May 2015

MSE update: Friday 12 June, 10.47am – since this story was published, Vodafone announced that from 10 August, its new access charge for 08, 09 and 118 calls will be 45p/minute, up from the 23p/minute charge it will be bringing in from 1 July. This will make Vodafone the most expensive provider in terms of its access charge.

Consumers who bought payment protection insurance (PPI) on loans and credit cards may have a new avenue for demanding compensation following a Supreme Court ruling.

Update: 1 June 2015: The Government has today announced that the 30 hours of free childcare for three- and four-year-olds will actually roll out in September 2016 in some pilot areas, ahead of the full expansion in September 2017.

Mobile phone users who send a smiley or sad face, or any type of picture icon in a text, could be stung with massive charges – one MoneySaver told us her son racked up a £209 bill.

O2 says it's fixed a 'network equipment' problem which left some users unable to make calls, send texts and access the internet on Monday evening. But if you've lost out financially as a result of the issue, complain and ask for a reimbursement.

Students heading home from university for the summer could be able to claim a £36 refund for the unused part of their TV licence. They should also diarise to close or switch any energy or broadband accounts.

Changing a name, address or job title on a car or home insurance policy, or cancelling it completely, can result in costly administration fees of up to £55, but you should challenge excessive fees if you think they're unfair.

Martin Lewis, founder and editor of MoneySavingExpert.com, has joined a 'challenger panel' in a bid to make radical improvements to the Money Advice Service (MAS), after an independent review criticised the way it is run.

Shoppers can now get legally binding decisions on complaints from Ombudsman Services if they get nowhere with the retailer itself, although they'll only be able to complain about members of the voluntary scheme.