MARTIN Lewis returns for his final Money Show of the year and he'll be chatting to benefits and tax experts amid the Cost of Living crisis.
The MoneySavingExpert's ITV show at 8pm this evening comes just a week after the Chancellor announced a new economic package to help those on low incomes and benefits.
This means millions on means-tested benefits will receive a £900 payment, pensioners will get £300 and those with disabilities £150.
If you're eligible for all three payments, that could mean a total handout of £1,350.
It comes after Lewis recently shared a raft of tips on keeping warm during the Cost of Living crisis – without actually turning your heating on.
Read our Martin Lewis Money Show blog below for the latest advice…
- Louis Allwood
Free debt advice
If you’re in debt there are plenty of services you can take advantage of and they offer free advice on how to manage debt.
Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.
- Money Helper – 0800 138 7777
- Citizens Advice – 0808 800 9060
- StepChange – 0800 138 1111
- National Debtline – 0808 808 4000
How much do electric blankets cost to use?
These gadgets use 100 watts of energy to warm a double bed before switching to a sleep setting or being turned off, according to research from Uswitch.
It costs 24p to run an electric blanket for one hour a day for seven days.
If you used it for one hour a day for a year, you’d be spending £12.48 on your electricity.
But using an electric blanket instead of turning the heating up could still save you cash off your bill.
Find out more here.
Shoppers warned not to give out gift cards as presents this Christmas
As the festive season approaches, shoppers have been warned against giving gift cards out as presents this year.
The warning comes as there's no guarantee that you'll be able to use them, if the gift card's retailer was to go bust.
According to Which? one in ten who received gift cards in the last two years, received them for companies that went bust.
And a survey of 2,000 shoppers found that 7% received a gift card for a retailer which has collapsed since March 2020.
Lisa Webb, Which? consumer rights expert, said: "While often a popular choice for hard-to-please friends and family, Which? is advising consumers to think twice before buying gift cards this festive season.
"With the economic outlook uncertain, you could be left high and dry if the company goes bust.
"If you receive a gift card for Christmas, make sure to carefully check the small print to find the expiry date and make sure you won’t face any unexpected charges if you don’t spend your voucher quickly."
Find out more here.
- Louis Allwood
Do you qualify for the household support fund?
Local councils are giving out cash to help households struggling with bills and other essential costs.
How much you can get depends on where you live and in many areas.
To qualify you'll usually need to be a recipient of council tax support.
You can search for yours using the search tool on gov.uk – just enter your postcode.
Local councils also offer welfare assistance schemes all year round that can help you with bills.
- Louis Allwood
'Feed your family for a fiver'
Sainsbury's is offering "feed your family for a fiver" advice – which helps shoppers find cheap meal deals.
There are handy recipes on the Sainsbury's website you can use to meal prep, plus the length of time each meal takes to cook.
You can easily add the ingredients to your basket by clicking the button at the bottom of the screen, but remember to factor in delivery costs.
Sainsbury's also regularly slashes the price on more than 1,000 of its items.
This is known as the price lock and it takes place online, and in store, every eight weeks.
It's part of the supermarket's pledge to price match Aldi.
- Louis Allwood
Fans agree with Martin Lewis' Black Friday warning
The bargain expert Martin Lewis took to Twitter this week to reveal his most important tip for excited shoppers.
His post read: "If you were going to buy it anyway and it is half price, you've saved 50%.
"If you weren't going to buy it, but do cos it's half price, you've wasted 100%."
And fans were quick to agree in the comments, with one adding: "The difference is do you need it or want it?"
- Louis Allwood
Martin Lewis' deal tool helped one shopper save £130
One savvy saver managed to bag a £200 Tefal air fryer for just £70 using Martin Lewis' deal tool.
The shopper shared her exciting purchase to Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert (MSE).
The deal tool – the Amazon Warehouse Discount Finder – helps shoppers find quality items from the Amazon Warehouse.
This is where items are kept if they're slightly damaged or under value, but the tool helps locate products in good condition for a great price.
You simply search an item you're looking for, and it'll come up with:
- How much you'll save compared to a new version on Amazon
- An option to select brand and condition
- The biggest discount you can order it with
Martin Lewis gives his prediction
Martin Lewis has predicted when the new one-off £900 cost of living payment could land in accounts next year.
