Brits are being urged to check the terms of their phone and broadband contracts and ensure they’re not overpaying council tax with bills rising from April 1.

This year ‘Awful April’ looks likely to be particularly painful, with nine in 10 councils taking the opportunity to raise taxes by the maximum allowed amount, and water bills rising by as much as 47%.

Although you can’t escape all hikes, with the right know-how, you can potentially save hundreds of pounds.

Below, we talk you through how to hack household bills as businesses and councils put up their prices to compensate for inflation and rising costs.

1. Council tax

Most of us will pay 5% more on our council tax from April – that’s an average of about an extra £109 a year for a Band D household – but a few unlucky folk will find the bill is much higher.

That’s because their council has been given permission to raise even more from customers because they are in dire financial straits.

Councils that can do this include Bradford, which will put up council tax by 10%, and the London borough of Newham, whose residents will pay 9% more.

Is there anything I can do about it?

Check you are not overpaying. There are a few reasons why council tax might be reduced. Full-time students, single people, carers and those with certain diagnoses are entitled to a discount, as are some people on low incomes, so check your council website to see if you are eligible.

You may also be able to apply to reduce your council tax band. The amount you pay in tax depends on the valuation of your house in 1991, and many properties have changed since then. There are more details on how to challenge the banding at 
gov.uk, though be aware that it comes with the risk you’ll go up a band, too!

2. Energy bills

The government cap on energy prices rises from April 1 to 6.4%, so if you’re on a capped energy tariff, the gas and electricity you are using will cost more. Energy regulator Ofgem says this will cost the average household £111 a year if prices remain at the new level. The cap itself only runs for three months, after which prices may rise or fall again.

Is there anything I can do about it?

If you are on a fixed-rate tariff, you won’t pay any more for your energy until that rate comes to an end.

If you aren’t, and your energy is on a capped tariff, now might be a good time to see if you can save by switching. Use comparison sites such as Uswitch, Moneysupermarket or Comparethe
market to find cheaper deals.

Taking steps to reduce your energy bills will also pay dividends, although the good news is that the latest hike is coming in as the weather gets warmer and energy demand reduces.

Fiona Peake, consumer finance expert at Ocean Finance, suggests the following tweaks to bring bills down further. ‘Leaving appliances on standby overnight can add up to £100 a year to your bills. Switching everything off at the socket (except essentials like your fridge) can be an easy way to save,’ she says. ‘Another simple fix is lowering your boiler’s flow temperature to 60C. It won’t impact the warmth of your home but it could save you another £100 a year.’

3. Water bills

Water bills alone are set to increase by an average of £123 a year from April 1, a 26% increase, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which represents householders. Depending on where you live, some people will face even bigger rises, as water companies are raising their bills by different amounts.

Some of the highest rises include Southern Water, which is increasing bills by 47%, South West Water (32%), Thames Water (31%) and Yorkshire Water (29%).

Is there anything I can do about it?

Andy White, from the CCW, says that customers who are finding water bills difficult to pay should check whether they are eligible for a ‘social tariff’.

If you are eligible because you have a low income, you could save an average of £160 a year, while those with medical conditions that mean they use a lot of water could be eligible for WaterSure tariffs, with an average saving of £286 a year. Two in five households in the UK don’t have a meter and some would be better off if they switched.

You can try the CCW water meter calculator at ccw.org.uk to see if that could be you. You can also, unless you live in an area where water meters are compulsory, switch back again after two years if you are unhappy with it.

‘I saved £175 by switching to a water meter’

Sylvia Tillmann, from Ramsgate in Kent, is saving over £175 a year now she’s switched her water to a meter. Her bill used to be £300 a year, and now it is just under £125.

The 58-year-old lives in a one-bedroom flat, but still saved on her Southern Water bill by switching to a meter.

‘I’m not wasteful, very environmentally conscious, and take short showers rather than long ones,’ she says. ‘I only use the washing machine and dishwasher when it’s really full, so the meter hasn’t changed my behaviour at all, just saved me money.’

Sylvia says that she was prompted to get a meter by a friend who had also saved money, and although she had to wait a while for an engineer to come and fit it, the process was otherwise straightforward.

‘To start with, I was checking the meter all the time to see if it moved, and it only moved a little bit with each shower or use of the dishwasher,’ she says. ‘I couldn’t believe my savings, and I’d advise anyone who is careful with water like me to do this.’

4. Broadband and mobile bills

Broadband and mobile phone companies are allowed to put up your bills by an amount linked to inflation if this was in your contract when you signed up. Fiona, at Ocean Finance, says this could push bills up by six to 7.5%, adding £3-£5 per month to household expenses.

Is there anything I can do about it?

If you are out of contract, you can leave and get a better deal, or haggle with your current provider for a cheaper price by threatening to leave. Check out comparison sites such as Uswitch or Moneysupermarket for deals that might work for you.

If you’re in contract, chances are you’ll have to pay to leave, but do check whether they will waive exit penalties when prices rise. If the penalties are steep, make a calendar note of when the contract ends and switch as quickly as you can.

5. Car tax

How much more will I pay?

For most of us, the increase in car tax will be a relatively manageable £5 a year, to £195. For those with electric vehicles though, the increase will be high. These vehicles have been exempt from the tax but now will pay £10 for the first year before moving to the standard car tax rate.

Is there anything I can do about it?

Expensive vehicles attract more car tax, so ensuring you don’t have a vehicle with a ‘list price’ of over £40,000 will save you money. Otherwise you only get out of paying car tax if your car is off-road and declared as such, or is over 40 years old.

6. TV Licence

How much more will I pay?

The price for a standard colour TV licence is rising by £5 to £174.50.

Is there anything I can do about it?

If you want to watch live TV or BBC iPlayer then you will need a licence. If you watch only other catch-up services, you won’t, and can save the full amount. You can apply to cancel your licence online if this is the case at tvlicensing.co.uk. You can also fill out a declaration on the same site saying you don’t need a licence, to prevent TV Licensing pursuing you for the cash.

Beware, though, if you don’t pay and are discovered to be watching live TV or iPlayer, you could face a £1,000 fine. Otherwise if you’re over 75 and receive the pension credit benefit you’ll get a free TV licence, while those who are blind or significantly sight-impaired will receive a 50% discount.

Rosie Murray-West is Metro’s personal finance specialist.

If you want more tips and tricks on saving money, as well as chat about cash and alerts on deals and discounts, join our Facebook Group, Money Pot.

Looking to make a bit of extra cash?

With the cost of living crisis continuing to affect millions, many of us are turning to side hustles to bring in a little extra income, but for others, the solution to making some more money could lie in some of those forgotten items in your cupboard.

Yep, if you grew up in the 90s you may well have bought into every fad going – whether you got the must-have toy for Christmas, amassed a huge collection of videotapes or indulged in a must-have collectors’ item.

And chances are, you probably packed those things away and haven’t looked at them in years.

But some of those items are worth revisiting because now, 30 years on (feel old yet?), as they could be worth a lot more than you paid for them back in the day.

Read on to find out which sought-after 90s items are now potentially worth a fortune – and how much you could get for them.

1. Furby

Kicking off this list is one of the most sought-after toys of the 90s, the Furby.

If you were a kid in the latter part of the decade, chances are this might have been on your Christmas wishlist for 1998.

However, if you happen to have an original Furby, a limited edition Furby or a rare one (or you never actually took it out of its original packaging) then you could well be quids in.

How much you’ll get for it depends on the type of Furby and the condition, but some of the older toys are going on eBay for around £100, or as much as £175 if it’s in its original box. Meanwhile the rarer Furbys can fetch even more.

Mental Floss reported that an original 1998 Furby went for $705 (£527) on eBay a few years ago, while Money Digest has said that a super-rare Bejewelled Furby was sold for $6,400 (£4,800) last year.

They have also reported that if you happen to be in possession of the rarest Furby of all – the Rainbow Furby, of which only three of which were ever produced – then you really could be out to make a fortune, although no-one’s actually given any indication of what it might be worth

2. Pokemon cards

Back in the days before Pokemon involved everyone walking around staring at their phone screens in a bid to catch the little critters in the wild, there was another way you could have a whole lot of Pokemon in your life – with trading cards.

These were big business in the 90s (remember when some schools banned them?) as we set out to catch them all – our favourite characters in card form that is – and if you’ve got some of these lying around in a dusty old cupboard you could be in the money.

CNN reported in 2022 that the super-rare 1999 Pokémon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Charizard card sold at auction for an impressive $420,000 (£321,000) – setting an all-time record – so it’s well worth checking out which cards you might still have, and what their value is.

You never know, you could be holding a fortune in your hands

3. Harry Potter first edition

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was originally published in June 1997 and the rest, of course, is history.

But if you were one of the first people to buy a copy of JK Rowling’s original Potter novel, did you know you could have a small treasure sitting on your bookshelves?

The Harry Potter website Mugglenet has reported that a first edition of that original book, complete with original cover art and typos, could fetch as much as $30,000-$50,000 (£22,900-£38,200). With only 500 copies of that edition ever being printed, the chances of you having one might be pretty remote but if you are lucky enough to have a copy then head over to eBay or First Edition Books to see how much you could be sitting on

4. Super Mario Bros game

Let’s be honest, a whole lot of us whiled away far too many hours in the 90s playing Nintendo and one of the most popular games of the decade was Super Mario Bros.

The little Italian plumber and his brother Luigi proving so popular they spawned sequels, a spin-off movie (the less said about that one the better) and even a hit single, courtesy of the Ambassadors of Funk featuring MC Mario. We’re not sure any of those will net you any dough, but owning a copy of one of the original games might.

Back in 2020, a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros 3 went for $156,000 (£119,000) at auction, according to CNet – a record which was smashed just a few months later when The Verge reports an unused copy of the original game sold on a collectibles site for a cool $2 million (£1.5 million). That’s a lot of moolah for your Mario.

5. Old Disney VHS tapes

Back in the 90s, before the arrival of streaming platforms, YouTube and CBeebies, your best bet for a spot of small-screen entertainment would have been those family-friendly Disney movies your parents had in their VHS collection.

Chances are they would have been well-worn too, because who wouldn’t have watched The Lion King or Toy Story every chance they got? But who’d have thought 30 years later that those tapes could turn out to be money-spinners?

Mail Online reported back in 2023 that some classic films are going for five-figure sums on eBay – including a rare edition of 101 Dalmatians still in sealed packaging, which was sold for £15,000.

A lot depends on what condition the tape is in, of course, whether or not it’s limited edition or if it’s sealed and has never been played, but it’s worth having a rummage around in that old tape box and checking eBay to see how much yours might be worth.

6. Ghostbusters VHS tapes and memorabilia

It isn’t just Disney fans who are willing to spend a pretty penny on collectible items; just this month, a factory-sealed VHS of Ghostbusters sold through Goodwill’s online platform for a jaw-dropping $3,806 (£2,941).

The supernatural comedy was released in 1984 while its sequel came out in 1989, so it’s not strictly a 90s thing. That said, you probably had a copy of the Dan Aykroyd classic kicking about in the years that followed – or maybe even some merch from later iterations such as The Real Ghostbusters animated series.

And given the lasting interest in the franchise, it could definitely be worth busting those items out of storage.

7. Polly Pocket dolls

While Barbie and the like may have continued to be popular throughout the 90s, youngsters and doll collectors also snapped up Polly Pockets – those tiny dolls and their equally tiny houses – by the truckload.

With Mattel having taken over the brand in 1998, the original Pollys, particularly those made between 1989 and 1998, are now worth a pretty (Polly) penny, even more so if you have one that’s all sealed up in its box.

The Mirror reported earlier this year that one set from the decade – the Polly Pocket Beauty Case – fetched £4,800 on eBay, while other sets from the era also brought in four-figure sums when listed. So your Polly could well bring in the pounds too

8. Beanie babies

If you were a child of the 90s, the chances are you had one or two of these lying around or you might even have been an avid collector who filled your bedroom with hundreds of the colourful little stuffed bears.

Given their popularity back then, not to mention the many different limited editions and rare bears, it’s no surprise that some of these are now worth money – but how much you could get for yours largely depends on which ones you have.

This Is Money reported last year that there’s no hard or fast rule when it comes to Beanie Baby value, and some may only be worth a few quid at best. However if you have one of the original toys produced – such as Flash The Dolphin or Legs the Frog – you could well net hundreds of pounds for it, while others, such as Chef Robouchon and Mystic The Unicorn have previously sold for as much as £7,000.

However, as with all these things, it will largely depend on condition, colour and and little quirks – such as spelling errors on the tag for example – all of which can bump the selling price up or down

9. Tamagotchis

Ever kept a Tamagotchi in your bag or your back pocket? More importantly, have you remembered to feed it, play with it and generally keep the little electronic blob happy if you have?

Well, Tamagotchis are still around these days, having expanded their reach to appear in video games, as well as the 2022 Pixar movie Turning Red, in which lead character Meilin owned a Tamagotchi called Robaire Junior.

But if you were one of those people who nurtured your own electronic pet back in 1996 when they first hit the market, your now adult Tamagotchi could net you a nice little earner. Smithsonian Magazine reported in 2021 that a rare Mobile Kaitsu! Tamagotchi Plus from the era was sold for over $5000 (£3,800) while other similar 90s Tamagotchis can also sell for around the $1,000 (£765) mark.

Only the 90s ones, mind – so if your Tamagotchi is still a 21st Century infant don’t expect a four-figure sum

10. Happy Meal Toys

Happy Meals aren’t just the stuff of kiddie treats and birthday parties – anyone who’s ever munched their way through one as a child will also know that they come with a toy, usually themed around whatever tie-in promotion the burger chain happens to be running at the time.

What you might not know is that little collectible bit of plastic that you probably shoved to the back of a drawer and forgot about when you got home might now bag you enough money to invest in quite a few Happy Meals.

