Poor credit 0%, ½ price Ninja, '2-child benefit cap' confusion, free £25 on 0% card, When'll your student loan wipe?, 10% off Ikea

Plus... £3,700 for ill/disabled pensioners, Best Cheese & Onion Crisps, 30GB Sim £4.50/mth

                                                           

23 July 2024 | View in browser

Banking & Savings Household Bills Deals Insurance Cards & Loans Mortgages Income Reclaim

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL 5 steps for EVERYONE to slash credit debt costs, including... - Longest 0% balance transfers - Special 'poor credit' 0% deals - Rebuild your creditworthiness Martin: Aged 66+ and ill or disabled? Check if you're missing out on £3,700/yr Slash mobile bills to £4.50/mth - 30GB data, unlimited calls & texts Two-child benefit cap confusion - Martin's explainer £230 Ninja air fryer £99 Stop press: Free £25 cash on 20mth 0% spending card When will your student loan be wiped? Starts Wed. Ikea 10% off Martin's open letter to the Chancellor to fix unfair systems... £50 cashback on £100 Hargreaves Lansdown investment 132Mb Virgin broadband '£21/mth' Ending? FREE £175 to switch + top customer service Puma 30% off code New. Martin: 'A unique data-Crunch to find the best cheese 'n' onion crisps' Martin's pod: Are you due £1,000s back on mis-sold car finance? £200 kids' uniform help - are you eligible? £217 Nars, Elemis beauty for £65 Tax Credits renewal deadline 31 July New. £26 cashback on £5+ online spend Holidaying outside EU? Grab a cheap eSim, eg, 10GB for 30 days in USA £10 This week's best buys: 29mth 0% debt shift | 5.2% easy access | 6.1% loan Should we still give our son £1,000 after his brother changed his mind about wanting a puppy? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Car Insurance Compare+ Best bank accounts Top savings accounts Credit cards for bad credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage comparison Compare travel money Cheap Energy Club Best Sim-only deals

