Money Box

BBC Radio 4

The latest news from the world of personal finance plus advice for those trying to make the most of their money.

  1. 21h ago

    The Future of Pensions and Bereavement "Injustice"

    Major reforms are needed in workplace pensions to increase the amount people are saving for their retirement, but it will take the next 20 years to get there. That's according to Professor Nick Pearce, one of the people appointed by the Government to its Pensions Commission to look at the problem and find solutions. Government figures show that around 18 million working age adults are not saving into a pension and nearly half of those have a job. Professor Pearce talks to Paul Lewis about what they're looking at to tackle that problem. Three of the UK's leading end-of-life charities have described the way bereaved families are being treated by the Capita-run Civil Service Pension Scheme as an "injustice". Last week the government published data showing more than 1,000 cases where loved ones had been waiting more than 100 days for survivor pensions and death in service payments. Capita has apologised many times already but faces the prospect of losing the contract of running the scheme, worth hundreds of millions of pounds, as the government looks to bring it back in-house. More than a trillion pounds of our savings is sitting in accounts that pay little or even no interest, when it could easily be earning 4% or more elsewhere. Those figures come from the Bank of England analysed by the investment platform Lightyear. They show £1.2 trillion is sitting in UK bank and building society accounts and a quarter of that amount is earning no interest at all. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner Researcher: Amber Mehmood Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast 12pm Saturday 19th September 2026)

  2. 4d ago

    Money Box Live: Rising Water Bills

    More than 320,000 households in England and Wales complained to their water supplier last year. A rise of 56% on the year before, according a report from the industry watchdog the Consumer Council for Water. It also says the number of people escalating complaints to them has rocketed 84% - the biggest rise in the watchdog's 20-year history. The topic of water is huge conversation right now, from who should control it, the price of bills and what happens when things go wrong. Andy White, from the Consumer Council for Water, which represents water customers in England and Wales and Jeevan Jones, chief economist at Water UK, which represents the companies responsible for getting water to our homes join Felicity Hannah to get answers to some of your questions and comments. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Sarah Rogers Editor: Jess Quayle Senior Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast 3pm on Wednesday 16th of September 2026).

  3. Oct 7

    Money Box Life: Lending to Loved Ones

    When someone you love needs financial help, lending them money can seem like the easiest way to support them. And when you're the one facing financial difficulties, turning to someone close to you for a loan can feel like the most natural solution. Around 1 in 4 of us borrow from family and friends when times are tight according to a survey from the not for profit, Fair4All Finance. It found many of those people were asking for smaller amounts of money of around £250 or less to help pay for essentials like food and bills. However, for some, it could be for a loan of tens of thousands of pounds, like children asking for money for a house deposit. The tension is, that if you don't get it right, you could damage relationships with people you care about. So what are the rules and what happens when things don't go to plan? Joining Felicity Hannah is Melinda Giles, a partner at the law firm Giles Wilson who specialises in family law and Peter Tutton, Director of Policy at the debt charity StepChange. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Sarah Rogers Editor: Jess Quayle Senior Editor: Sara Wadeson (This episode first aired on Wednesday the 9th September, 2026).

  4. Oct 3

    Numeracy Review and Petrol Prices

    A new survey has suggested nearly a third of people in the UK believe they lost money last year because of their poor maths skills. One estimate puts the cost of innumeracy at £25 billion per year. To try and tackle this the government has asked a House of Lords committee to investigate. We'll hear from its chair, Lord Agnew. The price of petrol is the highest it has been for almost four years. It was autumn 2022 when petrol last topped 160p a litre. We'll look at why that is and what you can do try and bring the costs down. It's 50 years since the creation of the first index fund for ordinary investors - spearheaded by John Bogle, the founder of the American investment company The Vanguard Group. What was its impact on investing today? And, why more than £1.5 billion languishing in unclaimed, government-backed Child Trust Funds will be the focus of a new review by the Financial Conduct Authority. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Catherine Lund Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast 12pm on Saturday 5th September 2026)