A lot depends on whether you have the full set of some of the most valuable toys of course, but if you do you could be in luck. Antiques expert Peter Jenkinson from Loveantiques.com told News Shopper last year that the Mario figures from 1994 and 1998 could be worth around £187.78 while Power Rangers toys could come in at even more – around £262 if you have the complete set. Speaking of which…

11. Power Rangers action figures

Power Rangers remains as popular today as it was back in the 90s, whether you still watch old episodes of the TV series, enjoy the movies or even indulge in a bit of cosplay.

But if you’ve got some of the original action figures from the heyday of the series back in the early 90s, you could well be quids in – especially if they are sealed up and unusued.

A quick look on eBay tells us that currently a full set of the original 1993 action figures, still in their boxes, could go for around £1,350. If it’s not in the box it won’t get you nearly as much, with asking prices ranging from around £30-£60 in many cases, but you could still net yourself a little extra cash for your troubles.

This article was first published on October 10, 2024.

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While smart meters are a handy way to save money on your energy bills, it turns out millions across Great Britain may not actually work.

According to official figures, there have been a number of issues with the nationwide smart meter rollout, with as many as 3.5 million currently operating in ‘dumb’ mode, unable to send energy usage information.

As such, Ofgem has called on providers to urgently fix broken devices, proposing they issue £40 automatic compensation to those who have to wait longer than 90 days.

Under the regulator’s plans, customers will also receive a payout if a smart meter installation fails due to a fault within their provider’s control.

Amid government targets for three-quarters of all homes to use one by the end of this year, Uswitch research shows up to 1.4 million households in England, Wales and Scotland have waited six months or longer for their broken meter to be fixed.

However, the new proposals mean anyone who requests a new meter from their supplier will have to be offered one within six weeks, while suppliers will be required to provide a resolution plan to those who report problems with their device within five working days.

Tim Jarvis, director general for markets at Ofgem, said: ‘We’re drawing the line on excuses – suppliers will need to follow our new rules or compensate their customers.

We know that many customers are still waiting too long to get a smart meter installed or facing lengthy delays on repairs when it stops working.

‘That’s why we’re stepping in to make the process quicker and easier for consumers and to make sure they’re fairly compensated if things do go wrong.’

Martin Lewis discussed the topic on a recent episode of his podcast with Octopus Energy boss Greg Jackson, who claimed repairs were often not prioritised because fixing existing smart meters doesn’t count towards the targets.

The Money Saving Expert (MSE) founder previously warned ministers that up to 20% of home smart meters are not working properly, urging them to change the current rules.

In a letter to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, he wrote: ‘Repairs are slow, if they happen at all, as resources are focused on installs, leaving consumers frustrated and at risk of mis-billing and further problems.’

Ofgem’s proposals are due to be consulted on until May, after which further details on the compensation scheme will likely be released.

Miatta Fahnbulleh, the UK Minister for Energy Consumers, commented: ‘We want to make sure more consumers feel the benefits of having one installed.

‘A crucial part of that will be improving the smart meter customer experience, so we welcome Ofgem’s proposals to introduce guaranteed standards of performance for smart meters.

‘This will help to ensure people who want to upgrade their meters are better supported through the process, and can make the most of their new smart meter.’

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For customers switching to Nationwide to claim that £175 cash reward, time is running out.

The UK’s biggest building society announced the current account offer is being axed on March 31, meaning you need to act quickly to claim the free money.

The incentive aims to encourage customers to switch current accounts to Nationwide from their previous bank, and was initially introduced on September 25, 2024.

Nationwide had always warned the reward wouldn’t be permanent, reiterating in December that it was for a ‘limited time only’.

And now, there are just three days left to switch.

Here’s everything you need to know before the deadline at the end of the month.

How to claim Nationwide’s £175 cash reward

In order to qualify, you must switch from a non-Nationwide bank account with at least two active direct debits.

Your non-Nationwide account will be closed when you switch – and Nationwide say they can do this for you if you select that option when requesting the switch.

As per the terms, you’ll need to deposit £1,000 into the account within 31 days of requesting the switch – not counting transfers from other Nationwide accounts or Visa credits – and pay for something at least once using your debit card.

Some transactions – like gambling – don’t count towards this, so do your due diligence. The switch needs to be completed within 28 days to be eligible for the £175 cash offer.

Nationwide said: ‘You can get £175 by switching to a FlexPlus, FlexDirect or FlexAccount.

‘If you already have one of these bank accounts, you can still switch over your non-Nationwide bank account and get £175 if you log in to our internet bank.’

Be warned that if you switch your account to a FlexPlus Nationwide account, you’ll be charged an £18 monthly fee, while FlexDirect and FlexAccount are both free.

Nationwide’s Fairer Share Scheme

Nationwide customers also have just three days left to qualify for a £100 payment from the building society.

Last year, Nationwide paid 3.85 million members £100 each as part of its Fairer Share scheme, and they’re set to issue a fresh round of bonuses in the coming months.

In Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert (MSE) newsletter, he shared a guide on possible conditions for the ‘reward’, urging: ‘Go quick to boost your chances.’

MSE explained: ‘In previous years, the scheme has been announced in May and paid in June, though whether you got it depended on if you met the qualifying criteria in the first three months of the year.’

That means existing members have just a few weeks left to ensure they fulfil any requirements, while non-members need to switch to Nationwide ASAP to be eligible.

If you’re already a Nationwide customer, your account must still be open on March 31, 2025, so don’t close it between now and then. Additionally, you need to have used it within the first three months of this year.

If you have a FlexAccount, FlexBasic, or FlexDirect account you must have received £500 and made two payments out of your account, or have made 10 or more outgoing payments in January and February this year.

Having a FlexPlus account means you’ll need to have kept up with your fee to be eligible, while FlexOne, FlexGraduate and FlexStudent accounts require one payment in or out of your account.

If you have a mortgage account with Nationwide you must owe at least £100 by the end of March and if you have a savings account you must have a balance of at least £100.

You don’t need to request this £100 bonus payment, the bank contacts eligible members typically by May 31, with bonuses deposited into members’ accounts between June 13 and June 28.

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April is almost upon us – and with it comes yet another increase in household bills.

From the first of the month, a whole range of utilities will be getting more costly, including energy, water, council tax, and, alas, the TV licence.

Along these lines, Brits could see their expenses rise by an average of £32.17 per month, totalling more than £360 each year.

This amounts to a whopping £10,200,000,000 in extra costs, spread across 28,000,000 households.

So, is there any way to beat the hikes, and is it worth switching to save a few extra pennies?

Which bills are rising in April, and by how much?

Council tax

It’s bad news on the council tax front, as rates are set to rise by up to 5% across most of England.

But, as Amy Knight, personal finance expert at NerdWallet UK, tells Metro, some residents will see even steeper hikes of between 7.5% and 10%, effective across Birmingham, Bradford, and Newham.

For the average Band D property in England (the rates for which were £2,171 in 2024), a 5% increase amounts to an extra £109 annually – which is roughly £9.08 per month.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, rates will increase by at least 8%, while Wales is set to range from 4.5% to 9%.

Water

Water bills are set to jump up next month, with the average bill rising by 26% (£123 annually, or around £10 per month).

But as Amy notes, customers of Southern Water (which covers Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent), will see an increase of 47% (equating to £224 per year), while South West Water users will see their bills spike by 32% (an extra £166 annually).

Energy

From April 1, the energy price cap will increase by 6.4%, which will facilitate an average annual increase of £111 (an extra £9.25 per month for most households).

TV licence

Things are also going to get more costly in the entertainment world too, as the price of a standard colour TV licence will be increasing by £5 – or 42p each month.

However, if you don’t watch live TV on any channel or device – and you don’t use BBC iPlayer – you aren’t legally required to buy a licence at all.

So if you exclusively get your pop culture kicks from the likes of Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime, you could save some extra money by cancelling your licence fee.

Broadband

In the world of broadband, most customers are expected to see a price hike – though this depends on the individual terms of each contract.

‘If you signed up before January 17, 2025, your bill will rise based on a pre-set rate rather than inflation. However, some providers began implementing fixed-rate increases as early as April 2024, leading to a rise of around £3 per month,’ Amy shares.

‘Long-term broadband customers could see their bills go up by 7%, meaning an average £35 broadband package will cost around £2.45 more per month.’

Mobile

Those who haven’t recently signed a new mobile phone contract could also see price increases of 7%.

As Amy says, for the average £25 monthly plan, that amounts to an increase of approximately £1.75, while those on a fixed-rate contract could see sharper increases of around £3 per month.

Car tax

Things are skyrocketing in the motor world too, as from April, the standard road tax for cars registered after 2017 will rise by £5 to £195 per year – which adds on a monthly cost of at least 42p to most expenses.

It’s a similarly sticky situation for owners of electric vehicles too, which will no longer be exempt from car tax, incurring a £10 fee for the first year alongside the standard £195 charge.

There’ll also be an annual surcharge on electric vehicles exceeding the £40,000 price mark, which amounts to £420 annually. Ouch.

Is it worth switching ahead of April 1?

As Greg Marsh, consumer finance expert and CEO of household money-saving tool Nous.co tells Metro, nine out of 10 of us are overpaying on our bills – and could save by switching services like energy, mobile and broadband.

‘The average person who’s out of contract for their mobile and broadband could save more than £500 a year by switching to a cheap SIM-only deal and an affordable broadband package from a smaller supplier,’ Greg says.

‘For bills like water and council tax it isn’t possible to change suppliers, but households could potentially still save by getting a water meter or checking they’re in the right council tax band.’

And, according to Martin Lewis, 80% of households in England, Scotland and Wales currently overpay for their energy – but as Amy explains, many households might benefit from switching to a fixed tariff, which is where you ‘lock in’ a rate for a set period of time.

‘Even with a fixed deal, the total bill depends on energy consumption. Luckily for Brits, with longer daylight hours approaching, small habit changes could actually help lower costs,’ Amy shares.

‘For example, simple actions like turning off unused lights, unplugging devices in standby mode, and being mindful of heating usage can make a massive difference.’

Elsewhere, it’s also worth considering a reassessment on your council tax rates to ensure you’re being charged correctly – and as Amy adds, if you’re on a low income or receiving benefits, you may be eligible for a reduction.  

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According to Martin Lewis, 80% of households in England, Scotland and Wales currently overpay for energy — and in the coming months, it’s only going to get worse.

Ofgem just announced the price cap will be going up by 6.4% in April – following a 1% rise in January – with the energy regulator blaming an increase in the wholesale price of oil and gas.

That means the minimum bill for someone with typical dual-fuel use paying by Direct Debit will go up by over £100 a year, which Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley will pose ‘a huge challenge for many households.’

But thankfully, there is a way to avoid the worst of the hike, with Martin claiming it could result in a typical annual saving of £200.

And the personal finance guru’s advice is simple: ‘Most people should consider locking in a cheap fix to avoid the hike.’

On the Money Saving Expert (MSE) newsletter, he explained that ‘a fixed tariff is where you lock in a rate for a set time (you still pay more if you use more, though), giving you the peace of mind of price certainty’.

Martin also added on X: ‘The cheapest year-long standalone fixes right now are about 4% less than the current cap, never mind once it rises in April.’

As many people are nervous about switching to a relatively unknown energy company for their price fix, Money Saving Expert has managed to wrangle an exclusive 16-month fix with British Gas, that’s available for new and existing customers.

However, it’s only available until 5pm on Friday, March 28. So you’ll want to act ‘urgently’ if you want to snap it up as there are just three days from now until then.

According to the experts, there’s only one smaller firm (Outfox the Market) that has a cheaper deal right now, and this is the ‘most competitive deal’ British Gas has offered in a while.

Martin says that in general the deal ‘looks strong’ but the exact fixed rate tariff that’s best for you will depend on your region and how much energy you use.

To find this out, you’ll want to put your details into a comparison tool (like MSE’s Cheap Energy Club) to see more personalised options.

Regardless of which deal you choose, the new price cap will come into play on April 1 and will last for three months, so you definitely have to switch before then.

However, Martin also warns that deals are being snapped up fast, so ‘getting it done ASAP is safest’ as ‘each day you sit on the Price Cap is a day you pay more than needed’.

Alongside fixed rate tariffs, it’s worth looking into specialist alternatives that could save you cash.

EDF’s new Simply Tracker Extra tariff, for example, slashes £100 a year off the standing charge, and could be good for those with lower usage (roughly under £135 per month).

Alternatively, there are electric vehicle tariffs which could help EV drivers keep costs down, and rapid price-change options offering lower prices outside of peak periods for those who are able to shift their daily usage routine.

If you’re still struggling to pay, Martin recommends speaking to your energy provider to see how they can help.

‘Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you’re vulnerable,’ he says.

They may be able to put you forward for a hardship and debt grant, or work with you to negotiate a payment plan you can afford – everything’s decided on a case-by-case basis.

Under Ofgem rules, suppliers are obligated to help struggling customers, so get in touch with yours as soon as possible if you’re worried about your ability to pay.

A version of this story was first published on February 25, 2025.

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While he’d saved some cash in bank accounts, he wasn’t satisfied with the low rates of interest on offer. And despite being interested in investing, he hadn’t got around to starting.

That’s when he turned to a smart money app that makes money management easier than ever before.

Plum helps people save and invest using the power of automation – with more than 2.2 million users onboarded so far. 

It works by linking to your bank account and calculating how much you can afford to save before setting it aside at regular intervals. Plum then puts this money to work in a way of your choosing, from saving it into an Interest Pocket or Cash ISA to investing it in one of its many funds.

Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. If you choose to invest, keep in mind, the value of your investments can go down as well as up, and your capital is at risk.

Peter, from Nottingham, now has an impressive £15,000 saved with the app – with some of it funding the training he needs for his new career as a tree surgeon. 

‘The first lockdown five years ago gave me a new focus on organising my money,’ he says. ‘I was looking to put some savings away and that’s how I first became aware of Plum.  

‘I had some low-rate savings in bank accounts, but I don’t believe I had ever tried investing.’

Once you’ve set up Plum and enabled automatic deposits, its Splitter tool lets you select how you want to divide them up between your various savings and investment pots. 

The app also offers (depending on your subscription) a series of clever ‘auto saver’ rules that are designed to help you save more on a regular basis by targeting money that may otherwise be ‘left over’ at the end of the month.