The extra cash was announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt last week during his Autumn Statement.
The expert reckons it will be around this time next year.
Speaking in a video posted to MoneySavingExpert, the bargain expert predicted what might happen with the newly announced cost of living payments:
"As for exactly when they'll be paid, I don't know yet. My guess – and it's only a guess – is they will be put in place in time for next winter.
"So those payments will come some time probably around October/September, and the cost of living payment will probably come in two tranches as it did this year."
Martin Lewis reveals how to get £200 by switching bank accounts
Martin Lewis has revealed that you can get a free £200 by switching bank accounts this winter.
The MoneySavingExpert revealed that HSBC is offering a £200 switching deal – but there’s a catch, you'll need to put £1,500 in the account first.
Nationwide also offers a similar scheme, allowing you to get £200 if you deposit £1,000 in a new FlexDirect account.
Find out more here
- Louis Allwood
Martin Lewis says he’s pleased with Autumn announcement
Mr Lewis said: “I am very pleased that both benefits and the state pension are being increased by the 10.1% September inflation rate.
“It only happens from next April, and it will still be hard for many, but if it was less than this it would’ve been devastating.”
His comments come after Mr Hunt announced that both universal credit and pensions would go up in line with inflation.
- Joseph Gamp
How will the new cost of living payments be made?
Details on how payments will be made are scarce.
But the current batch of cost of living payments are being paid automatically, so eligible households don't have to apply for the money.
That would suggest those eligible for the payments this time around will just have to sit tight and wait.
You may need to ensure you're receiving the correct benefits in order to receive the handouts.
- Joseph Gamp
'Squeezed middle' earners to be hit hardest by Chancellor's budget
The MoneySavingExpert last week said that while the Chancellor's new economic package will help those on low incomes and benefits, those on middle earnings are set to be hit hardest this winter.
Speaking to the BBC's World At One, Mr Lewis said: “It’s going to be difficult for everybody.
“Because the cost of living crisis is biting away those in the middle who don’t get any benefits or any other payments they won’t get electricity support either except for the energy price guarantee so what the chancellor has done is the state is subsiding energy bills quite extensively.”
- Joseph Gamp
Get your questions over to Martin
Martin Lewis has revealed he will be talking to a top tax specialist as part of his final Money Show Live episode this evening.
The MoneySavingExpert said: "Do you have any questions on personal/self employed tax issues (eg what you can and can't claim).
"We've a top tax specialist on one part of @itvmlshow tonight, so we can put some of your questions to her.
"Suggest a question by reply."
- Joseph Gamp
Who is eligible for the £150 payment?
People with disabilities who qualified for the current £150 one-off payment needed to receive one of the following:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance for adults
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
Mr Hunt confirmed a second £150 payment will be made next year, but the criteria for receiving it is not yet known.
Who is eligible for the £300 payment?
The current Pensioner Cost of Living payment is being given to all pensioners who normally get the Winter Fuel Payment.
This means you qualify if:
- you were born on or before September 25, 1956
- you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 19 to 25 September 2022 in what is known as the "qualifying week"
Jeremy Hunt has now confirmed millions of elderly Brits will receive another one-off £300 payment next April.
Again, you qualify if you were born on or before September 25, 1956, but it's not yet known whether households will qualify if they normally receive the Winter Fuel Payment.
- Joseph Gamp
Who is eligible for the £900 payment?
The £900 payment will be going to millions on means-tested benefits.
That includes those on:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Tax Credits (Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit)
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Support
- Social Fund (Sure Start Maternity Grant, Funeral Payment, Cold Weather Payment)
- Universal Credit
For the previous payments, you had to be entitled, or later found to be entitled to one of these benefits by a certain date.
Martin Lewis reveals exact date to shop at Disney to bag a bargain
Martin Lewis has unveiled the exact date shoppers can bag 30% off at Disney before Christmas.
The bargain expert revealed the tip as Christmas shopping gets underway.
He confirmed Shop Disney will slash 30% off selected items online from November 23-27.
Martin Lewis gives important advice to shoppers
Martin Lewis also said on the show that shoppers can get a No7 gift set from Boots.com, worth £160, for just £41.