  5. Sep 30

    Money Box Live: Back to School

    Children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland return to school this week, with Scottish children already well into the first term of the year. Many parents and carers will have the cost of sending their children to school in mind this week, right as several changes come in on uniforms, free school meals and the continued rollout of free breakfast clubs. Parents could expect to spend more than £15,500 on a child's school years from reception to GCSE, with school clubs accounting for the biggest share of the bill, according to new Nationwide research. Felicity Hannah is joined by Carol Homden, the chief executive of children's charity Coram and Jasmine Birtles, director and co-founder of MoneyMagpie. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Will Harris Production co-ordinator: Catherine Lund Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 2nd September 2026)

  6. Sep 26

    New Bailiff Rule and 10p Coins

    Tougher regulation about how bailiffs can operate in England and Wales have been announced by the government. The changes will make it mandatory for every bailiff to sign up to a code of practice. The idea is to drive up standards and stop poor practice - like intimidation, unfair treatment or pushing people into accepting excessive repayment plans they can't afford. Thousands of bereaved loved ones of former and current civil servants are still having to wait more than 100 days for pension payments. Those figures come 8 months into the ongoing scandal that is the Capita-run civil service pension scheme. Capita says it now has the processes, automation and technology in place to work through the backlog and remains committed to working through it as quickly as possible. The first 10p coins to feature King Charles' portrait entered circulation this week, but what can you buy these days for 10p? And, if you’re a parent whose child is aged 16 -19 and remaining in approved education, like T Levels, A Levels or Scottish Highers you have until Monday August 31st to extend your Child Benefit claim or risk losing the payment. Presenter: Dan Whitworth Reporters: Hannah Mullane, Jo Krasner and Niamh McDermott Researcher: Eimear Devlin Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast at 12pm on Saturday 29th August 2026)

  7. Aug 26

    Money Box Live: Armed Forces Finances

    In this special edition of Money Box Live, presenter Felicity Hannah has been out to Weeton Barracks in Preston to see how soldiers juggle their finances whilst leading an often unpredictable military life. We look at the benefits of life in the forces – from financial help to buy a home to generous pensions and special payments to encourage you to stay on longer. And we examine the challenges of a career which could see you being deployed to the other side of the world at a moment’s notice. There’s a general disgruntlement in the ranks that the pay does not step up to the mark. The latest official Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey shows that less than four in ten personnel agree that the pay and benefits they receive are fair for the work they do. We put that to the armed forces Minister for Veterans Calvin Bailey MP. Our expert panel includes Ann Griffiths, the Royal British Legion’s Head of Policy and Research, Kate Gannon, Vice President of the Personal Finance Society, and Sergeant Cameron Eden, a British Army soldier and the creator of The Savvy Squaddie - a financial education platform on YouTube that helps service personnel and veterans navigate personal finance. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Craig Henderson Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (This episode was first broadcast on BBC Radio Four on Wednesday July 29, 2026)

  8. Aug 22

    New Chancellor, New Plans? and Inheritance Gifts

    This week has seen a new Prime Minister and a new Chancellor of the Exchequer. As soon as John Healey was appointed the announcements began. First came the announcement to cut VAT on household energy bills from October, next a plan to cap bus fares in England from January, then a 20% cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England starting from April. But what about that major issue on the doorstep when Andy Burnham was campaigning to be elected in his new constituency of Makerfield? The frozen personal tax threshold. We'll discuss what this might mean for your money. Nearly two million households in England and Wales are living in water poverty according to a new study seen exclusively by this programme. The technical definition of that is when people spend more than 5% of their income, after housing costs, on water bills. What it means in reality is being unable to afford to pay for water, and being in debt to a water company. We'll speak to the Consumer Council for Water, who commissioned that study. Plus, we'll look at the rules around gifts and inheritance tax as a new survey by the financial advisors The Private Office found more then 8 in 10 of its clients aged over 45 believe parents and grandparents should help younger generations during their lifetime rather than leave an inheritance after death. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researchers: Amber Mehmood, Catherine Lund and Jo Krasner. Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast 12pm Saturday 25th July 2026)

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Hosts & Guests

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out of 5
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About

The latest news from the world of personal finance plus advice for those trying to make the most of their money.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    751
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Money Box

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