Note that if you use automation, you will still need to review your funds periodically.

In Peter’s case, he splits his automatic deposits between a Plum Interest pocket and his pension, while the rest is divided evenly between his stock market investments. He also saves separately into a Cash ISA.

‘The algorithm seems to be effective at working out when you have more or less coming into your account, which is helpful given I’m self-employed,’ he says. 

‘Then when it comes to auto savers, I’ve enabled Round Ups, which rounds up my spending to the nearest pound and puts it straight into my savings. So far, I’ve saved £600 from that alone.’ 

Peter invests in several Plum funds including Global Tech, Balanced Bundle, Core UK All Share Fund, Core US S&P, Growth Stack, Balanced ESG, Core ESG and Growth Europe. He has also invested ‘a little bit’ into tech company Nvidia.

(The above is not a recommendation to buy or sell funds. You should not invest unless you understand your exposure to risk and are satisfied that investing is suitable for you.)

‘Plum makes it really easy to choose investments and monitor their performance,’ he says. 

‘I’m not massively savvy at investing but I’ve found it straightforward.’

When you are trying to boost your savings, setting clear targets can really help with motivation. 

Fortunately, with Plum, you can create different pockets for each savings goal – while taking advantage of its auto saver features to reach these faster.

But you are always in control, with the ability to withdraw your money or change how much you save – or how you divide your deposits – at any time. 

Peter was previously working as a teaching assistant and actor before switching careers to become a tree surgeon. He’s now putting some of his savings towards a chainsaw qualification.

‘Some of my money on Plum is going towards that,’ he says.

‘My friend is setting up his own business so I should have regular work with someone I get on with well.

‘It’s something that inspires me as I like being outside and it keeps me fit and active.

‘I’m also saving for a holiday to Thailand – but I’ve got other things to pay for first!’ 

Peter has become something of a disciple for Plum after it helped him get his own finances in order.

‘If I’m ever speaking to people about money, I’ll recommend the app to them and send a link,’ he says.

‘It’s saved me loads of money and seems to perform really well. I like the simplicity of the interface and the algorithms.

‘Plum has taken a lot of the stress away from managing my money.’ 

Download Plum NOW (it is available on both App Store and Google Play). 

Plum: The key info you need to know

Is it free?

Yes, you can download the basic version of Plum from the App Store or Google Play for free. Subscription options are available if you want to unlock more features that could help speed your way towards your financial goals.

What else can it do aside from saving and investing?

Lots more! Plum is a powerful budgeting tool that lets you keep track of regular payments and expenses.

The app offers a complete overview of your finances, letting you filter your transactions by account, and find specific retailers with a few taps. You also have the option to set weekly allowances to control your spending.

Is my money safe?

Millions of customers already trust Plum to keep their money safe, and the app uses encryption and face and fingerprint ID for added security.

Money held in a Plum Easy Access Savings Pocket, 95-day Notice Account or Cash ISA is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to a total of £85,000 per customer. There are also safeguards for a non-interest earning pocket, such as a Primary Pocket, which is protected by the E-Money Safeguarding Rules.

If you ever need help, friendly customer support teams are available 7 days a week.

Download Plum NOW (available on App Store and Google Play).

Plum is the trading name of Plum Fintech Limited and Saveable Limited. Plum Fintech Limited is registered and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 836158). Saveable Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN: 739214).

‘She has rigorous journalism, a keen eye for detail, and is adored by her teams.’ 

These words from an ex-boss – which take pride of place at the top of my CV – should, in theory, make getting a job easier, right? Wrong. 

At 67 I’ve spent decades building my skill set, yet in the last three years I’ve applied for 38 jobs and got absolutely nowhere. 

That’s partly because factual television is going through a historic downturn right now, so everyone is feeling the pinch. But for women over 50 it’s a harder market to crack than ever. 

We are vanishing from the workplace because of our age, and that has to stop. 

My first job in TV was as a researcher on the current affairs fixture, Nationwide, in the 1980s. 

I was twenty-something at the time and relished the adrenaline-fuelled atmosphere. I also had my eyes firmly set on becoming a film director.  

Perhaps that’s why I hardly noticed that, even then, older women were a bit of a rarity on TV. Or maybe I just didn’t think it’d affect me because I was young and full of hope and aspirations. 

Either way, the grey-haired men in suits that seemed to go from strength to strength both in front of and behind the camera didn’t faze me. 

Gradually I worked my way up the ladder and, by the turn of the 20th century, it honestly felt the tide had turned for women. 

I was a staff Series Producer at the BBC, running shows like Crimewatch UK and the UK’s first ever Holocaust Memorial Day event, meanwhile people like Lorraine Heggessey and Jane Root were Controllers of BBC One and BBC Two respectively.  

The glass ceiling seemed to have been cracked, if not shattered. 

But, by the time I was 51, I reluctantly took voluntary redundancy from the BBC because the roles I was being offered were beginning to wear thin.  

It was a difficult decision. I was sad to leave a job I loved, but felt it was my only option. 

Granted I used it as an opportunity to fulfil a lifelong ambition and gain my masters degree in creative writing and finish a novel, but part of my heart still belonged to TV. 

For a while afterwards, I developed a portfolio career combining TV with print journalism and establishing myself as an author, finally getting my novel published. The wonderful thing about the book world is that age is irrelevant – authors can go on forever.

However, as time has gone on, my ability to get television work has completely dried up. 

I appreciate that our industry is a project-based business staffed largely by freelancers who are hired ad hoc to fulfil each series commissioned by broadcasters and streamers.  

With that comes short contracts and a constant carousel of opportunity, but older women are simply being thrown off by those centrifugal forces.  

I once interviewed for a job where my CV matched the requirements perfectly, but later was gutted to see that they actually re-advertised the post without changing a word of the job description.

Either I performed shockingly on the day, or the executive producer twigged that she’d be boss to someone 20 years her senior. I could have handled it, but maybe she couldn’t.  

Perhaps it’s my grey hair that threw her off. I started going grey in my thirties – a family trait I don’t fight – but while I aspire to look like a chic older woman with an edgy silver bob, I probably remind some people too much of their mothers. Or grandmothers.  

But then I’m also fitter than many younger people. I do yoga, run and swim, and now that my three children are adults I am free to work long hours if I need to. Not that I ever get a chance to prove that. 

Women are undoubtedly affected more by these aesthetic biases, but men are not completely immune.  

My film director husband decided to retrain as a psychotherapist after work dried up. However in his new profession, his wisdom, grey hair and Freud-like appearance are assets, not handicaps.  

And it’s not just in looks that we’re being let down anyway.  

I’ve heard a 50+ applicant trying for a head of department position being advised to cheat her CV age by removing education dates and lopping 10 years off her experience. 

Or how, when another executive jobseeker mentioned she was 52, a head of HR – who himself was near 50 at the time – told her: ‘You’re too old, forget it.’ 

Those revealing, off-guard informal moments make me despair.

I’ve never lied about my age for a job but I’m paying the price for it.  

The singular role I’ve interviewed for in the last three years, I was overqualified for and still didn’t get it. 

I’m not alone, of course: In 2022 the Film and TV Charity calculated at least 23,600 older workers were missing from the combined workforce, about 12% of the total. And things haven’t improved. 

While over-50s’ off-screen contributions have increased over the past four years – from 21.5% in 2019/2020 to 23.5% in 2022/2023 – it still falls below the workforce average of 32.4%.

Diamond – which monitors industry-wide diversity – says that over-50s are now making fewer contributions as producers and producer directors than they were in 2019/2020.

This is a problem the whole industry should own. Broadcasters, streamers, production companies, PACT (the Producers Alliance for Film and TV) and the trade unions.  

Our industry already has ethnic and disability diversity targets enforced by financial penalties. I’d like to see the same rules apply for hiring people over-50.  

For now, I’ve reinvented myself as a writer first and foremost – my next book is non-fiction, about Hitchcock’s film Psycho – but I miss the buzz of TV and it will always be part of me. 

My generation doesn’t deserve to be written off prematurely. We deserve to be seen on screen, or heard calling ‘action’ from behind it. And it’s time we were given the opportunities to do so. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

It sounds almost too good to be true. Buy an Omaze raffle ticket for £10 and walk away with a James Bond-esque property worth millions, with no stamp duty, mortgage or solicitors fees to pay.

Indeed, in their last draw, those who fancy a flutter could stand to win a Georgian townhouse worth over £4,500,000 on London’s South Bank.

However, it seems the Omaze Million Pound House Draw may indeed be a little more complicated than it first appears, and the prizes (which have even included a £5 million Chelsea townhouse in the past) haven’t always turned out to be a dream come true.

In 2023, the Daily Mail reported that, out of the 14 luxury properties that had been won, just three were still lived in – meaning 10 of them had been sold on while one was rented out.

Winners have also reported high bills associated with the properties and even flood risks.

Since Omaze started their ‘win:win’ property draw in 2020, which raises money for charities like Marie Curie and the RNLI, it appears that some winners would rather have the cash, which is indeed an option as stated in the terms and conditions.

Omaze properties that have been sold

One of the properties in question was a seven-bedroom Cornish mansion, won by 74-year-old widower June Smith back in May 2023 for just £25.

Just three months later, she had listed the water-front home for sale to help her children and grandchildren with the ‘next chapter in their lives’.

June was given the freedom to either live in the house, rent it out or sell it, with local estate agents estimating it could achieve £5,000 to £7,000 per month from long-term rentals – and up to £14,000 a week from peak season holiday rentals.

June previously lived in her two-bedroom house detached house in Essex for the last 17 years, and last stayed in Cornwall in a caravan with her late husband, Ron.

She said she ‘wanted to enjoy at least one family holiday’ in the property before selling it and she got her wish.

This sentiment was echoed by Omaze winner Marilyn Pratt, 70, who won the property draw in April 2021, bagging herself a £2.9 million Fulham home.

But just eight months later, she sold it for £2.8 million so she could use the cash to support her daughters and grandchildren. She remains in her two-bed home with her husband David where she has lived for the past 40 years.

The ‘Omaze curse’

However, funding the lives of their loved ones isn’t the only motivation for abandoning their prize-draw homes.

For one winner, Glen Elmy, it was a more fundamental issue.

The foundry worker from Walsall won a James Bond-esque property on the north Devon coast with views across Combe Martin Bay in October 2021 – but it turns out the win wasn’t the miracle Glen first thought.

After just three days, Glen handed back the keys to Stealth House to Omaze and demanded a cash payout of £3 million.

Why? The five-bedroom home was being threatened by coastal erosion and neighbours even predicted the property will succumb to it within the next five to ten years, according to MailOnline.

However, as reported in the Daily Record, an Omaze spokesperson said: ‘As with all its properties, Omaze carried out extensive professional surveys, searches and inspections prior to purchasing the house in Devon.

‘Omaze can confirm that none of these reports raised any material concerns with the property, including in relation to coastal erosion. The property is fully insurable.”

Other Omaze winners, Darren Wordon, 49, and wife Mandy, 48, won the top prize of a luxury £2.5 million property in Radford near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in 2021, but again there were some issues with the property.

Despite having celebrities like Jeremy Clarkson and the Beckhams as neighbours, other locals said the property was ‘built in a valley that floods every year’.

While the motivations are unknown, the property, known as Willowbrook House, was sold in December 2022.

The thought of losing not only money but also damage to the house was enough to deter Glen and other Omaze winners, while some have had concerns about finances.

Leicestershire winner Uttam Parmar, 58, put the Cornwall Rock property on the market just eight weeks after bagging the home for just £25 in the Omaze draw on August 12, 2022.

Mr Parmar told MailOnline he and his wife Raki, 53, had to sell the Cornish home because the upkeep was too expensive for them.

‘We are selling it and not keeping it as a holiday home. If we could afford to keep it we would. It is beautiful. But we are looking to buy some land or a smaller property instead,’ Uttam said.

The property was put on the market for £4 million but was soon £500,000 cheaper after failing to appeal to buyers.

But who wouldn’t want to be neighbours with Gordon Ramsay? We’d sure bag that home if we had the cash!

Another Omaze home near Deal, Kent, called the Gunnery was ditched by the winning couple soon after their ‘life-changing’ win.

Jade and her partner (who chose to remain anonymous) owned the home for less than four weeks before it was back on the market for a healthy £2.5 million.

Happy Omaze winners

However, not every single winner wants to ditch their instant life of luxury. Construction worker Kevin Johnson is over the moon with his £3 million Omaze property in Islington.

For what particular reason? Apart from it being a gorgeous four-bed Victorian home, it’s just down the road from 34-year-old Kevin’s favourite football team, Arsenal.

For 33-year-old mum Becca Pott, who won a £3.9million five-bedroom Omaze house in February 2022, it was the lifestyle the win afforded her that made her keep the keys to the home.

She told MailOnline: ‘We always knew we were going to move in and enjoy it for at least that first summer, just to experience living in a place like this as a family.

‘But after a few weeks we realised we didn’t want to leave – so decided we should keep it.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

While climate action stalls and diversity policies are rolled back across the world, Bevis Watts CEO of the UK’s leading sustainable bank Triodos sheds light on how you can align your finances towards a greener and fairer future with ethical savings and investments.

Last year was the hottest on record.

The world’s nations pledged in Paris in 2015 to keep global temperature rise below 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C. But last year, the annual temperature passed the 1.5C limit, and last month experts announced the 2C target – critical to avoid devastating climate breakdown – is at risk.

Despite this, too many political leaders act as if there’s no climate crisis at all and daily rollbacks on climate policy can leave us feeling powerless.

However, we still hold the power to drive positive change through our financial choices if we so choose. Now more than ever, you might feel it is time to ensure your money is contributing to the future you wish to see. Do you want to see us transition to a fossil fuel-free world? Do you want to see the clean energy revolution come to life? Do you want to stand up for an inclusive society? Then it’s time to explore ethical savings 
and investments.

The global backtrack on climate change policy

In January, with the LA fires still burning, Donald Trump took to the White House and withdrew from the landmark Paris Agreement – again.

