Welcome to April, the season of rising prices and higher taxes - including the largest increase in energy bills. The first of two payments to help with those bills should arrive this month - a £150 rebate paid by local councils to all householders in Great Britain in council tax Bands A to D. (In Wales and Scotland the money will also go to Band E-H householders who benefit from council tax reduction schemes.) For those who pay council tax by direct debit, getting the money should be straightforward. But as Money Box's Dan Whitworth reports, others - including students - may find it more difficult. We hear from Abby Jitendra, principal policy manager for energy at Citizens Advice.
What's going on at the pensions and insurance company Scottish Widows? Listeners ask Money Box for help with very long delays in accessing money and problems with funeral plans. We hear from Kirsty Stone, independent financial adviser at The Private Office.
From Wednesday 6th April, divorce will be easier in England and Wales. No more will one partner have to prove fault by the other. No more will a 2 or even 5 year separation be needed. It can all be done in 6 months, online and without the courts. And the same for ending a civil partnership. But is this too hasty to sort out financial arrangements? We hear from Jo Edwards, Head of Family at Forsters Solicitors.
More than £1.5 billion in pension credit went unclaimed in 2020 leaving up to 850,000 pensioner households short. We hear from Henry Tapper, of the Pension Playpen, about a new initiative from inside the pension industry to tackle the problem that a third of the pensioners who need this extra money don’t get it.
Presenter: Paul Lewis Producer: Paul Waters Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Marianna Brain