in older couples getting married because of changes to the rules around inheritance tax and pensions. We'll speak to a couple about their recent decision to tie the knot. Arguably the most successful investor of all time, Warren Buffett, will retire at the end of this month after sixty years as the CEO of the American company Berkshire Hathaway. What will his legacy be? And festive messages from just a handful of the listeners we’ve helped over the past 12 months. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Eimear Devlin and Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle (First broadcast 12pm Saturday 20th December 2025)

Life can sometimes get very complicated and messy so can our finances, so we're doing something a bit different to our usual Money Box Live. Introducing Money Box Life where we're looking at the finances of blended families. What we mean is family groups with some children from one parent, some from another and maybe a child or children together thrown into the mix as well. The number of families living this way is on the increase with some reports suggesting as many as 1 in 3 are blended. So how do people manage it? From birthday presents to who goes on holidays with whom to making a will. And how do the children feel about it all? Joining Felicity Hannha is Jo Thurston, a parenting coach and advisor for Parent Talk, which is the free online support service from the charity Action for Children and Liz Wyatt, Family Lawyer and Partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producers: Sarah Rogers and Helen Ledwick Editor: Jess Quayle Senior Editor: Sara Wadeson This episode was first broadcast of Wednesday the 17th of December 2025.

Sweeping changes to the way investments are recommended across the UK will start in April. This week the Financial Conduct Authority set out its plans. The regulator hopes they will encourage more people to invest their savings rather than keep them in cash. From April it will bring in what it calls 'targeted support'. That would allow firms to suggest how customers in different groups should manage their money. The FCA has also issued new guidance on how investments can be marketed and what warnings customers are given. Paul Lewis speaks to its Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Pritchard. Just 50 years ago, women couldn’t apply for loan or get a mortgage without a man. That came to an end thanks to the Sex Discrimination Act which came into force in December 1975. We'll hear from Kath and Sue who remember what it was like at that time. And a new scheme aimed at bringing down energy debt targets people who are moving home. We'll speak to Ofgem, the energy regulator, about that. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Eimear Devlin Researcher: Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast at 12pm Saturday 13th December 2025)

It’s December, a time of year when there’s pressure to say yes to every night out, buy the perfect presents and spend without really thinking. All that can lead to snap decisions we later regret, whilst for others, impulse spending can be a real issue all year round. In this programme, Felicity Hannah discusses the psychology behind impulse buying, why do we do it, what are the triggers, and who is impacted most? We hear from one mum whose impulse spending led to her falling deep in debt and turning to Buy Now Pay Later to pay for the basics, and give advice on where you can get help. Joining Felicity is Dr Pragya Agarwal, who is a behaviour and data scientist and author, and Vikki Brownridge, chief executive of the debt support charity StepChange. If you've been affected by the topics raised in this programme, details of organisations offering help and support with debt, hardship or homelessness are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free at any time to hear recorded information on 08000 159 774. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Sarah Rogers Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson. (This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday the 10th of December 2025)

New research suggests there are 6 million children across the UK living in fuel poverty, according to the charity National Energy Action. It defines fuel poverty as when a household has to spend at least 10% of its income to keep their home warm. It says the impact on children of living in a home which parents and carers struggle to keep warm can be significant. We'll hear more about what it would like to see change and discuss how the government and suppliers already help those struggling with bills. Of all the Budget measures perhaps the most misunderstood is the plan to restrict what is called salary sacrifice - giving up some of your pay so your employer can use that money to boost your pension. It won't actually happen until April 2029 but many Money Box listeners have been getting touch with questions. We'll take a look at those. How to keep Christmas costs low, as a debt charity finds thousands of people used its website for help on Christmas Day. And how tax relief for people who are asked to work from home is changing. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner Researcher: Eimear Devlin Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast on Radio 4 at 12pm Saturday 6th December 2025)

How much do we really understand about our pay? From frozen tax thresholds to salary sacrifice and minimum wage increases, a number of changes made in the Chancellor's budget might have left you looking a bit more closely at your payslip. So, what do all those figures mean, what is your employer legally obliged to provide and what can you do if you think your pay is wrong? Joining Felicity Hannah to answer your questions and comments this week is Dr Hilary Ingham, Professor of Economics at Lancaster University, Funmi Olufunwa, a Personal Finance Expert and financial educator and Kevin Rowan, Director of Dispute Resolution from ACAS the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producers: Helen Ledwick and Sarah Rogers Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Wednesday 3rd December 2025).

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

Thousands of people who've paid millions of pounds into an insurance plan they thought would cover their funeral costs face getting nothing in return. The insurer has told them their policies are being cancelled. Some had paid into the plan through their credit union for decades expecting a cash payment to go to their families when they died. But the cover will now come to an end as the insurer says a clause in the contract allows it to pull the plug with 30 days’ notice and give its customers - a number of whom are in their 80s - nothing. Now you might think receiving one tax demand a year is more than enough, but if you happen to be subjected to a so-called 'Simple Assessment' by HMRC you may well just have received a second one. HMRC have confirmed that they have started either issuing – or updating previously issued – Simple Assessments to include savings interest from 2024-25. But some tax advisors are concerned that people who paid their first bill covering earnings - back in the summer - could easily get confused and find themselves paying twice, once this new demand arrives. And - with speculation mounting as to what will be in the Chancellor’s budget – now just four weeks away – listeners have contacted us with their views about what may, or may not happen to Cash ISAs. This follows speculation that Rachel Reeves may reduce the cap on the amount you can save tax free in a cash ISA from £20,000 to a much lower amount such as £10,000, with the caveat that savers would be incentivised to invest more into the stocks and shares of British companies. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Sarah Rogers, Jo Krasner Researchers: Eimear Devlin, Catherine Lund Editor: Craig Henderson Snr News Editor: Sarah Wadeson

Inflation may not be in double digits anymore, but it is still almost double the Bank of England's target. That means prices are rising twice as fast as they should be. So we might have come through the cost of living crisis - but many people are still feeling its impact. Today we're asking: how are you beating the squeeze? And, in this week of trick or treating, how are you making sure you can still afford the treats? Presenter FELICITY HANNAH is joined by expert guests NEIL BELLAMY, consumer insights director at the market research firm NIQ, LISA WEBB, senior lawyer at the consumer champion Which? and the consumer journalist, HARRY WALLOP. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Catherine Lund, James Graham Editors: Jess Quayle, Craig Henderson Senior News Editor; Sara Wadeson (This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Radio 4 on Wednesday 29th October).

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)

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).

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)

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).

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)

Money Box Live hits the road and heads to the heart of the City of London for this special programme on investing. We're live at the London Stock Exchange to look at the basics and weigh up the different options. According to the Financial Conduct Authority, about a third of adults had some sort of investment last year, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves wants savers to put more money into investments, arguing it will bring better returns and help boost the economy. But is it really for everyone? And how do you actually do it? Felicity Hannah is joined by Julia Sage-Bell, senior policy advisor at the Personal Investment Management and Financial Advice Association (PIMFA), Philippa Hann, chief executive of financial advice firm Paradigm Morton and Louise Claro, an independent financial adviser at Circle Financial Services. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producers: James Graham and Helen Ledwick Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Radio 4 on Wednesday the 8th of October 2025).