Triggered by Trump’s return to office, the banking sector’s climate commitments have taken a significant hit. Major US banks have left the Net Zero Banking Alliance, a UN-backed coalition that was supposed to unite banks on a path to net zero emissions by 2050.

Climate action is better when everyone is involved; but for now, more progressive banks will have to lead the way on what impactful climate finance really looks like.

Meanwhile, big global corporates have begun abandoning diversity, equity and inclusion policies in what also feels like a backward move for those of us who believe in human dignity and fair access to opportunity for all.

We also see governments, including the UK’s, wrestling with how to deliver prosperity through economic growth and environmental targets, with the third Heathrow runway at the forefront of that debate.

The US regression on climate in particular leaves those of us dreaming of a more sustainable, fairer future in the lurch.

The science is clear – why are world leaders running in the wrong direction?

You can choose how your money is invested

The actions of policymakers and governments are crucial. However, as individuals we also hold immense power in what we do with our finances.

Collectively, we hold the key to unlocking a whole world of positive impact by choosing where we put our money and what it funds. The money that you save, through an Isa for example, isn’t locked away in a bank vault. Your bank, investment provider or building society will add it to the pot of money that they lend out to businesses, organisations or individuals.

According to Make My Money Matter – a campaign fighting for better awareness of where our money goes – there are shocking amounts of money going to finance fossil fuels, deforestation and other areas that you might struggle to square with your conscience. You can change this.

By selecting a sustainable bank, you can start funnelling your money towards projects and businesses that have a positive impact on people and the planet.

While you’re saving or investing for your future – whether that be to buy a house, taking a holiday, or just for a rainy day – you can also be making a difference.

Switching your current account, savings, investments and pension to ethical providers adds to a wave of change powered by collective action.

Be the change you want to see

Want to be part of the change? With the new tax year approaching and the annual Isa allowance resetting, now’s the perfect time to invest in a sustainable future and think about what your Isa is doing.

Firstly, it’s important to consider which option is best for you, so do your research. Independent advice guides such as Ethical Consumer, Which? and Bank.

Green offer rankings on current accounts, cash Isas, stocks and shares Isas and innovative finance Isas – so you can see how your current provider ranks and check out any better options for you and your values.

If you’ve got money you’re happy to put away for five years or more, an investment Isa could give you a better chance of making returns above the inflation rate. Impact investing, including investing in a stocks and shares Isa, connects investors with entrepreneurs and businesses working to create a better world.

An innovative finance Isa allows you to hand-pick investments for even greater control about the causes you support. That could be a charity, nature-based initiative, or a trailblazing brand. For example, Triodos Bank recently launched a new crowdfunding offer for the interiors B Corp brand House of Hackney, supporting its goal of becoming a measurably regenerative business.

B Corp businesses are those certified to higher than usual social and environmental standards.

With any investment Isa, you should keep in mind that all investments contain risk and you may not get back what you put in.

This is just one example of how 
your money could support business paving the way for a more sustainable future, even when governments are lagging behind.

It takes resilience to stay hopeful about the fight against the climate crisis when we watch those in charge take steps in the wrong direction.

The money in your bank changes the world, for better or worse.

By joining the ethical banking movement, you can both use your money to fund a better future and signal to world leaders that they must do better.

For some, it feels good to take a step in the right direction and use the power of your finances for good.

triodos.co.uk

'MY MONEY WON'T CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CAN HELP'

Rosie Murray-West hears from investors for whom values are every bit as important as returns.

‘My money is not going to change the world,’ says poet Caroline Burrows, from Bristol. ‘But at least
I can choose something where I have more control about where my money is going, what it is doing and how it is sustainable.’

Caroline, 50, is one of many savers and investors who will be choosing to use their Isa allowance to reflect their values and principles this year. She has picked a cash Isa with Triodos, which promises to use customers’ money to affect positive change. Triodos publishes details of all the loans it makes, which include money for projects ranging from a farm shop in Bristol, a community wind turbine on the Isle of Barra and a Buddhist centre in Cheshire. Although the cash Isa rate at Triodos is lower than with other providers – 2.85 per cent for easy access and 3.75 per cent over two years – Caroline feels that she is getting a good deal.

‘I am happy with the trade-off because the real value is investment in the planet and doing less harm or as little harm as can be possible while existing on the planet,’ she says.

CASESTUDY: CAROLINE BURROWS

Other ethical Isa users have chosen to take more of a financial risk while supporting ethical causes. Former investment banker Manuel Peleteiro, from Scotland, has chosen to put half of this year’s Isa allowance (£10,000) into an Innovative Finance Isa (IFIsa) on the ethical investment platform Ethex.

If Isas allow investors to lend out money tax-free, and Manuel has chosen to lend to Salad Money, a lender that helps those with poorer credit scores to take out cheaper loans and ensures they also check for benefits they may be eligible for.

Salad Money is hoping to pay out ten per cent on the bond, meaning Manuel will get a far better rate than if he held the money in cash – it is risky, though, because if Salad Money went bankrupt he would not get his money back.

Manuel says he is happy with the risk, despite the fact he won’t get his money back for five years even if the project does well.

‘Ten per cent seems a fair return,’ he says.

‘I know the mission and how they help support people but the financial consideration has to make sense, too.’

Leila Green, 40, from south-east London, is another ethical investor taking advantage of tax breaks.

She opened a Lifetime Isa, or Lisa, to provide her with an income when she retires. You can save up to £4,000 a year, to which the government adds a 25 per cent bonus per year.

Unlike her husband, hedge fund manager James, entrepreneur Laila (leilagreen.com) has concentrated on choosing ethical funds for her Lisa.

CASESTUDY: LEILA GREEN

‘I picked the first fund I ever invested in because I liked the logo – it had an elephant on it and that’s my spirit animal,’ she says.
‘But overall I’ve only been interested in companies invested in things like renewable energy or otherwise doing some kind of good.
‘I was looking at that much more than past performance.”
Originally Leila’s Lisa, which invested in funds including Baillie Gifford’s Positive Change Fund, BlackRock’s Sustainable Energy fund and Stewart Investors Asia Pacific Sustainability fund, outpaced her husband’s.

‘For a while my Isas made more than
I was earning in a day, and I was like, “Right, I’m laughing,”’ she says. But in recent years they have not done so well.

‘I’m watching the volatility now, but because I know I don’t need the money
until I’m 60 I’m not so bothered as it is going to be tucked away until
I’m older.

‘And at least with the Lisa you know that you are also getting a government bonus, which I feel gives me a bit more of a cushion when the value of funds falls sometimes’

If you’ve opened a cash Isa in recent years but not looked at how much it is paying, chances are you could switch your money and get a better deal, Metro’s personal finance expert Rosie Murray-West explains…

High-paying accounts tend to see a dramatic drop in interest rates after 
a year, with old Isa accounts from high street banks now paying as little as one per cent interest.

Fortunately, you don’t have to leave your savings languishing in these poor paying accounts, you can switch them to providers offering far higher rates without losing the tax-free status of your money or eating into this year’s 
Isa allowance.

It is important, however, that 
you use the correct process when moving accounts.

‘Ensure that the transfer is done via an Isa transfer rather than withdrawing and re-depositing funds, as doing so would cause you to lose your tax-free benefits,’ says Interactive Investor’s personal finance specialist Myron Jobson.

Here’s your step-by-step guide to getting it right.

Step 1 Find the right account

There are many competitive Isa rates on the market at the moment, but not every account allows you to transfer in your old Isa. You need to find an account that suits you, whether that is a cash Isa that is available at any time, one with a fixed rate for a time period, or an Isa that allows you to invest in stocks and shares.

You also need to check that it will allow you to put in your money from previous years.

Many high-paying cash Isas do accept transfers in, and you can transfer stocks and shares Isas into cash Isas and vice versa. Some high-paying products at present include Chip’s easy access cash Isa, paying 5.25 per cent, or the Close Brothers 4.43 per cent three-year cash Isa if you would like to lock in a higher interest rate for longer.

With stocks and shares Isas the process can take longer, as investments may need to be sold, and there may be charges. Switching your cash Isa is usually free and you can choose to transfer all or some of your old Isa balance to a new provider.

Step 2 Open the new product and complete a transfer form

The crucial step when transferring your Isa is to open the new account first. In order not to lose the tax-free status from your old Isa, you will need to ensure the money is transferred correctly.

Your new provider should allow you to complete a transfer form with the details of your old Isa, including account number and sort code. It will then request the transfer from your old provider.

Step 3 Wait

Transfers between cash Isas should take no more than 15 working days, and after that the money should be in your new account and earning a better rate of interest. Transfers from stocks and shares Isas can take up to a month.

If your transfer takes longer than this then you can complain to the provider and, if you are unhappy with its response, to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which can order a bank to compensate you for poor service.

Step 4 Make a calendar note

Many Isa rates come with a bonus that lasts for a year, or have a good rate for a fixed term before dropping. Make a note in your calendar now of when the bonus runs out or the rates drop so that you can transfer your Isa again at that point to receive a good rate.

MORE: How to find your lost or dormant Isas and reclaim your cash

MORE: A beginner’s guide to Isas and how almost half of us are missing out on tax-free money

MORE: How many cash ISAs can you have? The rules explained

Last year, Nationwide paid 3.85 million members £100 each as part of its Fairer Share scheme — and it looks like the building society will be issuing a fresh round of bonuses in the next few months.

While the exact details of the 2025 initiative – which is separate to recent £50 payouts marking Nationwide’s acquisition of Virgin Money – have yet to be released, Martin Lewis has offered some urgent advice to help you qualify.

In the latest edition of his Money Saving Expert (MSE) newsletter, he shared a guide on possible conditions for the ‘reward’, urging: ‘Go quick to boost your chances.’

MSE explained: ‘In previous years, the scheme has been announced in May and paid in June, though whether you got it depended on if you met the qualifying criteria in the first three months of the year.’

That means existing members have just a few weeks left to ensure they fulfil any requirements, while non-nembers need to switch to Nationwide ASAP to be eligible.

Assuming the initiative comes with the same prerequisites as in 2023 and 2024, what you have to do will depend on the account you have and how you used it in January or February this year.

If you’re already a Nationwide customer, your account must still be open on March 31, 2025, so don’t close it between now and then. Additionally, you need to have used it within the first three months of the year, with slightly different criteria for different types of account:

FlexAccount, FlexBasic, FlexDirect accounts

To qualify for a Fairer Share payout, you must have either received £500 and made two payments out of your account, or made at least 10 outgoing payments in January and February this year.

However, MSE adds that if you didn’t do this, ‘you may still be able to qualify by switching.’

FlexPlus packaged accounts

No payments in or out are required here, but you need to have kept up with your fee to be eligible.

FlexOne, FlexGraduate, FlexStudent accounts

The deadline for these members is slightly later, so you’ll have until the end of March to qualify by making at least one payment in or out of your account.

‘Payments out can include debit card transactions, Direct Debits, bank transfers and standing orders but not transfers to other Nationwide accounts you have,’ explains the MSE site.

Mortgages and savings accounts

Mortgage customers must owe at least £100 by end of March, while savings accounts must have a balance of at least £100.

MSE advises: ‘If you don’t have either of those, stick £100 (or maybe £200 to be safe in case it changes its terms) into one of Nationwide’s savings accounts before Monday 31 March.’

Not with Nationwide or missed the deadline to qualify?

If you use the Current Account Switch Service to switch an account you hold with another bank to a Nationwide FlexDirect one by March 31, you may still meet the criteria for the £100 Fairer Share payment — and you may even be eligible for a £175 new customer bonus too.

Keep in mind though, there isn’t long left to act, as the process normally takes seven working days to go through.

Alongside switching your current account, MSE recommends you also ‘stick £100 (or £200 to be even safer) into a Nationwide savings account or owe at least £100 on a Nationwide mortgage in March 2025′ to maximise your chances of qualifying.

When will the Nationwide bonus be paid out?

Last time around, the bank contacted eligible members by May 31, with bonuses deposited into members’ accounts between June 13 and June 28.

Nationwide plans to release information such as the amount and exact payout dates around the same time in 2025, so there’s still a while to wait.

However, all the hard work’s done for you, so you don’t need to make a claim or request the money yourself.

If you think you qualify and haven’t heard anything from Nationwide by June, get in touch. And don’t forget to stay aware of fraudulent attempts at obtaining your personal information to apply for the payment.

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If you feel like you’re working all hours without much to show for it, the maths is in proving you’re probably right.

A new study has analysed the number of hours you need to work to afford a comfortable lifestyle in 45 cities around the UK — and it’s pretty depressing reading.

Expenses like rent, bills, food, transport and leisure activities were compared average salaries in each city, creating a ranking of the best (and worst) when it comes to work/life balance.

‘Our study shows how hard it’s becoming for people to balance work and the cost of living in the UK’s biggest cities,’ commented David Overmars from CVwizard, who compiled the research using ONS data.

‘With rents and everyday expenses going up, many are having to work longer hours just to get by. This highlights the need for better solutions — higher wages, more stable living costs, and a work-life balance that lets people enjoy life without working nonstop just to afford it.’

Perhaps unsurprisingly, London came out as the place where you need to do the most work to stretch to an ‘average’ standard of living; 2394.51 hours a year, to be exact, which equates to over 46 hours a week.

Despite having the highest median net salary of £34,189.20, rent is significantly higher in the capital than the other cities studied, with a whopping 76.8% of all working hours going towards this alone.

In at second was Oxford, whose residents need to put in
2139.71 hours a year – just over 41 a week – to cover the cost of a decent standard of living.

While rent in the historic cathedral city is lower than the Big Smoke, utilities are more expensive, totalling to 243.5 working hours each year for the likes of electricity, mobile phone plans, and fast internet. 

Third on the list was Manchester, followed by Bristol and Nottingham. A comfortable life in each of these locations means dedicating at least 2033 hours a year to work, which sits on the higher end of the ‘full time’ spectrum at 39 hours every week.

In contrast, Southend-on-Sea offers a median net salary £32,642.40, withrelatively low rents at roughly £840.33 per month and low utility and leisure costs, making it the best for work/life balance.

