Money Box

Money Box has been hearing from furloughed workers who say their employers are abusing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. It allows staff to be put on leave while the government pays 80 per cent of their wages up to £2500 a month. One worker says he’s being forced to keep working and another says she’s been furloughed but isn’t being paid. Guest Sarah Chilton, partner with employment law specialists CM MurrayWe hear from Endija who bought her two-bedroom home after viewing it through a virtual tour. Guest Mark Hayward, chief executive of the National Association of Estate AgentsAnd the programme looks at the latest measures to help insurance customers with financial difficulties caused by coronavirus. Email moneybox@bbc.co.uk with any questions for the programme.Presenter: Paul Lewis Producer: Charmaine Cozier Reporter: Dan Whitworth Editor: Emma Rippon

Felicity Hannah and guests talk to young entrepreneurs who've started businesses during the lockdown. She'll hear about the successes and challenges they encountered along the way. Guests:Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation Zara Khalique, creator of Keep It BrightEmail moneybox@bbc.co.uk or tweet @Moneybox with stories, experiences or questions for the panel.Producer: Ben Carter Editor: Emma Rippon

Pandemic-related salary cuts and being furloughed could affect your ability to get a mortgage. What will mortgage providers take into account - your previous normal salary or your 80% rate? And will job types in sectors hit badly by the coronavirus now be deemed less desirable by lenders? We hear your stories and get advice from Martin Stewart, Director of the independent mortgage broker, London Money.Millions of self-employed workers are being offered help through the government's new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS). But Money Box listeners say they've experienced problems with the SEISS online checker and complain they've been wrongly rejected. We discover what's going on with the scheme and hear from the chief executive of HMRC, Jim Harra - the man in charge.Many of us are being forced to work from home during the pandemic and that can means extra costs for the employee. We find out from Heather Self, Tax Director at Blick Rothenberg, how your employer can offset your extra costs and what you can claim against tax.Good news for some Virgin Money customers who had their credit cards frozen this week and there's a cancelled holiday chargeback success story in the Money Box podcast.Email moneybox@bbc.co.uk or tweet @Moneybox with any personal finance questions or queries.Presenter: Paul Lewis Producer: Paul Waters Editor: Emma Rippon Reporter: Ben Carter

Graduates and young workers face huge challenges getting and staying in a job as coronavirus changes the employment picture. Louise Cooper discusses the consequences and solutions.Guests: Laura Gardiner, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation Michele Farmer, Regional Director at the Prince's TrustEmail questions and experiences to moneybox@bbc.co.ukReporter: Kafui Okpattah Producer: Ben Carter Editor: Emma Rippon

On this week’s Money Box we hear from people who’ve been furloughed by their employer but are being pressured into working anyway - something very much against the rules of the Job Retention Scheme. And can an employer force those people still working to take a pay cut? Paul talks through the legal implications with Susie Al-Qassab, partner at Hodge, Jones and Allen Solicitors.As the consumer watchdog threatens legal action against companies refusing to refund customers during the coronavirus pandemic, we hear about the struggles some listeners have been having with various companies. Gary Rycroft, partner at Joseph A Jones Solicitors, and consumer rights champion Helen Dewdney from The Complaining Cow website talk through the issues.And we have exclusive figures from the National Gambling Helpline about a sharp drop in callers and how it’s worried about what that might mean for 100,000s of problem gamblers during lockdown. Paul talks to one of the problem gamblers affected and speaks to Anna Hemmings, CEO at Gamcare.Reporter: Dan Whitworth Producer: Ben Carter Editor: Emma Rippon

Many people are having to claim benefits for the first time due to coronavirus. Paul Lewis and guests find out how some people have found this experience. Was it clear how to claim? Did you find the rules easy to understand? Have you got your money yet? Is it enough? What other help is out there?Guests: Victoria Todd from Low Income Tax Reform Group and Will Hadwen, a welfare rights advisor with Working Families.Email: moneybox@bbc.co.ukProducer: Alex Lewis and Ben Carter Editor: Emma Rippon

650,000 people work as contractors in a wide range of jobs across the UK – supply teachers, IT engineers, health care workers. But some of them have told Money Box they’ve been left in limbo by umbrella companies who say they need more clarity from the government before they can decide to furlough them or not. Issues about how much the contractors would get, how much holiday pay they’d be owed and what the industry will do if they don’t get any more guidance from the government means huge financial stress and worry for all those involved. Guest: Julia Kermode, Chief Executive, The Freelancer & Contractor Services Association.There's a glimmer of hope for cash savers as NS&I abandons plans for major interest rate cuts to its variable rate savings products which were due to happen on May 1. Anna Bowes Co-Founder of Savings Champion also rounds up what’s happening elsewhere in the cash savings market.We look at ways to safely access cash for people who are self-isolating and relying on relatives or volunteers to do their shopping for them. Guest: Helen Saxon, Banking Editor MoneySavingExpertPresenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Producer: Charmaine Cozier Editor: Emma Rippon

On our programme last Saturday we looked at the new Financial Conduct Authority guidance for people with car finance who are struggling to pay it due to coronavirus. 80% of all private new car buyers take out finance at the dealership and there’s £110bn worth of debt outstanding. We get lots of questions from listeners about how car finance actually works so for this special podcast extra we’ve got Stuart Masson, editor of thecarexpert.co.uk to explain. He’ll also talk about the FCA guidance in more detail.Reporter and Producer: Ben Carter

Adam Shaw and guests talk to people struggling with bills and finding it hard to access credit. They offer practical advice about how to stay on top of your finances.Guests: Richard Lane from StepChange and Sara Williams from Debt Camel.Email: moneybox@bbc.co.ukProducer: Ben Carter Editor: Emma Rippon

Action to protect workers who would otherwise face redundancy due to the coronavirus outbreak was brought in by the government last month. Known as the Job Retention Scheme it pays 80 per cent of wages for people kept on by their employer up to a maximum of £2,500 a month. At the time there was disappointment from those who missed out because they didn’t start their job before the scheme’s cut-off date of February 28th. This week that date was extended to the 19th of March. The Treasury says the date change is “expected to benefit over 200,000 employees” - but will it? Guest: Heather Self, Tax Partner, Blick Rothenberg.Plans to refund the victims of fraud isn’t "working as well as hoped" according to financial watchdog the Payment Systems Regulator. Data gathered by the PSR shows that two high street banks who promised to refund victims refused to do so in 96% of cases. Money Box hears from the PSR Managing Director Chris Hemsley to find out what his organisation is doing about it, what action it wants to see from the banks… and why it isn’t taking tougher action already. Money Box also hears from the son of one victim whose bank initially refused to refund him after criminals used his bank details to steal his life savings of £90k. The FCA announced more plans to support households struggling to pay bills due to the impact of coronavirus on incomes. They include a three month payment freeze for car loans and a one month interest-free halt on high-cost short-term credit payments like payday loans. The FCA hopes to finalise the proposals by Friday 24 April and expect them to happen shortly afterwards. A three month credit card payment holiday for people with cash problems caused by coronavirus came into force this week.Guests: Sara Williams debt campaigner and founder of the Debt Camel blog and Stuart Masson Editor for thecarexpert.co.ukPresenter: Paul Lewis Editor: Emma Rippon Producer: Charmaine Cozier