Amalia Illgner

Senior Writer – Money Features

Amalia's experience

After graduation with an MA in journalism at Goldsmiths in London, Amalia spent three years as a freelance writer covering blockchain, social mobility, oil and gas for The Economist, 1843, The Guardian, Oil Review Middle East and New Scientist. She joined MSE in 2019 and was part of the team leading its coverage of the Government's coronavirus financial support.

A little more about Amalia

Amalia loves reading cook books, having friends over to try out new recipes, and discovering obscure London eateries. But above all, she loves belting out old school Broadway bangers in her kitchen while her two daughters run riot and her husband puts in earplugs...

Amalia says...

"I cover benefits and pensions for MSE. What I love most is translating impenetrable financial jargon into plain English and encouraging people to check that they're getting all the help they're entitled to. There is nothing better than when readers write in to say we've made a massive difference to their lives."

Latest from Amalia Illgner

There's valuable hidden protection on credit, debit and charge cards, called 'chargeback'. If you don't receive the goods or services you paid for, and the retailer is refusing to refund, you may still be able to get your money back – so knowing when you can use chargeback is vital. Here are all the ins and outs, including a free template letter.

5 March 2025

If before reaching state pension age, you care (or cared) for a young family member while the child's parents were at work, there's a little-known credit that could boost your state pension by £1,000s. These credits work by filling in gaps you may have in your national insurance record, which is what dictates your state pension amount. This step-by-step guide tells you how to check if you qualify and how to apply if so.

4 March 2025

There are millions of carers in the UK on low or no pay, with many of them missing out on vital help in the form of Carer's Allowance or Carer's Credit. If you care for someone for at least 20 hours a week, you could boost your State Pension by £1,000s or even be entitled to nearly £4,000 a year. This guide takes you through how to check and apply.

4 March 2025

If you have a problem with a regulated financial company that the firm won't resolve, you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It's a free dispute resolution service, which can order firms to pay you compensation. This guide runs through everything you need to know about how it works and how to submit a complaint.

6 January 2025

Personal independence payment (known as PIP) provides non-means-tested help if you're aged 16 to 66 and have a health condition that makes everyday tasks difficult. It's worth up to £9,000 a year as well as being a gateway to other forms of help – yet PIP often goes unclaimed with 100,000s thought to be missing out. Here's what you need to know.

18 December 2024

If your partner dies before you reach state pension age, you may be due bereavement support payments. While this help was previously only available if you were married or in a civil partnership, a recent law change means co-habiting parents are now also eligible.

8 November 2024

Reclaim mis-sold car finance loans for free.

9 September 2024

If you're struggling on a low income, there's a lot more cash out there to help than you may think. Charities, the Government and even companies often have funds which are available to help, especially if you've got children. Millions of pounds' worth of these grants, loans and tax credits go unclaimed, this guide takes you through what you might be able to get.

25 March 2024

Payday loans and other bad short-term credit loans have been widely mis-sold. While each product differs in how they work, they're all expensive, target people with poor credit and are often far too easy to get. If you couldn't afford to repay the loan, or the lender failed to check your finances properly, you may be able to reclaim £100s or even £1,000s.

7 December 2023

More than 1.6 million mortgage customers have applied for a mortgage payment holiday since the coronavirus crisis started, yet while the vast majority are being told their monthly payments will increase by less than £50 once they start repaying again, we've seen a few examples of people being told their payments would double, triple or even quadruple.

9 November 2023

Unmarried bereaved parents have been left saddened and confused after claims for financial support were rejected or they got less than they were initially entitled to. Both problems are due to misleading info on Gov.uk about the support. MoneySavingExpert.com has written to the Government urging it to clarify its guidance to help prevent further confusion among claimants.

22 August 2023

If you're a woman in your 60s or 70s who stayed at home to care for children before 2010, you may be missing out on £1,000s in state pension payments due to errors in your national insurance record. You don't need to do anything for the time being, though you will need to claim your missing state pension payments later this year.

12 July 2023

Parents on Universal Credit to get £100s more in childcare help.

Parents on Universal Credit with high childcare costs will soon be able to claim £100s more in support each month, as the Government is boosting the help available from Wednesday 28 June. In addition, some of those eligible will also be able to get one month's childcare paid for them upfront, instead of having to pay the full cost and getting it reimbursed later.

25 June 2023

Childcare support boosted in the 2023 Spring Budget

Eligible parents of children as young as nine months in England are to be offered up to 30 hours of government-funded childcare each week. Meanwhile, parents who get universal credit will see the maximum amount they can claim for childcare costs raised. Both announcements form a package of new measures designed to help parents, revealed by the Chancellor in the Budget.

22 March 2023

The deadline to top up missing national insurance years between 2006 and 2016 has been extended to 31 July 2023, while the price of doing so will be frozen at current costs during this period. The moves come after many people reported being unable to access essential Government helplines to get vital information ahead of the previous 5 April deadline.

7 March 2023

The financial regulator is set to extend payment holidays for credit cards, personal loans, car finance, payday loans and other types of consumer credit, after the Government announced a second national lockdown in England.

24 March 2022