Here, residents need to work just 1364.24 hours a year, or less than 27 a week, to afford an average life — plus it’s by the beach, which is always an extra bonus.

Aberdeen was next up, while Mansfield, Northampton and Bradford rounded out the top five. If you’re looking to get out of the rat race, these are the places to be, requiring 30 hours a week or less to cover everyday expenses and a few treats here and there.

A growing backlash against ‘hustle culture’ has arisen in recent years, with comments from Google CEO Sergey Brin calling 60 hours a week the ‘sweet spot for productivity’ drawing harsh criticism online.

‘I’m not working 12 hours a day because some tw*t thinks money matters more than having a life,’ tweeted @Farore13, while @milolzx wrote: ‘We are humans and we deserve rest and a life outside of work.’

In response to increasing levels of overwork, nearly 1 in 5 employees (19%) are instilling greater boundaries by not taking on tasks outside of their specific job descriptions, and a further 20% say they refuse to answer work messages outside of their contracted hours.

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Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert (MSE) has revealed what he calls ‘the single most lucrative thing you can do with your money’.

According to the finance guru, a simple check could boost the retirement funds of millions of Brits — with many adding upwards of £10,000 to their pot.

And in a recent edition of the MSE newsletter, he urged ‘everyone’ under age 73 to see if they’re eligible now, as there’s not much time left to act.

The door closes for this on April 5, but Martin warns that ‘it’s not a quick process’, so the sooner you get the ball rolling the better.

Here’s what you need to know

How to boost your pension

According to MSE, buying back missing years in your national insurance record could massively boost your pension.

Your state pension is determined by how many years you have paid national insurance (NI). As a general rule, you need about 35 years to get the maximum amount, which is currently set at £221.20 a week.

However, some people may have gaps in their NI record for a variety of reasons:

• You were earning a low wage (it’s only mandatory to pay NI if you earn more than £242 per week from one job), or were unemployed.
• If you were self-employed making small profit margins
• You lived or worked outside the UK for a period of time

While currently, men aged under 73 and women aged under 71 are able to buy missing years back to 2006, the launch of the ‘new’ state pension means the option won’t be available for long.

You’ve now got until April 5 to buy back any missing national insurance years from 2006 to 2018. After this date, you can do it to 2019, potentially meaning you’ll miss out on the years you need to boost your retirement.

And when we say boost, we mean it. One MSE subscriber emailed into the financial advice platform to share just how lucrative this hack is.

‘My wife had 10+ years missing,’ David wrote. ‘Her pension forecast was £69/wk, but a (large £8,200) contribution to fill the gaps increased it to £132/wk.’

This equates to a £3,280 per year jump — a staggering £60,000 if his wife draws her pension for 20 years.

The process is pretty straightforward, although Martin’s advice is to start now, commenting: ‘Leave it to nearer the deadline and if the systems get clogged, it could be very cumbersome to make it work.’

Step one is to check your national insurance record on the UK Government website.

If you do have any missing years, MSE says its worth using the Government’s state pension forecaster to determine how much pension you’ll get with your current NI record. If you’re already getting the full state pension – which will show as a £221.20 a week forecast – there’s likely no point in buying back any years.

Bear in mind too, if you’re still a way off retirement, you still may have plenty of time to make up enough years, so you might not need to fill those gaps.

In some cases, you may not even have to pay for a full year (which typically costs £824), so the risks of spending more than you’ll get are effectively ‘diminished’.

‘What matters most here is whether you’re on track to get the full forecast, the cost of the years, and your age right now,’ adds Martin.

The Government website can help you decide whether to buy back certain years, and how to do it, and you can find more information on the MSE website.

This article was first published on March 5, 2025.

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Martin Lewis has offered fresh advice around a major scandal dubbed ‘the new PPI’, as regulators confirm millions of UK drivers could be entitled to compensation.

In January, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched an investigation into potential misselling of Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAS) in car finance policies.

Around 80% to 90% of UK car owners purchased their vehicle on finance, and as much as three quarters could be owed money back, with the average payout estimated to be in the thousands.

Although a ruling won’t be made until May next year, the Money Saving Expert founder has now issued an update after the FCA made a new announcement, which he described in his weekly newsletter as ‘absolutely huge’.

What is the latest announcement on DCA car finance compensation?

The latest update on the car finance compensation saga saw the FCA announce that, should misselling payouts become necessary, they will be made through an industry-wide redress scheme.

This is important because, under section 404 rules, people will not have to individually seek redress from their lenders.

Instead, the FCA will instruct the companies to find anyone who is eligible (based on their criteria) and then make a compensation payment in accordance with the ruling’s terms.

While the FCA is still technically ‘consulting’ on this, Martin states in his latest update that this ‘pretty much means it has made it’s mind up’ on the issue.

Who might be eligible for DCA car finance compensation?

In his MSE newsletter, Martin noted that the criteria for misselling is yet to be announced.

However, you may be eligible if you bought a van, campervan or a motorbike on finance between April 2007 and January 28, 2021, provided the vehicle was for personal use and through a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) or Hire Purchase (HP) agreement.

Between 40% and 74% of vehicle finance policies taken out during this time had DCAs included, allowing firms to increase interest rates at any time without telling the customer, with dealers and brokers earning huge commissions, hooked to the interest paid.

While these agreements have since been banned, people who had a DCA before this and weren’t made aware may have been unfairly charged.

The refund rules apply even if the original user has now passed away, as the relevant executor or beneficiary can claim on their behalf.

Already paid off the vehicle? Or don’t own it anymore? That doesn’t matter either: you can still make a claim and get that money firmly back in your pocket.

How much DCA car finance compensation could you be due?

According to Martin and MSE compensation could stretch into the thousands with the average payout potentially being around £1,100.

The finance guru’s site explains: ‘For discretionary commission arrangements, I think it probably boils down to somewhere between two things.

‘The first one would be; if they pump the interest rate up from the minimum; you would get all the difference between the minimum of what they pumped it up to back, and the typical payout for that is going to be around £1,100.

‘But what the regulator may say is no, actually this is too low. We’re going to say what we think a minimum interest rate is, and that might vary depending on situation.

‘And we’re only going to give you the difference back between the minimum interest rate and what you were charged.’

Should you put in a complaint for DCA compensation?

While the latest update means compensation will likely be paid automatically, Money Saving Expert has a free tool for lodging a complaint in case you wish to draw what Martin Lewis described as ‘a line in the sand’ as ‘there’s no impact on you doing that’.

He previously concluded that a time limit for claims may be introduced for the FCA’s investigation closing – in which case only those that complained ahead of that date would receive compensation.

‘The key to all this is to get a complaint in ASAP,’ said Martin in his newsletter. ‘The sooner you log a complaint may mean the less chance you’ll be excluded.’

However, in more advice, he also added, ‘Is it worth complaining about now? On the whole, no, because we think it’s going to be mass redress. But, I mean, it might be worth putting a line in the sand if it doesn’t cost you and you want to put a complaint in.’

Since MSE launched their tool in February, a staggering 2.3 million complaint letters have been sent.

Should you use a claims firm to make a DCA complaint?

Martin also warned that anyone thinking about making a claim through a ‘no win, no fee’ service should not do so.

This is because, if compensation is paid, it will now be sent directly to the person needing redress without the need for a claims firm to file a complaint.

The MSE site explained: ‘Now, what’s very important on this is anyone who is thinking of doing this via a claims firm – who are going to take 25% of what you get – just don’t do it.

‘It’s very likely, if a payout is going to come, you’re going to get that money automatically’.

This article was originally published on July 3, 2024.

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Following its acquisition of Virgin Money last year, Nationwide has announced £600 million in payouts as part of a ‘big thank you’ to eligible members.

Over 12 million people across the UK are due to receive a share of the cash to ‘thank them for enabling the successful purchase of Virgin Money’, which CEO Debbie Crosbie says helped make the bank ‘even stronger’.

‘The Big Nationwide Thank You recognises the role our members played in building the financial strength that made the deal possible,’ she added in a statement.

‘It’s another of the very real benefits of being a member of Nationwide and our modern mutual model.’

According to the building society, close to 2.4 million customers in the South East of England will receive the bonus, while over 1.4 million in London are eligible.

It’s not the first time Nationwide has made payments to account holders either, having issued over £3.5 billion in what it describes as ‘member value’ since April 2023 – including £729 million distributed through two ‘Fairer Share’ payouts.

How much is the Nationwide Big Thank You payment?

Eligible customers will receive £50 each as part of the Big Thank You scheme.

However, starting today (March 11), Nationwide will begin to write to those receiving the payment to confirm exactly how much they should expect and when.

It’s important to note, this is separate from Nationwide’s 2025 Fairer Share Scheme plans, an annual May payout whereby £100 is added to accounts, ‘depending on financial performance.’ 

Am I eligible for the Nationwide Big Thank You payment?

According to Nationwide, any member who had a savings, current account, or mortgage at the end of last September will qualify for the payment.

To meet the criteria, individuals must have completed at least one transaction in their current or savings account, or maintained a balance of at least £100 in their current account, savings, or mortgage, within the 12 months leading up to the end of September 2024.

They must also still have their accounts or mortgage when the payment is made.

Additionally, Nationwide members can check their eligibility via The Big Nationwide Thank You page on the building society’s website.

When are the Nationwide Big Thank You payments due?

Nationwide Big Thank You payments will begin from April 9, 2025.

The building society explained: ‘Members with a Nationwide current account or instant and limited access savings will be paid directly into their accounts by the end of April.

‘For mortgage members, Nationwide will pay the current account used to pay their mortgage Direct Debit by the end of April. Where this is not possible, or for any other mortgage payment type, a cheque will be issued by May 14.’

Other eligible members – such as those with ISA and Bond accounts – should expect to receive a cheque by May 14.

If you want more tips and tricks on saving money, as well as chat about cash and alerts on deals and discounts, join our Facebook Group, Money Pot.

Martin Lewis has spent his entire career saving the nation dosh, with his latest pearl of wisdom being no exception – and it’s an urgent warning for anyone with a holiday booked this year.

Speaking on his ITV series, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, the consumer finance expert extolled the virtues of travel insurance and why it is so vital to UK travellers.

With many now planning their summer getaways, putting contingencies in place for if a worst-case scenario does occur is an essential step in ensuring you don’t lose thousands of pounds. 

And contrary to what you may believe – or have managed to get away with in the past – this extends long before you board the plane.

Martin Lewis’ latest travel insurance advice

‘Travel insurance is not just to cover you while you’re away,’ warned Martin, ‘It’s also very important to cover you in case something happens before you go that stops you from going.’

The Money Saving Expert (MSE founder) shared a rule to help viewers remember this: ‘Get your travel insurance ASAB – as soon as you book.’

Further stressing the importance of getting cover sorted, he continued: ‘Right now, many people have already booked and, if you don’t have your travel insurance… do it right now!’

The money guru then explained his reasoning for hammering home the advice, saying: ‘Every year, something asks me a question that goes something like “I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. We can’t go on the holiday. They’re saying we can’t have our money back. What do I do?” And I’m impotent. Because the answer is – you get on your travel insurance.’

Later in the show, an email MSE had received last year was read to the audience, spelling out that exact scenario – someone who had been medically advised not to fly, and lost all of the money they had spent, due to a lack of travel insurance.

‘Please don’t be the person who asks me that question this summer,’ Martin responded. ‘If you’re going to get travel insurance; ASAB.’

On X, Martin was challenged as to whether this warranted the term warning or if it was simply ‘best practice’, replying: ‘Forgive me but it is 100% a warning.

‘If you got the emails I got from desperate people who’ve had a serious health diagnosis in the summer and can’t afford to lose the holiday money. You’d warn people too.’

And travel insurance protects you from a number of other issues that may arise before your trip too, from extreme weather that prevents you from flying to geopolitical events that deem your destination too dangerous.

‘Comprehensive coverage is key,’ Nicky Kelvin, Editor at Large at The Points Guy, previously told Metro. ‘It is always best to ensure you have comprehensive travel insurance organised once you’ve booked your holiday.’

How to get cheap travel insurance

If you are yet to arrange travel insurance for an upcoming break, hopefully Martin Lewis’s words will sufficiently motivate you to do so.

Fortunately, the Money Saving Expert website provides a Cheap Travel Insurance Finder tool to help holidaymakers find the ideal travel insurance for them at a price point that works.

But whichever policy you go for, heed the warning and avoid burying your head in the sand until your suitcase is packed: ASAB is always best.

If you want more tips and tricks on saving money, as well as chat about cash and alerts on deals and discounts, join our Facebook Group, Money Pot.

Over £2.8billion of savings lies unclaimed – are you owed part of the pot?Metro’s money expert Rosie Murray-West tells you how to find out…

The Isa was introduced 26 years ago and those who opened them in the early days and later moved house or changed other details may have lost touch with some of the accounts they opened.

More money has been ‘lost’ like this than you might think.

According to lost asset finder Gretel there is more than £2.8 billion in lost investments across the UK.

If letters are returned to banks unopened and accounts are not used, eventually a bank will decide that an account is ‘dormant’, and hand the money to the Dormant Assets Scheme, a government-backed project that lends money to vulnerable people.

The good news is, the account may be dormant, but it is not dead, so you can still get the money back.

If you think your hard-earned Isa savings may be part of the billions of pounds worth of dormant account cash, there are easy ways to find them – even if it has been many years since you last touched your money, or the bank or building society that held the money has since been taken over.

The right way to find your lost Isa will depend on whether you were saving in cash or in stocks and shares and whether you have any details at all about where your money might be.

Here’s how to get started.

Lost cash Isas

If you think you may have lost track of
a cash Isa, your first step should be to try to remember where you might have held it.

This is because it is easier and quicker to trace an account if you can find a passbook or statement, even if these proofs of holding the account are from a long time ago.

Searching through old bank statements to find regular payments into a savings account might reveal the whereabouts of your Isa, or you may find paperwork in the depths of a filing cabinet.

In some cases, even if you remember where you opened your Isa, that provider might have disappeared from the high street and been swallowed up by a bigger bank or building society. For example, an Alliance & Leicester Isa will now be held by Santander, while Cheltenham & Gloucester accounts became part of TSB.

