Money Box

The conflict in Iran has very grave human costs for the Middle East. But it also has economic costs and they are being felt around the world and here in the UK.
Just this week the Resolution Foundation think tank said higher energy bills could mean typical British households are £480 worse off this year. From heat pumps to pensions and solar panels to savings - what changes have you made because of the changing world?
Felicity Hannah is joined by Ian Preston from the Centre for Sustainable Energy in Bristol, Ellen Fraser from the energy consultancy Baringa and Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: James Graham
Editor: Rob Cave
Senior News Editor: Sarah Wadeson
(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 15th April 2026)
Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The National Union of Headteachers says the government "must step in" to help teachers in England and Wales who have retired but are facing long delays before their pension is paid. The Teachers' Pension Scheme is one of the biggest in the country with two million members. The Department for Education which has overall responsibility for the scheme says it’s working closely with Capita who administrate the pensions to monitor performance and address any emerging issues. Capita has apologised and says it's working closely with the government to ensure cases are progressed correctly and in line with scheme rules.
In the last month average two year fixed mortgage rates have jumped from around 4.8% to 5.9% and there are around 1 in 6 fewer mortgages deals available to house buyers and people whose fixed mortgages are running out. How is that affecting the housing market?
Mortgage rates going up is bad news but when interest rates rise savers, who far outnumber people with mortgages, many see it as better news. What are the best offers out there?
And what does the lifting of the two-child benefit cap mean for families? 
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Hannah Mullane and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Catherine Lund
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Henry Jones
(First broadcast on Radio 4 at 12pm on Saturday 11th April 2026)

The Employment Rights Act has been called the most significant change to workers rights in a generation, so what does it mean for your money?
The new law will introduce a raft of new rules for employees and employers over the next 18 months. From April 6th statutory sick pay has been enhanced and will be available from the first day of illness. Also, fathers will have a right to paternity leave on joining a workplace, rather than after six months' service.
In January protection from unfair dismissal will become a right after six months of being in a job, instead of two years, and there will be a clamp down on zero hours jobs with workers given the right to request 'guaranteed hours'.
Felicity Hannah is joined by John Palmer a senior adviser at the conciliation service ACAS and Kaajal Nathwani, an employment lawyer at Osborne & Wise. Felicity also speaks to the employment rights minister Kate Dearden.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producers: James Graham
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Henry Jones
(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 8th April 2026)

Millions of people in their sixties will now wait up a year longer before they can claim their state pension. From Easter Monday the current state pension age of 66 will gradually increase over the next two years until it reaches 67 affecting everyone born on 6th April 1960 or later. How will it work for those affected?
Rent arrears, council tax debt and unpaid utility bills are the main reason more than 400,000 people in Britain are homeless. A new report by the Centre for Homelessness Impact published next week sets out ways to reduce or even end homelessness. What does it recommend?
Millions of drivers are in line for hundreds of pounds of compensation for mis-sold finance deals. We'll have 5 top tips on who gets what and how to claim.
And there are some tax changes from Monday as well, we'll round up what's happening to dividends and inheritance tax.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Sarah Rogers
Researchers: Catherine Lund and Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast 12pm on Saturday 4th April 2026)

Making Tax Digital for income tax is HMRC's biggest shake-up of self assessment for decades, but are you ready?
The new system will involve filing quarterly updates as well as a final return via third party software. This year it'll affect 860,000 sole traders and landlords with a turnover of £50,000. In the coming years the threshold will fall, bringing a total of nearly three million people into the new system.
Felicity Hannah is joined by Jonathan Athow, HMRC's director general for strategy and policy, to take listeners' questions about how it all works and what they need to do to prepare. We also hear from Emma Rawson, from the Association of Tax Technicians, a professional body for tax advisers.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producers: James Graham and Rob Cave
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Henry Jones
(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 1st April 2026)