2022

Universal Credit claimants and those in receipt of certain means-tested benefits will get £200 towards their energy bills, the Northern Ireland Executive has announced. It comes as part of a new £55 million support package designed to help around 280,000 people with the cost of living. 

Savings app Chip has simplified its membership plan structure, reducing it from three plans to two, and has also added its autosaving feature to its free 'Chip' plan. These changes – which came into effect on 14 January – apply to both new and existing customers.

Nationwide has paid around 20,000 banking customers £60 in compensation after a technical error saw their direct debits fail as a result of not being able to transfer funds into their accounts. Others may also be able to claim refunds or goodwill payments - though there are no guarantees. 

Hundreds of thousands of households could soon see their gas and electricity bills rise by up to 300% because they aren't protected by the energy watchdog's price cap, according to consultancy firm Ginger Energy, which has called on the regulator to act.

If you're one of the millions of taxpayers still to file their online self-assessment tax return, you've less than a month until the deadline. Here's what you need to do to avoid a £100 fine.

I've been calling for Government intervention to prevent an energy bill crisis before 1 April, when the price cap – which most bills are now based on – is predicted to rise 51%, adding typically £600/year to bills, a nightmare that'll throw millions into fuel poverty. Unsurprisingly, with this prediction many are asking me if they should now move off the price cap to fix?

McDonald’s has today (10 January) launched a loyalty scheme enabling customers to earn points on their spending at the fast-food chain, which they can then redeem on free food, including Big Macs and McNuggets. There are a couple of catches though - you can't redeem points on all menu items and the scheme is only being trialled in selected stores to begin with. 

O2 and Virgin Mobile, now known as 'Virgin Media O2' since merging, have pledged to continue offering free mobile roaming in Europe. It means holidaying Brits can use their data, calls and texts as they would in the UK. It comes as other major providers announce plans to reintroduce roaming fees later this year. 

Tesco Mobile customers will be charged more than double what they currently pay if they exceed their pay-monthly calls allowance from 9 February. Meanwhile, charges for out-of-bundle services, such as to send picture messages and to make international calls, will also rise for both pay-monthly and pay-as-you-go (PAYG) users.

Sainsbury’s Bank has apologised after credit card customers were charged late payment fees despite making their monthly payments on time. Sainsbury’s says affected customers will be refunded automatically but it is worth checking to see if you’ve been wrongly charged and contacting the bank if you don't hear anything.