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Martin Lewis has issued a warning ahead of mobile phone contracts increasing. This mid-contract hike is expected to come in from April, rising prices by 8%.
You can do this by texting ‘INFO’ for free to 85075 – it will tell you if you’re free to leave your existing phone provider. Martin shared that the cheapest deals are only available through comparison sites – you can’t get these by going directly to providers. 3. Transfer your number over It’s easy to transfer your existing phone number over to your new contract. Simply text PAC to 65075 and it will give you a code to give to your new provider.
Some council’s still have money left from the current round of funding, while others are waiting to see how much they will be allocated in the extended round. What help is being given out? Bromley Council is to give out £200 in the form of a virtual payment card to eligible applicants, which can be used for online or over-the-phone payments.
Those who have previously received help through the council since June 2023 will not be eligible for help this time round, but anyone who benefitted from the support before 1 April 2023 can apply for the help, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
The HSF was due to end on 31 March 2024, but will now be extended for a fifth time until the end of September.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Fund would be extended for six months as ‘now was not the time to stop the targeted help’. More financial help Need further help and advice? You’ll find details on all the benefits and entitlements you may be able to claim via the Netmums’ Cost of Living hub.
And now the retailer is looking for shoppers to flex their wine-tasting muscles and let others know what they really think of its latest tipples. The downside? Only 30 people will be chosen – but you’ve got to be in it to win it, right? Here’s how to apply… Looking for some wine tasting tips? If you want to get practicing your wine tasting at home, Aldi’s ‘Mistress of Wine’ Sam Caporn has the following tips, based on the five S’s.
4. Sip: According to Sam, this is where the magic happens! ‘The aromas in your mouth go up your nose and the wine onto your taste buds, allowing you to appreciate the delicious flavours in the glass.’ Households who claim one of the four affected payments will keep getting their old payments for two more weeks after they apply for Universal Credit.
The announcement read: ‘In 2024/25, the DWP will contact the remaining tax credit claimants , and all claimants of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance , and Housing Benefit. How much you’ll get depends on what you’re usually paid, but those on Income Support, Housing Benefit, Income-based JSA and Income-related ESA will get the extra two weeks worth of payments as long as they still meet the eligibility criteria.
Will I need to pay the money back? No, the DWP has confirmed that you won’t need to pay the extra money back and it won’t affect how much Universal Credit you receive either. However, in his spring Budget, the Chancellor announced he will extend the HSF for a fifth time – with a £500m cash injection, given to councils to allow them to re-open their schemes until September 2024. £100 vouchers Families across the London borough of Tower Hamlets can now get supermarket vouchers worth £100.
When will I receive a voucher? Cllr Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Resources and Cost of Living said that schools will be getting in touch with families directly to distribute the supermarket vouchers ‘over the coming weeks’. Can I get help if I don’t live in Tower Hamlets? Some councils do still have funding left in the current round as funding, these include:
Mr Hunt said the Fund would be extended for six months until the end of September as ‘now was not the time to stop the targeted help’. There are also top tips from the Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis, as well as brilliant ideas for saving money on everything from your weekly shop, to that well-deserved holiday.CHAT: With other parents about moneyThe Department for Work and Pensions has issued a new update for thousands of benefits claimants. Across 2024/25, the next stage of managed migration to switch people from benefits such as tax credits over to Universal Credit will take place.
The announcement read: ‘In 2024/25, the DWP will contact the remaining tax credit claimants , and all claimants of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance , and Housing Benefit. What is managed migration? Managed migration is an initiative where the government is moving people onto Universal Credit as the above six legacy benefits are being phased out.
This letter will give you a deadline in which you need to apply for Universal Credit or you risk losing your benefits. The DWP said that by December 2023, of the 148,700 households who had been through managed migration and had their existing claims closed, 21% had not claimed Universal Credit.Families on Universal Credit to be £470 better off within weeks
However, in the latest episode of the Martin Lewis Money Show on ITV, Martin explained that the rate for the limited edition savings account would now be cut – to 4.2%. It comes as Santander customers who already have one of these accounts were told, in an email, that their savings rate would be reduced from May.‘The interest rate on your Easy Access Saver Limited Edition will reduce to 4.20% AER/gross on May 20, 2024.