It is currently in stock online and selling for £85 – but the finance expert has urged shoppers to hold out until next month for a better deal.
Martin said: "So don't buy it now, sorry Boots, wait and hopefully it'll still be in stock and you can get it cheaper then."
Cost of living payments and benefits rise ‘too late’, say recipients (2/2)
Jason Alcock, 51, a disabled widower who was forced to sell his dead wife's possessions to cover his living costs in recent years, said he "should be eligible" for both payments and the working-age benefit increase, but is unsure of when to expect them and scrutinised the delay to the 10.1% benefits rise.
"We need it now," said Mr Alcock, from Stoke-on-Trent.
"We're going to have a really cold winter and people are going to die because they're not going to turn on their heating.
"I'm living in one room upstairs because the heat rises… that's the only room I'm heating."
Cost of living payments and benefits rise 'too late', say recipients (1/2)
Benefits recipients facing a "dark" Christmas due to tightened finances have said they fear rises unveiled in Jeremy Hunt's autumn budget will come "too late".
The Chancellor has pledged a cost-of-living payment of £900 to households on means-tested benefits and £150 for individuals on disability benefit and also plans to raise disability and working-age benefits by 10.1%, in line with September inflation, in April next year.
The announcement of help has been welcomed but many feel the April rise needs to be brought forward, with members of the public directly impacted telling the PA news agency that the support on offer comes "too late".
Martin gives Xmas warning on avoiding seasonal debt
Meanwhile, on his ITV show this week Mr Lewis warned families not to go into debt just to finance Christmas
Mr Lewis said: “You know you’re not going to be able to spend like you want to.
“Decide how much you are going to spend on Christmas this year and stick to it. Christmas is one day, we don’t want you to be indebted in the New Year,” he added.
- Joseph Gamp
Jeremy Hunt's statement contains a 'housing hole' says homelessness charity
A homlessness charity says Jeremy Hunt's new measures won't help tenants with the rising cost of rent.
Shelter chief executive Polly Neate said: “There is a housing hole in this budget – housing benefit remains frozen at 2020 levels when private rents have been rising at record rates.
“Increasing Universal Credit will really help people struggling to pay their food and fuel bills, but crucially it doesn’t cover rents which are most people’s biggest outgoing. Unless housing benefit is increased, the shortfall with real rents will only grow – swallowing up other benefit increases. The boost to benefits will be built on quicksand.
“The glimmer of hope for those at the sharp end of the housing emergency is the planned increase to the benefit cap. Raising the cap will put more money in the pockets of the hardest hit families.
"The government’s refusal to unfreeze housing benefit ignores the rental crisis that is unfolding, and means that homelessness will continue to rise this winter.”
- Joseph Gamp
Pensions and benefits WILL rise with inflation, says Chancellor
Both pensions and benefits will rise by 10.1 per cent with inflation, it was revealed by Jeremy hunt today.
Mr Hunt said: “In the face of unprecedented global headwinds, families, pensioners, businesses, teachers, nurses and many others are worried about the future.
"So today we deliver a plan to tackle the cost of living crisis and rebuild our economy.
"Our priorities are stability, growth, and public services. We also protect the vulnerable because to be British is to be compassionate and this is a compassionate Conservative government."
- Joseph Gamp
Extra help for millions on Universal Credit to pay mortgages
UNIVERSAL Credit claimants were today given more help with crippling mortgage repayments.
Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement will allow benefit recipients to take out a loan to ease rising interest costs after three months rather than nine.
It is one several major wins for UC claimants dished out by the Chancellor who threw an arm around the poorest.
In the financial package the Treasury said: “To support mortgage borrowers with rising interest rates during periods of low-income, from spring 2023, the government will allow those on Universal Credit to apply for a loan to help with interest repayments after three months, instead of nine.
“The government will also abolish the zero earnings rule to allow claimants to continue receiving support while in work and on Universal Credit.”
- Joseph Gamp
Martin Lewis explains what happens when Stamp Duty cut ends
MONEY expert Martin Lewis has revealed what the end of the Stamp Duty cut will mean for first time buyers.
In the Autumn Statement today, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the cut will be scrapped on March 31, 2025.
Read more from Katie Davis here.
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