Money Box

We’ve seen a big fall in the number of bank branches over the last decade. Around 6,700 bank and building society branches have closed since the beginning of 2015, according to Which? With more due to close this month.
Now the government is carrying out a review following concerns about the reduced access to face-to-face banking, and how this affects banking customers both in towns and in rural areas across the UK.
In this special programme Money Box Live asks what IS the future for banking and what do these changes mean for you? Will online banking ultimately be the end of banking face-to-face – or will there always be some form of bank to pop into?
Presenter Felicity Hannah is joined by Charles Randell, former chief of the regulator the Financial Conduct Authority and a member of the Financial Exclusion Commission, and Gareth Oakley, the CEO of Cash Access UK, to answer your questions.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Craig Henderson
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson
(First broadcast at 3pm on Wednesday 24th June, 2026)

Capita chiefs promised MPs on the Public Accounts Committee it would fix long-running problems with its administration of one of the biggest pension schemes in the country by the end of this month.
Tens of thousands of retired and serving civil servants have been reporting long delays to payments, leading to serious financial hardship to pensioners and their families. 
But Money Box has learned the deadline isn't likely to be met. We speak to the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee about what happens next.
And cases of reported are still increasing. We explain how AI has become the latest weapon in the fraudsters' armoury.
Also, holiday season is upon us. What can we do to minimise the hit from those annoying non-sterling transaction fees levied every time we use our plastic. A consumer expert shares his advice.

Six million people who expect to be paying housing costs once they've stopped working say they don't know how they'll be able to afford it. That's according to new research from pensions and investment firm Royal London. It surveyed 4,000 people and says the findings suggest around 1 in 3 UK adults are already paying, or expect to pay, rent or a mortgage once they've retired. What can be done to help them afford it?
A record number of solar panels are being fitted to homes and businesses across the UK. Last year's record is forecast to be beaten this year as electricity prices rise on July 1st. Solar panels on your roof don't just help pay your electricity bills. You can also sell spare energy back to your supplier to help pay your remaining heating bills. We'll investigate why one supplier is reducing that rate.
And, what creatures would you like to see on the new Bank of England banknotes? There's a plan to replace the humans on fivers, tenners and so on with other species. The shortlist chosen by a panel of wildlife experts published by the Bank of England has 18 mammals, birds, amphibians, insects and fish. We'll speak to the Bank of England Chief Cashier Victora Cleland about what's behind the change.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Catherine Lund
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson
(First broadcast on Radio 4 at 12pm on Saturday 13th June 2026)

Scammers are using increasingly convincing AI generated videos to steal people's money. We hear from a victim who had £165,000 stolen and ask an expert how to spot the warning signs before it's too late.
The government has promised new financial rights for cohabiting couples. We examine what the plans could mean for the three and a half million couples in the UK who live together without being married or in a civil partnership.
Households in Northern Ireland will see their gas and electricity bills rise next month. We find out what's behind the increase and what support is available.
Plus, why is one MP comparing parts of England's student loan system to some of the country's biggest financial scandals?
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Hannah Mullane, Jo Krasner, and Niamh Mc Dermott.
Editor: Sarah Rogers
(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 6th June 2026)

The PCS union is calling for Capita to lose its contract to administer the Civil Service Pensions scheme six months after it took over. It follows problems which have seen thousands of retired civil servants waiting months for pension payments. The Union says it would like the contract to be managed by the government instead. Capita says it is making progress on getting things 'back to normal levels' and that it’s got extra trained staff working on the backlog.
Why is the take-up of child benefit, which is worth at least £1,400 per year, at its lowest level for more than twenty years? HMRC says it works with 'many partners' to promote take-up and provide information to new parents in hospitals across the UK. But what else can be done?
A debt advice provider calls for a new social energy tariff to give cheaper gas and electricity to those on lower incomes, ahead of price rises in July.
And, the new rare bank note to celebrate Scotland qualifying for the World Cup for first time in more than 25 years.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Hannah Mullane and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Catherine Lund
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 30th May 2026)