Once you have trawled for any clues you can provide, you can either contact the bank or building society directly or use the My Lost Account website.

The service is free and allows you to search multiple bank and building society providers for lost accounts.

They’ll need any clues you can offer them, and a list of past addresses, including your childhood home, and details of any name changes.

Armed with that information, it will look for cash Isas and also savings and current accounts as well as 
Premium Bonds.

It will only find those accounts that the provider has also marked as lost, so if it’s only been a couple of years, youwill not find your account.

Lost stocks and shares Isas

If you had an investment Isa or
other stocks and shares investment, My Lost Account won’t help you find it. However, there are other ways to track these down.

Sign up for the Unclaimed Assets Portal run by the Investment Association, which will check your details against lost accounts. You could also consider signing up for Gretel, which powers the IA register.

Gretel searches many financial services businesses and will keep your details on register and continue searching in future as more businesses join.

As well as Isas, it can find pensions, insurance policies and child trust funds. Adding in your National Insurance number, usually required when you take out an Isa, will increase your chances of finding a match.

The important reason to reclaim your Isas

While the Isas that you have lost contact with are still yours, it is important to reclaim them to stop your money losing value. Most older Isa products have very low interest rates, and your money will still be earning that very low rate in a dormant account.

If a lost cash Isa or other account is found, you may need to provide extra identification, possibly including a witnessed signature, before finding out how much is in the pot. You will then be told the details of the account so you can access it.

If you find an old Isa, ensure you follow the right transfer protocols to stop the money losing its tax-free status. Once you have the number from your old account, open a new Isa with a provider with a good interest rate that accepts Isa transfers, and apply to have your money transferred directly to the new account. That way you won’t be liable for tax on the interest, and your newly found Isa investment won’t impact on this year’s Isa allowance. Trading 212’s cash Isa allows you to transfer money in and has a current rate of 4.76 per cent, so is one good option for this.

Yippee… you’ve found it! Now what?

Whatever you do, remember that you should never have to pay anyone to trace your lost Isa accounts. My Lost Account and Gretel are free, and easy to operate, and if you do not want to apply online there are forms available to download and use by post.

Even if you’re not sure you have an 
Isa or other account that you have forgotten about, you’ve nothing to lose by finding out.

MORE: A beginner’s guide to Isas and how almost half of us are missing out on tax-free money

MORE: Brits with £3,500 or more in savings risk imminent HMRC tax bill

MORE: How many cash ISAs can you have? The rules explained

Many of us have heard of Individual Savings Accounts, or Isas, but government statistics show that fewer than half of us have opened one of these tax-free accounts.

That figure falls to fewer than a third of those under 25, while even among those in their 40s and 50s only four in ten have taken advantage of the ability to shelter their money from the taxman.

Everyone has an annual allowance to use in these accounts, and some come with special abilities that can turbo-charge your savings, such as a bonus from the government to buy your first home.

So how can you get started with Isas?

Metro’s money journalist and personal finance specialist Rosie Murray-West will help you choose how to use this year’s Isa allowance before it resets in April, ensuring that you make the most of your money.

Why you might need an Isa

Isas exist because, as well as paying tax on the income we get from our jobs, in the UK we also pay tax on the interest we get from our bank accounts and dividends paid out by companies we invest in.

Any investments we own that increase in value are taxable too.

Most of us – unless you are an additional rate taxpayer earning above £125,140 a year – have an annual personal savings allowance. This allows us to earn a certain amount of bank interest before we pay tax.

Figures from AJ Bell, an investment platform, suggest that over two million of us will pay tax on our cash savings this year, compared with just 800,000 in 2000.

Those paying higher rate tax can make just £500 in interest (it’s £1,000 for basic rate tax payers) on their cash savings before the taxman takes 40 per cent of any remaining interest payments, and with many accounts now paying as much as five per cent interest, someone with just £11,000 in savings outside an Isa would end up with a tax bill.

‘Lots of people may have racked up a hefty tax bill already this year, because they didn’t realise they’d breached their personal savings allowance,’ says Laura Suter, director of personal finance at AJ Bell.

And this is where Isas come in.

How an Isa works

Put simply, an Isa is a product that legally allows you to avoid paying tax on your money. The accounts are often known as ‘wrappers’ because they wrap your money in a special type of tax-free status that means the taxman can’t touch it as it grows.

Everyone has a set amount of money they can put into an Isa each tax year – at the moment this is a generous £20,000 that can be put into any type of Isa. This year’s allowance ends on April 5, so if you want to take advantage of it, you should do so soon.

Many people grow large pots of tax-free money by using their Isa allowance every year, with figures showing that the top 25 Isa accounts in the country hold an average of £8.9 million.

Most Isa pots are far more modest than this, but the tax advantage is still worth having, whether you are saving for emergencies, for your child’s future or even for a first home.

Once your money is in an Isa, you can move it around between different types of account without it losing its tax-free status, so what matters most is that you open an Isa of any kind and put as much money in as possible before you lose this year’s allowance next month.

‘With the Isa clock ticking, taking advantage of as much of the
allowance as you are able to makes sense,’ says Alice Haine, personal finance expert at BestInvest, an investment group. ‘No one wants to pay tax on money they have already been taxed on, which is why Isas are a must-have financial accessory.’

How many Isas can I have?

You can open as many Isas as you want, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria for each type. However, while you can have multiple Isas of the same type, you can only pay into one of each type per tax year. You’re also free to open Isas with different providers.

If you’ve ever been on maternity leave, you’ll know that before heading off, it’s often a mad dash to make sure everything’s in hand.

But one tiny loophole could mean your employer actually owes you money – and it’s all to do with the world of pensions.

While you’re on maternity leave, your workplace should continue to match the same pension contributions as if you were in full-time work – even if your salary is lower. The same rule applies to parents on adoption leave.

Statutory Maternity Pay is paid for up to 39 weeks and includes 90% of average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first six weeks.

For the subsequent 33 weeks, you’ll be entitled to either £184.03 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings – whichever is the lower figure.

Advocacy group Nugget Savings contacted 236 women about their pension contributions while they were on maternity leave, and more than 100 identified miscalculations.

‘In the UK, workplace pension rules mean that while an employee is on maternity leave, their employer must keep making pension contributions as if they were still earning their full salary,’ Fiona Peake, personal finance expert at Ocean Finance, tells Metro.

‘This applies for the period of paid maternity leave (usually 39 weeks if the employee qualifies for Statutory Maternity Pay or contractual maternity pay).

‘The employee’s own contributions, however, are based on what they’re actually earning during maternity leave.

‘Since Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) drops after the first six weeks, this means the employee’s pension contributions could be much lower, but the employer still has to pay in based on their normal salary.’

How to check you received the correct maternity pay

If you notice that your pension contributions were matched to your maternity pay rather than your pre-maternity salary, Fiona says you could:

1. ‘Check your contract and workplace pension policy. This will confirm what was agreed regarding pension payments during maternity leave.
2. ‘Speak to HR or payroll. Mistakes happen, and a quick conversation could get things corrected without too much hassle.
3. ‘Raise a formal complaint. If HR doesn’t sort it out, employees can submit a written complaint outlining the issue and referring to the pension rules.
4. ‘Get external advice. If the issue isn’t resolved, they can speak to a union (if they’re a member) or get free advice from organisations like ACAS or MoneyHelper.’

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I was exhausted already, yet my workday hadn’t even started. 

My laptop screen was split between my income spreadsheet and the government gateway for Employment Support Allowance (ESA).

Information on re-applying for Access to Work lurked in another tab, and a wad of paperwork sat on my desk, waiting to be filled in for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). 

It was overwhelming to look at – let alone complete – but this was the reality of applying for disability benefits.

Looking back on this moment, I’m so glad I’ve chosen never to do it again. 

I first applied for disability-related benefits in late 2017 while working at a London press agency. At the time, my health conditions – fibromyalgia, endometriosis, and hypermobility – had made commuting by Tube extremely painful, draining my energy before even arriving at the office. 

So after my GP recommended applying for Access to Work – a publicly funded employment support programme designed to help disabled people start or stay in work by providing practical and financial support – I decided to go for it.

Applying required filling out a bunch of forms between long work days and painful nights trying to sleep away the chronic pain that wracked my body 24/7; it was a tiring task, but I did it.

When I was finally approved, I felt relieved. But then I saw the conditions set for me, which stated that the government would only cover up to £15 per trip, yet my taxis would cost a minimum of £20 one way. 

Instead of providing reprieve, this became a financial noose around my neck, costing me an extra £50 to £100 per week – a significant increase on my previous £4 a day commute. 

Then there was the faff of getting my employers to sign off every week before I could submit the paperwork, and annoyance that reimbursements sometimes took up to four weeks. 

No surprise then that, within six months, I gave up Access to Work support because spending £40 to 60 per day on transport, and only recouping £30 of that, had plummeted me into a high-interest overdraft.  

I tried to return to commuting by Tube, but the physical strain became unbearable even with flexible work arrangements. I quit full-time employment less than a year later. 

I decided freelancing was my best bet, so in 2019, I applied for means-tested Employment Support Allowance – a benefit for people with illnesses or disabilities that make it hard for them to work – to cover income gaps caused by illness. 

Again, at first, I felt relief. I’d be allowed to work while protecting my health with fewer hours. I was granted £250 a month, but I later discovered that this would be subject to tax, meaning I lost about a third of it. 

And as ESA has a strict monitoring process, I had to report earnings monthly, with benefits reduced for every pound I exceeded the £16,000 annual threshold. This meant I could only work 16 hours a week.  

My body could handle 25 to 30 hours, but the system trapped me in limbo between ‘almost poverty’ and ‘almost liveable income’. If I earned slightly too much, I lost support.  

The constant seesawing was overwhelming; I even negotiated lower fees to avoid exceeding the threshold. Ironically, the system designed to help me was making my health worse by piling on the stress. 

So when I secured a part-time contract for a long-term freelance gig, I gave up ESA. The administrative burden and feverish stress weren’t a worthwhile exchange for the meagre support.  

I also considered reapplying for Access to Work again but knew this would require more admin, adding to my workload again. I simply didn’t have the energy. 

Simultaneously, I discovered that I was eligible for PIP, a non-means-tested benefit for disabled people. However, after reading countless horror stories about demeaning assessments and a punitive application process, I couldn’t face it. 

The fear of being denied, of fighting an appeal, of justifying my experience of disability to a system that seemed like it was trying to trip me up was all too much.  

Eventually, in late 2019, I withdrew myself from all benefits. Not because I didn’t need them or because the money wouldn’t help, but because the system adds more stress than support. 

As it is, claimants like me are on the edge of the ‘benefits cliff’ and in a poverty trap, never quite giving enough support to get out of their situation.  

When you start to climb toward a liveable wage, support is seemingly snatched away before you can stand on your own feet. It looks like free money from the outside, but it feels like a cruel oscillation between support and punishment on the inside. 

Our system incentivises you to stay on benefits because working more leaves you in the dust without any support. It doesn’t lift people out of poverty; it holds them just above drowning, then pulls them back under the moment they start to swim independently. 

Instead of being a life jacket for people struggling, the system is the waves that pull you to the depths over and over again. 

In short, it’s punitive and aggressive, draining what little energy chronically ill and disabled people have to spare. So I just couldn’t face it anymore. 

Instead, I built a freelance career without government support and now work full-time to survive. Despite the hardship, I’m proud of everything I have achieved.

Not being restricted by the support threshold, I could take on higher-paid roles, like an interim editor at a human rights charity, and publish my work in dream publications. 

It comes at a cost, though. My health is severely compromised by working 60-hour weeks, meaning I’m rarely well enough to enjoy any downtime, and I pay for all accommodations, like a standing desk, out of pocket.  

Despite this, I always have to remind myself that I’m one of the fortunate ones. 

Many chronically ill and disabled people don’t have this option. Most can’t afford to give up benefits because their bodies cannot survive the pressure of working more hours. But therein lies the problem. 

We’re trapping a whole community in a vice between financial survival and physical wellbeing. We need change. 

We need benefits that genuinely support people, with gradual reductions as they grow financially independent, not immediate withdrawals that push us back to square one. We need a simpler system that encourages people to access support instead of scaring them away.  

And no matter what some claim, those claiming benefits are not living in the lap of luxury people. In fact, many of us are living in poverty. 

I’m still too scared to reapply because the demonisation of disabled people is relentless. It feels like being under constant surveillance, waiting to be caught for ‘faking’ or missing a 50p discrepancy in reported earnings. 

Labour’s planned benefit crackdown threatens to push more vulnerable people out of work, not back in. If we have any hope of closing the vast disability gap (only 53% of disabled people are in work), we need much more than rebranded Tory policies.

We need a system that supports, rather than punishes, those who rely on it. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

After widespread outages on its app and website, Barclays has been ordered to pay out a total £12.5 million in compensation to those affected.

In February, a number of banks’ mobile payment systems went down due to an an ‘industry-wide’ IT failure, causing further disruption for Barclays customers who were left without access to their accounts the previous month.

According to the Treasury Select Committee (TSC) of MPs, Barclays is expected to pay out between £5 million and £7.5 million for the ‘inconvenience or distress’ of the outages earlier this year, on top of £5 million for other issues between January 2023 and February 2025.

While the bank has not released the exact number hit by these glitches, it has over 13 million digitally active customers in the UK and processes over 40% of the UK’s credit and debit card transactions.

An estimated 5% of login attempts failed during the January outages, which lasted several days. However, among those that successfully logged in, 17% attempted to submit a payment, 56% which failed.

Further outages were reported yesterday, but they did not reach the scale of the disruption reported in January.

Essentially, a vast number of people will be eligible for a share of the compensation. Could you be one of them? And how do you go about claiming what you’re owed?

Who is eligible for Barclays compensation?

Anyone who was left out of pocket by the outages could be entitled to compensation, with Barclays working to identify all those affected before paying out in stages.

Although no figures have been released, the exact amount you can expect to receive (and when you’ll receive it) will likely depend on the level of financial impact you suffered.