‘If you’ve less to save, Secure Trust Bank and Cynergy Bank both pay 5.1% from £1 . Both accounts can be opened online and offer unlimited withdrawals.’ As we found out, it could get you £175 of free cash just for doing it, but some banks have been known to offer £200 in incentives. 2. Rise in benefits – 6 April Benefits will be increasing by 6.7% from 6 April. This will increase rates in line with September’s inflation figure.In his Autumn Statement, Mr Hunt said: ‘This will be an average increase of £470 for 5.5 million households next year’.3. Household Support Fund extended – 1 April The Chancellor announced that the Household Support Fund will be extended for six months.
However, this unfairly targets single-income households as a household where two parents earn £49,000 will not have to pay tax on Child Benefit, where a single-income household earning £51,000 will. 5. National Insurance to be cut – 6 April In the Spring Budget, Mr Hunt revealed there will be a 2% cut to National Insurance to help 27 million workers.
6. Debt Relief Order fee scrapped – 6 April The Chancellor revealed the government would be getting rid of the Debt Relief Order fee. The levy’s top rate for the tax will be slashed from 28% to 24%, the Chancellor announced in the Spring Budget. Under his plans, initially announced in last year’s Spring Budget, children of working parents aged two will be eligible for 15 hours of free childcare from April 2024 along with three to four-year-olds.There has been criticism over whether the free childcare rollout would still be going ahead on schedule, but the Chancellor confirmed it would be, pledging to give childcare providers the funding they need.
UK households could be in line for an extra few hundred quid towards their earnings, but the deadline to claim is fast approaching. The money is set to benefit those on the lowest incomes the most. The lower earner can transfer up to £1,260, or 10%, of their full personal allowance to the higher earner.As explained by HMRC: ‘Benefit from the tax relief, one partner must have income less than the Personal Allowance of £12,570, and the higher earning partner’s income must be between £12,571 and £50,270.’
If you live in Scotland, the threshold is slightly different – and the higher earner must pay the starter, basic or intermediate rate, which usually means their income is between £12,571 and £43,662. ‘This means you will now pay tax on £190, but your partner will only pay tax on £6,170. As a couple you benefit, as you are only paying Income Tax on £6,360 rather than £7,430, which saves you £214 in tax.’
But enough of my own personal ramblings. If you want to join in in bagging an Easter bargain, look no further! Here are all the deals you need to know about: You’ll need to go between 10am to 12pm on Saturday, or 12pm to 2pm on Sunday and it’s all first come first served. The voucher says it’s to be spent on Easter treats such as Easter egg hunt kits, but in fact it’s just an £8 gift card for use at participating Morrisons stores, with no minimum spend. And it can be used on anything!
Asda has a range of Easter eggs, chocolates and hot cross buns, most of which you can bring down the price using the Asda Rewards app. The beauty is, there’s no minimum spend, so you can go into a store, buy something for £1 or less, and you’ll receive £1 cashback into your account… technically making it free!
Claimants of certain benefits will see some major changes in the next few weeks. Many on Universal Credit will receive early payments due to the bank holiday coming at the end of the month – and many more will receive a boost to their payments from April. This year, Good Friday falls on 29 March, Easter Sunday on 31 March and Easter Monday on 1 April – and these dates could all affect when you’ll be paid your benefits.
Other benefits affected Along with Universal Credit, this will also affect those who receive their benefit every week, every two weeks, every four weeks, or on the same date every month, including:Increase to Universal Credit All Universal Credit claimants will also receive a pay increase from April.
What is the Energy Price Cap? Energy regulator Ofgem sets a limit on the amount suppliers can charge you for each unit of electricity or gas you use. This is what’s known as the Energy Price Cap. How will it affect me? The Price Cap will affect you if you’re on a default energy tariff. If so, you could save around £238 a year on your bills, depending on how much energy you use. But the more energy you use, the more you’ll pay.
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