Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

New. Finally, FREE £125 cash for switching bank returns
Ends Sun. Yet the FREE '£180' (15 bottles) of wine deal's closing

January is usually the month where banks pump out (legal) free cash bribes to get you to switch. Yet this year the cupboard was bare, as the only major switching freebie was Virgin Money's wine. Finally, in the 2nd week of February, there's a deal where you're paid to switch. To get any of the freebies, you need to use the banks' official switching services. The switch takes 7 working days, all direct debits and standing orders will be moved for you, your old account will be closed and any payments to it auto-forwarded. You also need to pass a credit check, but it's usually not too harsh.

• New. HSBC free £125 + 1% fixed savings. Provided you haven't held an HSBC bank account since Jan 2018, switch to the HSBC Advance account* and you can get £125 roughly 20 days after the switch completes. You'll also get access to its 1% fixed regular saver, where you can save up to £250/mth.
  
  How to get it: You'll need to pay in a min £1,750/mth, which is just its way of saying "pay your salary/salaries in" (equiv to £25,600+/yr). Plus you need to switch 2+ direct debits/standing orders across.
  
  You can still get the offer if you have an account at its sister banks First Direct and M&S Bank, as long as they were opened before 2018.
  
  
• Ends 11.59pm Sun. Free '£180' wine + 2% savings + top overseas spending card. New Virgin Money* switchers can get 15 bottles of wine (it says they're worth £180; we can't verify this as they're Virgin Wines exclusives) sent within 36 days of you meeting the switch criteria (pls be Drinkaware). You'll also get 2.02% AER variable interest (only on up to £1,000), and its debit card is a top pick for use overseas, as it has fee-free spending and cash withdrawals.
  
  How to get it: Switch 2+ direct debits across, register for its app, and put £1,000 in its linked 0.5% easy-access savings account (0.35% from 27 April). If you've no other savings, you could move it to the main account once you've got the wine code to get the 2%.

For full info on both, plus accounts with cashback, interest, cheap overdrafts or insurance, see Best Bank Accounts.

Martin: 'Council tax to increase by 5% for millions in April. I've 10 ways you may be able to cut £100s or £1,000s off your bill'

According to the Local Govt Chronicle, just over half (53%) of councils propose putting up bills by the max 5% from 1 Apr. Councils offer crucial public services, and during the pandemic, have been a lifeline for many. Yet council tax bills - especially if they increase - are a stretch for some, and while people need to pay their dues, it's worth checking if you're missing out on legitimate reductions. Full help in Council tax - can you cut the cost? Here's a key summary:

1. Up to 400,000 homes are in too high a band. Are you? In Eng, Scot and Wales since 1993, homes have been ranked from band A, the least expensive; to band H (I in Wales), the most. To assign bands in 1991, a stopgap 'second-gear' valuation was done, often literally by people in cars with a clipboard. In Eng and Scot that stopgap's never been updated, so many are in the wrong band.

I first came up with the council tax check & challenge in 2007 - it can get bands lowered, and backdated reductions. Successes still flood in, such as Kevin: "After watching your show, we got a £5,500 refund. Thanks, it had never have occurred to us."

2. Live alone or with under-18s / students? There's a single-person reduction of 25%. Those aged under 18 and full-time students are disregarded for council tax purposes, so a single parent would be entitled to the single person's discount. Live-in carers in some circumstances are disregarded too. Paula tweeted: "I applied for a single-person reduction - £350 saving for the current year and £620/yr going forward. Thank you."

3. On pension credit? You could get a reduction. See pension credit help.

4. Full-time students are disregarded for council tax purposes. Homes where everyone's a student don't pay council tax at all. Patricia emailed: "Having watched one of your TV shows, I claimed for my 3yrs of study. I wasn't expecting success, but the council cleared my remaining amount and reimbursed me £2,600+." See student council tax.

5. Those with a 'severe mental impairment' (SMI) may be missing £1,000s in discounts. If someone has a diagnosed SMI - which includes some with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, strokes and more - and are eligible for (not necessarily claiming) some benefits, eg, disablement allowance, they may be disregarded for council tax purposes, ie, no council tax if they live alone, and get 25% off if they live with one other grown-up. See Severe mental impairment & council tax.

This is wildly under-publicised - we've been raising awareness for years, and many have heard us, including Tom who tweeted: "@MartinSLewis Thanks. After a brief battle, I've claimed back £9,649.65 for my dad who suffered a stroke in 1999 and has lived alone since 2005. This will make a big difference."

6. Had your home adapted due to disabilities? You may be able to get your council tax band lowered.

7. On benefits or a low income? Can you get up to 100% off? Claim ASAP, as it may not be backdate-able. What, if anything, is available varies by council. See council tax benefits.

8. Struggling financially due to coronavirus? You may be able to get a council tax payment plan. There's no one-size-fits-all rule here, and it varies widely from council to council and case-by-case. So while there's no certainty, it's definitely worth a conversation. More info in Covid-19 council tax help.

9. Moved home since 1993? There's a chance you may be owed money, especially if you didn't pay by direct debit. Read Claim back council tax overpayments.

10. In Eng? You can ask to pay over 12mths, not 10mths. It may help some with budgeting. See spread payments.