‘We have been taking a proactive approach to customer complaints since the incident occurred and have dealt with as many of these as possible at the first point of contact into the bank,’ the bank said in its letter to the TSC.

‘We will continue to prioritise those customers with vulnerable characteristics or those in vulnerable circumstances.’

How to claim Barclays outage compensation

Barclays claims it hopes to help ‘avoid customers having to make a complaint’ by using internal data to establish which account holders experienced errors.

From there, they’ll get in touch, explaining: ‘In some cases, this will involve an automated refund and in other cases we will contact customers to either provide additional information or confirm the action we are taking.’

In the meantime, however, Money Saving Expert recommends getting in touch with Barclays if you believe you’re entitled to money back for costs incurred and potentially compensation.

‘Explain the impact the outage had on you,’ advises the consumer finance site. ‘For example, if you’ve suffered emotionally or been inconvenienced as a result.’

MSE adds: ‘There are no guarantees you’ll get anything, but Barclays told us it will review each customer’s complaint on a case-by-case basis and will look at all options to resolve the issue, which may include compensation.’

The bank also urges people to contact them directly if they wish to make a complaint, and claims these will be dealt with ‘as quickly as possible’.

‘Our expectation is that complaints will be handled in line with our regulatory requirements (with the vast majority within three days),’ continued the TSC response.

‘If there are some complex cases, there may be a small number that may take longer.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

When I first met Alex*, I wasn’t in a good place.

A close friend had just died, making me reevaluate my entire life, and I suddenly felt an intense urgency to meet someone.

I met Alex on a dating app. On our first date, as he opened up about his childhood, I found myself pitying him.

He came from a wealthy family but had been shoved into the arms of nannies as a baby with parents who constantly bought him things instead of love.

While I wasn’t sure I liked him, nor found him attractive, he spent weeks flattering me, telling me he’d never felt this way about anyone before. Feeling depressed and anxious, I focused more on his feelings towards me, rather than mine towards him.

Little did I know, I would soon be subjected to months of what I later came to understand as a lesser known, but truly sinister form of domestic abuse.

Just a mere few weeks into dating, Alex asked to borrow some money. The apartment he lived in – bought by his mother, of course – had been ruined by a leak, and he’d been quoted thousands to fix it.

My first question was why his parents couldn’t lend him the money. After all, they were in a position to do so. But he said they wouldn’t loan him a penny.

Confused, I asked why. He explained that up until recently, he’d had access to an unlimited credit card, which had been cut off after blowing huge amounts in a short space of time. Like most of us, he’d now been forced to get an actual job.

He said he felt like a loser having to ask me for money, but wanted to prove to his parents he could sort things out himself. I told him I wasn’t sure.

This Is Not Right

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.

With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.

You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.

Read more:

• Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro's year-long violence against women campaign
• Remembering the women killed by men in 2024

After all, I barely knew him. But he insisted he was owed a lot from business investments and promised I’d get the money back within a few days.

Eventually, I finally agreed to lend him half the money and said I’d pay the builders myself. But he was adamant I pay him directly, explaining it would be easier. Ignoring my gut instinct, and without so much as a thank you, I did it.

Within a week, he returned half the money. I now had no reason to believe I wouldn’t receive the full amount back. But I never received the full amount back.

It wasn’t long before he said he needed to borrow more. 

Soon, I was paying for everything. Whether it was a basic food shop or a bill, it didn’t matter. He’d stare at me blankly, waiting for me to take my card out. Despite admitting previous failed investments, he’d constantly push me to loan him money to invest in new businesses or in stocks and shares.

Whenever I’d ask for my money back, I was told it was coming: that he’d spoken to his business associates and there were some minor hold-ups.

After a couple of months, I checked my bank balance and was shocked by how much I’d spent in such little time. I sat him down and explained I didn’t have the finances to fund this lifestyle anymore.

This infuriated him. He claimed I was being ‘tight’ and said I’d never understand the pressure he was under amongst his social circle. After hours of screaming, the only thing that calmed him down was me apologising.

Bizarrely, in front of others, he’d pretend he’d paid for everything. There were times he’d pay for a group meal and then ask me to transfer the money back to him afterwards.

On another occasion, after months of saying how unattractive he felt due to his hair loss, I buckled and bought him a hair transplant. A couple of days later, I overheard him telling his friends that he’d treated himself to it as a Christmas gift.

My friends were horrified when, at a restaurant one time, he took my bank card from my bag and paid for the entire £400 meal when I briefly left the table. Unsurprisingly, they refused to hang out with him again.

People will ask why I didn’t leave earlier; why I allowed this behaviour to continue – a frequent misconception about domestic abuse that takes the blame away from the perpetrator.

The truth is, I did. I tried to leave – and did, successfully – a few times. But Alex had the incredible ability of playing the victim, as I now know is common behaviour among abusers to exert control. He’d insist that anything I lent him or paid for was ‘for us’: that we were building a future together, and I needed to learn to share.

If I ever said no, he’d throw a toddler-like tantrum that could last for days. He knew all the right things to say or do to make me submit or feel guilty. So, life became easier when I did what he asked.

One time, he threw a heavy suitcase and clothes horse at me for trying to leave. He’d scream until his mouth was frothing with foam, calling me abusive names and saying I wouldn’t amount to anything. He’d also repeatedly threaten to hurt himself if I left, saying life wasn’t worth living.

I felt embarrassed to tell anyone what was happening, and weirdly didn’t want people to judge him. As time progressed, I eventually made peace with the fact this was my life. He broke me down so much that I truly believed things wouldn’t get better.

Like many survivors of domestic abuse, the impact of the relationship on my wellbeing, coupled with being misunderstood by outsiders who did not see the true dynamics of our relationship, left me feeling trapped.

Our relationship finally – and thankfully – ended when I discovered he’d been cheating on me. It felt like I now had an excuse to leave that people would understand.

The aftermath was hard. When I broke up with him, I walked out the door and vowed never to see him again, and I didn’t. He accused me of lying about the money, saying that people were infiltrating my mind to extort him.

The breakup massively impacted my self-esteem and sense of self. I felt like I was going crazy or being made out to be a liar.

I’ve recently learnt Alex has done similar things to other women, and I now know there is a term for what we experienced: financial abuse, also known as economic abuse.

This can take many different forms, from spending your money to putting debt in your name or preventing you from having your own bank account. It can happen to anyone, regardless of your job, income or class, but I want survivors like me to know that they are not alone.

Since the relationship ended, I began working alongside Refuge to raise awareness of the different forms domestic abuse can take. Now, for International Women’s Day, I have partnered with the organisation on a campaign to highlight the many red flags of domestic abuse.

To bring this campaign to life, an immersive installation at Outernet in London will be opened on March 8, displaying physical red flags with audio testimonials from survivors. Alongside a number of other Refuge ambassadors and supporters, I have lent my voice to these testimonials so that survivors can be heard.

As a survivor myself, I know all too well the lasting impact of domestic abuse. Despite the numerous bank transfers, Alex has continued to claim I was lying about the abuse I was subjected to.

While I realise I won’t get the money back, I now understand this shame is no longer mine to carry. I only hope that speaking up about it may help someone else leave.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

Tesco shoppers in Gateshead might notice something rather unusual in their local supermarket next time they nip down to do the weekly shop.

That’s because the retailer is trialling a brand new feature at one of its Scan as you Shop checkouts. New trolley and basket scales have been installed as part of this, in the Tesco Extra store at Gateshead Trinity Square.

Those who use Scan as you Shop simply pick up a handset upon entering the store and scan the barcode of each item as they put it in their basket or trolley. At the end of the shop they pack everything as usual, and scan a barcode on the till to pay for everything. 

Shoppers can be randomly selected for a ‘service check’ during this process to ensure everything is working properly. 

The new scales, which some feel look rather ‘dystopian’, are intended to identify unscanned or overscanned items in a shop and alert shoppers to anything they’ve missed, or scanned incorrectly.

According to Tesco, this will reduce the number of manual service checks colleagues have to carry out, as well as reducing queuing times at the tills.

But while it sounds like it should be a positive thing for customers, social media users aren’t so sure about the change – and it’s fair to say the machines are causing a bit of a stir.

A snap of the new scales was shared on Reddit, showing that customers have to pass across them, before heading on to the self-checkout machines.

People didn’t hold back their thoughts in response to the image, with a user known as u/Blueberrym_ writing: ‘Am I at border control or f***ing Tesco?’ To which u/Chungaroo22 joked: ‘No clubcard? DEPORTED!’

Similarly, someone else referred to it as ‘airport core’ and u/Courtneysmaryjane said: ‘Come for the shopping, stay for the full body scan! Wtf.’

After other recent changes to supermarket checkouts, some thought this move was taking things ‘too far’. A user known as u/EcstaticPermission54 commented: ‘This is all going too far now. Can we not go back to mainly staffed tills and just have the odd couple self service for 10 items or less?’

And u/ContributionClean494 thought the machines had a ‘very dystopian feel’ about them, adding: ‘Hoping that the general public will vote with their feet but going on the nonsense in 2020 doubt it!’

However, not everyone has taken issue with the trial. Over on X it was hailed as ‘a good thing’ by @horne_andy who posted: ‘This is a good thing right. Weight is right, therefore no colleague stopping you and sense checking items and I’m out the door faster with no hassle. Frees the colleagues up to focus on the people with discrepancies in weight.’

@BryanRobers72 thought it was ‘sad’ it had come to this, but admitted the move ‘made sense’, while @znighab agreed, saying: ‘I suppose it helps not having to do a rescan of the trolley unless there’s a mismatch in weight.’

Several other supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s and M&S, have also recently divided shoppers by making big changes to their checkouts.

M&S has been trialling new smart checkouts that calculate how much you owe, without you lifting a finger.

This change means all you have to do is place your items on the till, which can identify what you’ve put down and how much everything costs, thanks to a chip embedded in each product’s price tag.

The till then instantly calculates the total price and shoppers pay as normal – no scanning required.

The retailer also announced they’d be putting self-service tills in the changing rooms so customers don’t have to queue twice – both to try on clothes, and then pay.

While at the end of 2024, Sainsbury’s started testing out larger hybrid self-checkouts which feature conveyor belts as well as a bagging area. These are similar to the regular manned tills which you place all your groceries onto, but without cashiers. Shoppers would scan their own items, as usual at self-service.

The bigger tills are intended to allow customers with trolleys to use self-service with ease, and the change comes after the CEO Simon Roberts’ shared plans to make Sainsbury’s stores ‘more efficient’.

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With the end of the financial year looming, Brits are being warned to check HMRC rules, as a ‘significant’ number of savers could end up with hefty tax bills due to rising interest rates.

Although you don’t have to pay tax on money you’ve saved, you are taxed on interest earned over a certain amount — and with the fiscal year ending on April 5th, it won’t be long before letters start landing on doorsteps.

What you should expect all depends on the type of account you have and your income tax band.

Here is what you need to know.

How much tax do you pay on bank interest?

Basic rate taxpayers – earning £12,571 to £50,270 annually – are allowed to earn £1,000 a year in tax-free interest, with anything above this amount charged at 20%.

Meanwhile, the personal savings allowance (PSA) for those on the higher rate – with an income of £50,271 to £125,140 each year – is £500, beyond which a 40% tax is incurred.

Then there’s the different type of account: according to Money Saving Expert (MSE), those on the basic rate would need around £20,000 placed in a top easy-access savings account to exceed the allowance at current rates, with the figure for higher rate taxpayers sitting just over £10,000.

However, if you save through a fixed-rate account, which locks your cash away for a set time, the threshold will be far lower.

Because you’re taxed on savings interest in the tax year you can access it, if you opt for a fixed-rate savings account longer than a year where the interest is paid at maturity, all the interest is counted towards the final year’s PSA.

So, higher rate taxpayers with as little as £3,500 on a three-year fixed rate of 5% will go over their allowance, or roughly £7,000 for anyone on the basic rate.

Paragon Bank recently revealed 2.4 million fixed term non-ISA savings accounts are set to mature in the next three months, up to 887,000 of which have generated enough interest to incur a tax payment.

Derek Sprawling, the company’s managing director of Savings, advised affected savers look at switching to an ISA variant ”if they don’t already utilise their annual tax-free allowance.’

‘The upcoming months will be a pivotal time for millions of savers as their fixed-rate accounts mature,’ he added.

‘It’s therefore essential for savers to consider their options carefully to match their current, and future, returns.

‘With a significant portion of these accounts earning rates which were set when underlying reference rates were at their peak and showing signs of upward movement, most maturing savers will, unfortunately, likely not be able to match their previous rate when it comes to an end.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

After widespread outages on its app and website, Barclays has been ordered to pay out a total £12.5 million in compensation to those affected.

In February, a number of banks’ mobile payment systems went down due to an an ‘industry-wide’ IT failure, causing further disruption for Barclays customers who were left without access to their accounts the previous month.

According to the Treasury Select Committee (TSC) of MPs, Barclays is expected to pay out between £5 million and £7.5 million for the ‘inconvenience or distress’ of this year’s outages, on top of £5 million for other issues between January 2023 and February 2025.

While the bank has not released the exact number hit by these glitches, it has over 13 million digitally active customers in the UK and processes over 40% of the UK’s credit and debit card transactions.

An estimated 5% of login attempts failed during the January outages – which lasted several days. However, among those that successfully logged in, 17% attempted to submit a payment, 56% which failed.

Essentially, a vast number of people will be eligible for a share of the compensation. Could you be one of them? And how do you go about claiming what you’re owed?

Who is eligible for Barclays compensation?

Anyone who was left out of pocket by the outages could be entitled to compensation, with Barclays working to identify all those affected before paying out in stages.

Although no figures have been released, the exact amount you can expect to receive (and when you’ll receive it) will likely depend on the level of financial impact you suffered.

‘We have been taking a proactive approach to customer complaints since the incident occurred and have dealt with as many of these as possible at the first point of contact into the bank,’ the bank said in its letter to the TSC.

‘We will continue to prioritise those customers with vulnerable characteristics or those in vulnerable circumstances.’

How to claim Barclays outage compensation

Barclays claims it hopes to help ‘avoid customers having to make a complaint’ by using internal data to establish which account holders experienced errors.

From there, they’ll get in touch, explaining: ‘In some cases, this will involve an automated refund and in other cases we will contact customers to either provide additional information or confirm the action we are taking.’

In the meantime, however, Money Saving Expert recommends getting in touch with Barclays if you believe you’re entitled to money back for costs incurred and potentially compensation.

‘Explain the impact the outage had on you,’ advises the consumer finance site. ‘For example, if you’ve suffered emotionally or been inconvenienced as a result.’

MSE adds: ‘There are no guarantees you’ll get anything, but Barclays told us it will review each customer’s complaint on a case-by-case basis and will look at all options to resolve the issue, which may include compensation.’

The bank also urges people to contact them directly if they wish to make a complaint, and claims these will be dealt with ‘as quickly as possible’.

‘Our expectation is that complaints will be handled in line with our regulatory requirements (with the vast majority within three days),’ continued the TSC response.

‘If there are some complex cases, there may be a small number that may take longer.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

Whether you’re fresh out of uni and looking to take your first steps up the career ladder or you’re a seasoned professional looking for a change, there are thousands of jobs out there.

Seriously. From delivery driver to dentist and accountant to account manager, the world of work is vast and varied.

But in terms of the most common careers in the UK, which roles take the top spot? Thankfully, employment website Indeed has done some research to reveal exactly that — along with the salaries of each.

Intrigued to see if your job has made the list, or how your salary compares to others? Here are the 15 most common jobs and what they pay as of 2024…

Teacher – £32,939 per year

Now, there are different routes one can take in teaching. But in this instance (and looking at the salary average), we’re talking primary/secondary here.

For those wanting to go into higher education teaching, the Evening Standard reported that the average wage of a Professor is £60,482 per year. In terms of the main responsibilities, you are tasked with teaching students the knowledge and skills needed to progress.

As a primary teacher, this encompasses everything from reading, writing, basic maths and science, and encouraging play in young children. While as a secondary teacher, you can train in a specific subject and work for a singular department.

Consultant — £75,474 per year

The word ‘consultant’ can sound pretty vague. What industry does it belong to? What does the role require? Who do you report to, if anyone?

Firstly, the job title can apply to many different industries, from finance to business to law. In a nutshell, consultants are professional individuals who provide expert and leading advice/services to the field they specialise in.

They are typically called in by businesses to provide advice and solutions to clients. Consultants are often independent and self-employed, but may also work within an agency.

Software engineer — £44,547 per year

A software engineer is responsible for the designs, development, implementation, testing, and maintenance of computer software applications. This means they’re well-versed in computer science and programming.

They may collaborate with other professionals in the industry, from project managers to designers, to ensure that the software is delivered on time and has not gone over budget.

Data scientist — £50,317 per year

Do you excel in problem solving and have a penchant for computer science? Like a software engineer, you may also have a future as a data scientist.

These professionals do what it says on the tin: use data to solve problems for businesses. But they also lead research projects, meaning they need to be skilled in mathematics, communications, business and, of course, technology. The work of data scientists is then used to make more informed, better decisions, in a bid to improve future operations.

Project manager — £45,625 per year

You can be a project manager for different companies within many industries. Whether you work for a water company or an events firm, the gist of the job is to plan, organise and oversee the execution of a project from start to finish.

They are responsible for managing a team, delegating tasks, dealing with and resolving any challenges/changes, and ensuring the project is delivered to the highest standards and expected outcomes.

Business analyst — £43,340 per year

A business analyst is a person who analyses business operations and processes to identify areas for improvement within a company.

They help improve products and services by analysing data, with their end goal being to boost and maintain business efficiency. In this role, being proficient in business and IT is required.

Mechanical engineer — £36,292 per year

If you were the kid who was always trying to fix things, the role of a mechanical engineer might be for you.

The professionals design, develop and maintain mechanical systems and devices, using physics, mathematics, and materials science to both solve problems and create solutions.

Their products could include developing heating and cooling systems or designing machinery and vehicles. At a mechanical engineer’s heart is safety, efficiency and innovation.

Accountant — £34,974 per year

Always been good with money? An accountancy course is calling you. Once qualified, an accountant is responsible for examining financial records and identifying areas of opportunity and risk.

They also help provide informed monetary solutions for businesses and individuals, as well as ensuring taxes are paid properly and financial records are accurate. An accountant may work for a company, an accounting firm, or be self-employed.

Data analyst — £33,701 per year

It seems that the role of an ‘analyst,’ in whatever form, is a pretty common and popular career choice in the UK. In terms of a data analyst, they literally use data to help businesses make positive decisions and solutions.

They also use data visualisation tools to identify trends, patterns and insights that can inform these decisions. A data analyst is also required to present their research to company leaders, as well as create reports with their findings.

Executive assistant — £32,616 per year

Executive assistants support senior managers by handling administrative tasks and helping with projects.

Their responsibilities include managing appointments, correspondence, and schedules, making travel arrangements, answering phones, organising reports and documents, and representing their executives in meetings, to name a few.

Manager — £33,371 per year

Again, there are varying capacities of manager roles, all depending on the size of the company or industry you work for/in. But to generalise, managers are in charge of a group of employees, their primary goal being to ensure their team meets the company’s objectives.

Like other roles in this list, they must be comfortable delegating tasks, providing feedback, and supporting their team. Managers are also required to liaise with other departments within the business (often other managers) to ensure the smooth, efficient running of the overall organisation.

Delivery driver — £25,609 per year

The main objective of a delivery driver is to ensure the safe, efficient, and on-time delivery of packages. A delivery driver could work in any industry, from groceries, retail, fast food, and even huge corporations.

As well as delivering the goods, these workers are also often responsible for loading and unloading their vehicles, collecting payments and obtaining signatures from customers for receipt of the products.

Account manager — £32,204 per year

An account manager is basically the middle man between a company and its customers. They act as representatives and help to manage the relationships between the two.

A day in the life of an account manager may also include managing client accounts, meeting sales targets, negotiating contracts, preparing reports, managing budgets and payments and working with other teams.

Graphic designer — £26,621 per year

Those with a creative eye may want to look in this direction, as the main role of a graphic designer is to create visual designs and concepts for an array of clients. Using both computer software and working manually, they’ll develop designs for advertising, logos, websites, and packaging, to name a few.

A graphic designer will work closely with their client to ensure they understand the brand and the brief completely, helping the organisation to convey their messages visually.

Graphic designers can work for agencies, as a ‘house graphic designer’ within a company, or be freelance/self-employed, working to secure a roster of clients.

Administrator — £21,682 per year

As an administrator, you will manage and coordinate all the administrative elements of a company.

This will include document managing, record keeping, scheduling, and overseeing office operations. Plus, handling budgets, data entry, and customer service.

Ultimately, the goal of an administrator is to ensure an efficient, organised workplace that helps meet the company’s wider goals.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert (MSE) has revealed what he calls ‘the single most lucrative thing you can do with your money’.

According to the finance guru, a simple check could boost the retirement funds of millions of Brits — with many adding upwards of £10,000 to their pot.

And in the latest edition of the MSE newsletter, he’s urging ‘everyone’ under age 73 to see if they’re eligible now, as there’s not much time left to act.

The door closes for this on April 5, but Martin warns that ‘it’s not a quick process’, so the sooner you get the ball rolling the better.

Here’s what you need to know

How to boost your pension

According to MSE, buying back missing years in your national insurance record could massively boost your pension.

Your state pension is determined by how many years you have paid national insurance (NI). As a general rule, you need about 35 years to get the maximum amount, which is currently set at £221.20 a week.

However, some people may have gaps in their NI record for a variety of reasons:

• You were earning a low wage (it’s only mandatory to pay NI if you earn more than £242 per week from one job), or were unemployed.
• If you were self-employed making small profit margins
• You lived or worked outside the UK for a period of time

While currently, men aged under 73 and women aged under 71 are able to buy missing years back to 2006, the launch of the ‘new’ state pension means the option won’t be available for long.

You’ve now got until April 5 to buy back any missing national insurance years from 2006 to 2018. After this date, you can do it to 2019, potentially meaning you’ll miss out on the years you need to boost your retirement.

And when we say boost, we mean it. One MSE subscriber emailed into the financial advice platform to share just how lucrative this hack is.

‘My wife had 10+ years missing,’ David wrote. ‘Her pension forecast was £69/wk, but a (large £8,200) contribution to fill the gaps increased it to £132/wk.’

This equates to a £3,280 per year jump — a staggering £60,000 if his wife draws her pension for 20 years.

The process is pretty straightforward, although Martin’s advice is to start now, commenting: ‘Leave it to nearer the deadline and if the systems get clogged, it could be very cumbersome to make it work.’

Step one is to check your national insurance record on the UK Government website.

If you do have any missing years, MSE says its worth using the Government’s state pension forecaster to determine how much pension you’ll get with your current NI record. If you’re already getting the full state pension – which will show as a £221.20 a week forecast – there’s likely no point in buying back any years.

Bear in mind too, if you’re still a way off retirement, you still may have plenty of time to make up enough years, so you might not need to fill those gaps.

In some cases, you may not even have to pay for a full year (which typically costs £824), so the risks of spending more than you’ll get are effectively ‘diminished’.

‘What matters most here is whether you’re on track to get the full forecast, the cost of the years, and your age right now,’ adds Martin.

The Government website can help you decide whether to buy back certain years, and how to do it, and you can find more information on the MSE website.

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It is not every day £100 can make you £1,000,000, but that is exactly what happened to one Premium Bonds saver.

The new millionaire, from Cleveland in Yorkshire, purchased their winning bond two years ago in May 2023.

NS&I Premium Bonds are a savings account, where the interest paid is decided by a random monthly prize draw.

NS&I dishes out £1,000,000 to two bond holders every month, with other cash prizes ranging from £25 to £100,000.

This month’s winner from £100 defied odds as small as 1 in 620,000,000 to take home the largest jackpot.

It is the second smallest holding ever to win the top NS&I prize.

In top spot is a £17 bond holder who became a millionaire in 2004, 45 years after first purchasing the bond in 1959.

The other March 2025 millionaire had a £35,000 worth of bonds and came from Cumbria.

Another ultra-lucky winner bagged £100,000 with a holding of just £14, which they purchased over 48 years ago.

There were 82 other £100,000 prizes in this months draw.

How do I check if I’ve won?

If you know your bond number you can check your winnings with NS&I’s Premium Bonds Prize Checker. 

There you can see a full list of the monthly winners from £5,000 all the way up until the two millionaires.

You can also use your NS&I number to find your winnings, but only through their prize checker app.

If you are lucky enough to have won, you should see the money in your account within the first seven working days of the month.

If you’re waiting for a winning cheque, that can take until the end of the month to arrive by post.

Those prize cheques expire after 3 months, so you will have to ask for a replacement if yours does expire.

How much money can I make with Premium Bonds?

All Premium Bonds have a 22,000 to 1 chance of winning, however the prize rate is to drop from next month.

The Premium Bonds prize fund rate, which is the average return a saver would make in a year, is currently at 4 percent.

However NS&I announced last month the rate will be cut to 3.8% and the number of prizes available will be reduced.

The number of £100,000 prizes is expected to drop from 82 in February to 78 in April. 

There will still only be two winners of £1million, but the amount of £25 prizes will increase from 1,807,915 to an estimated 2,170,903 in April.

In a post on X in December 2024, personal finance guru Martin Lewis, wrote: ‘Why do so many people give children Premium Bonds? Premium Bonds are only a decent bet if you’ve a big whack in, say £10,000+ and you pay tax on savings interest.

‘Most kids have/do neither. With £1,000 in over a year with typical (median average) luck you’ll win nothing.’

However big winners have said they can take home far more than what they would expect with interest rates.

The likelihood you’ll take home one of the two top monthly prizes of £1 million is around 1 in 60 billion per bond.

This is more unlikely than nabbing the National Lottery jackpot, which has odds of roughly 45 million to 1.

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Despite the fact the average UK salary sits at £37,430 per year, you’ll need to earn significantly more to be considered rich.

In fact, according to a new survey, nine in 10 Brits who take home a six-figure annual wage before tax don’t see themselves as well off.

And the amount required to be classed as wealthy eclipses £100,000 in most parts of the country.

The research, from HSBC, reveals a wide wealth perception gap, with people underestimating their earnings relative to others by roughly 30 percentage points.

Those in the top 4% also tended to identify as the ‘squeezed middle’,positioning themselves in the top 52% relative to the rest of the population.

Overall, an average annual income of £213,000 was judged to be the amount needed for ‘wealth’, while higher earners put the figure at a whopping £724,000.

Perceptions aren’t just affected by income level either, as different regionsshared vastly different views on what constitutes well-to-do in 2025.

Respondents in the North East of England said £80,000 would make someone affluent; still higher than the nationwide average, but far less than the £367,000 sum from the South East.

Londoners thought earnings of £289,000 meant someone could be considered wealthy, a figure which was (perhaps surprisingly) lower than that Scotland’s £331,000 and South West England and Gibraltar’s £323,000.

When it comes to other signifiers of affluence, 51% of the people saidowning a private jet and 48% owning a yacht.

However, high earners are likely to consider non-material factors – such as retiring early (48%), frequently travelling abroad (45%) or having investments (54%) – as more relevant symbols.

Additionally, a third of 18 to 24-year-olds believe having a strong work-life balance is a strong signifier of wealth – something 41% are aspiring to achieve in the next two years.

Vicky Reynal, financial psychotherapist, commented: ‘HSBC UK’s findings reveal a paradox: despite having high earnings and ambitious financial goals, many mass affluent individuals still don’t feel wealthy.

‘This disconnect underscores the psychology behind people’s perceptions of wealth.

‘Anxieties about rising costs, inadequate savings, and the pressure of social comparison create a sense of scarcity, even when objective wealth exists.

‘By redefining wealth beyond the bank balance, focusing on our achievements, reducing unhelpful comparisons, and prioritising financial actions within our control, people can move confidently toward the future they aspire to.’

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