What's your Credit Eligibility Rating? 5 steps for EVERYONE with credit card debt to slash costs... includes special 0% POOR CREDIT deals Boost creditworthiness | See who'll accept you | Repay the right way | Get help if you can't cope Banks are institutions that'd lend you an umbrella when the sun shines and ask for it back when it rains. Perversely, those in most need of cheap credit are the ones who find it hardest to get. Yet remember, a rejection from one lender doesn't mean others will automatically reject you too - our top balance transfer deals below aren't just for 'prime customers'. Each lender credit-scores you differently based on its own list of what is a profitable customer - and some target those with worse histories, as it means they can try and make more from them (don't worry, we've ways you can take advantage but avoid the costs). Step 1: What's your Credit Eligibility Rating? We live in a mass credit world - acceptance is based solely on the data. So it's always important to know where you sit in the credit get-ability league tables, and how to climb the ladder. A few weeks ago, we launched our new, free MSE Credit Club, leading on our unique Credit Eligibility Rating which does just that, diagnosing how strong your real-world credit power is. It does this by looking at a typical credit score, then adding on top what they miss - your affordability score and current market conditions. That way, you get a truer picture of whether you're likely to be accepted, and it includes bespoke tips to improve things. You can register or log in direct to the Club or, easier, via the MSE App (iOS | Android). Then as well as the Credit Eligibility Rating, you also get your TransUnion credit score & detailed credit file, your affordability scores, mortgage affordability calculator and cards & loans product eligibility calcs, as well as bespoke tips on how to improve your credit. Step 2: Got existing credit or store card debt? Check if you can shift it to up to 29mths interest-free (or up to 16mths 0% if poor credit) The key weapon to tackle existing card debts is a 0% balance transfer, where you get a new card that pays off debt on existing cards, so you owe it instead, but interest-free over a set period. This means more of your repayments clear the actual debt, not just mostly cover interest. - Find the best card you'll be accepted for. Our Credit Card Eligibility Calculator shows acceptance odds for top & poorer credit history deals. - In the MSE Credit Club? Use its eligibility calc without entering info. - Checking DOESN'T impact your ability to access credit. It's a soft not a hard search, so you see it on your file, but lenders can't use it to assess you. - Go for lowest fee within 0% time long enough to clear debt. Longer balance transfers usually have a bigger one-off fee to transfer. So if you've a choice and can clear your debt quicker, go for a shorter deal to minimise fees. Unsure? Play safe, go long. Below we'll run through the top deals to show you what's out there, first for those with stronger credit scores and then for those with poorer results... Top 0% balance transfers (for stronger credit scorers) Tesco Bank 29mths 0% 3.49% fee 24.9% APR after Link goes via eligibility or apply direct* Longest 0% deal and a definite card, so all accepted get the full 29mths. This card also allows pre-approval for some via our eligibility calculator. Barclaycard Up to 28mths 0% 3.45% fee 24.9% APR after Link goes via eligibility or apply direct* Long 0%, slightly lower fee, but it's an 'up to'. Whether you get the full 28mths 0% depends on your credit history (if our eligibility calc shows you're pre-approved, you WILL get the full 28mths). About one in five don't and get 14mths 0% instead. NatWest 13mths 0% NO fee 24.9% APR after Longest NO-FEE 0%. A clear winner for all who can afford to pay off quickly as there's no fee, so no cost. Next, let's move on to the poorer credit deals. The big difference here is the 'go-to' rates - the APR they move to when the 0% ends are much higher, and could be higher than the cards you currently have. If it is higher than your current card ONLY, move an amount you're sure you can repay within the 0% period. If it's the same or lower, shift as much as you can. Top 'poorer scorer' 0% balance transfers Virgin Money 16mths 0% 3% fee 29.9% rep APR after Long 0%, accepts some past credit issues. Even if you've had a county court judgment (CCJ) against you or a default (sadly, Virgin wouldn't share specifics with us), you may still be accepted here if you can: - Show a recent history of managing credit. - Have £15,000+/yr household income (including non-salary income such as pensions). Fluid 9mths 0% 3% fee 34.9% rep APR after Shorter 0%, but lower minimum income. You can't have been declared bankrupt, had a CCJ, or had an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) in the last three years. You also need: - A minimum annual income of £5,000. - 12mths UK address history. - A UK bank account. Capital One 9mths 0% 3% fee (min £3) 34.9% rep APR after Similar to Fluid (so see which you're most likely to get). Another that may accept you if you've had CCJs or defaults, but not if you're currently registered as bankrupt. Some card firms, including all poorer credit cards, requested that all links go via our eligibility calc tool, to help them manage demand, so we haven't put alternative apply links above. Got a balance transfer? Follow the Golden Rules... Clear debt before the 0% ends. Pay it off or balance-transfer again before the 0% ends or you'll pay the rep APR. Never miss the minimum monthly repayment. Or you can lose the 0% rate. One route is to set up a Direct Debit for at least the minimum, then try to make additional manual payments to clear down the debt. Don't spend/withdraw cash on the card. It usually isn't at the 0% rate, so will be expensive and it's best not to build up more debt. Check how long you've got to do the transfer. If you don't do it as part of the application, you've normally 30 to 90 days. Doing a poor credit transfer? This should be seen as an indication to be careful with your finances. Try not to borrow any more, and do a budget. What you often ask us about balance transfers... So let us try to pre-empt some of your questions. Martin's been talking about this for over 20 years, so in that time he's had them all. Hopefully, we're covering what you're thinking about... Q. Should I apply if my best eligibility score is only 20%? Cutting debt costs is important (usually only trumped by a mortgage application), so go for it. While 20% odds are low, it means it's likely two in 10 who apply will succeed, and it could be you. And if you're rejected, barring a minor credit file application mark, you're no worse off. So the upside massively outweighs the downside. Q. What if the credit limit I get isn't high enough for all my debt? If you get accepted for a card but the credit limit isn't big enough, the application's already on your credit file - so shift as much of your highest APR debt as you can to the new card (usually 90% of the credit limit). Then once done, use our eligibility calculator to see your chances of acceptance for other providers' cards to move the rest. Q. Can a balance transfer hurt my credit score? Shifting a balance from one card to another isn't recorded on your credit file, so you're free to balance transfer as many times as you like. However, a footprint is added to your file every time you apply for a new credit card. Multiple applications, especially close together, and high outstanding debts, even at 0%, can affect your ability to get further credit. Yet don't let that put you off. This isn't a flippant application. Cutting expensive debt costs is one of the reasons you try to keep a high credit score - so you can do it. If you like, it's 'worth spending your credit score on'. See our Credit scores guide for full information. Q. What if the eligibility calculator says 'no chance' for all cards? That makes things difficult. Our calc is only an estimate based on the info we get from firms, but it likely means rejections from all those we include. There is still good practice though, and the next three steps - paying the right way, rebuilding your creditworthiness, and possibly getting debt help - are all important for you to read. Step 3: Ensure you pay off debts the right way Some try to repay their biggest debt first, or spread repayments equally. However, it's the debt with the highest interest rate (APR) that's growing most quickly, so that's the priority to pay off. Once you've moved all your debt to where it's cheapest, list all your cards and loans in order of APR (it's more complex with loans, as there can be early repayment penalties). Then focus all spare cash on clearing the highest rate debt, paying just the minimum on all others. Once it's clear, focus on the next highest rate, and so on. This will get you debt-free quickest. The only exception is if you've a 0% card soon to end that'll go to a hideous rate (higher than any other debt). In that case, you may want to push to clear it first. It's worth noting you can sometimes use existing cards to move debt to where it's cheapest. Some may give you 0% deals for a short time, yet even if not, if you've two cards, one that charges 20%, one 30%, and you're not at your credit limit, you may be able to ask the 20% card if you can shift some debt from the 30% card to it. That would help. Ask your lender. See the credit card shuffle for how it works. Step 4: Ten tips to rebuild your creditworthiness These won't help you today, but trying to build yourself a history as a better credit citizen can mean in future you're eligible for cheaper deals that will accelerate your debt cost-cutting and hopefully minimise debts too. You'll find bespoke tips in the MSE Credit Club, which will also explain and show you your credit utilisation, disposable income ratio and debt ratio, all of which are key to understand. Yet there are also some general tips to try to make yourself more attractive to lenders, though there's no universal fix - as just like when you're on the pull, different people/lenders fancy different things. Yet in general... i) Get on the electoral roll. If not, getting credit's tough, as it can cause ID and tracing issues, so sign up to the electoral roll (you can still opt out of the 'open register' to avoid junk mail). See help for foreign nationals, as that can be trickier. ii) Use consistent answers on every application (eg, job title). Evidence of stability's good, so don't alter your job title or put different bank or mobile numbers down (unless they've changed). Too much variance can also trigger rejection from fraud checks. iii) Never miss or be late on repayments. Use a Direct Debit to be sure, even if just the minimum (then manually repay more on top). iv) If you don't have credit, get crap credit and use it well. Lenders credit-score you to predict your future behaviour based on your past. That's why people are rejected due to past bad behaviour, but equally, no data is a problem too. If so, you'll need to get a credit rebuild card or something similar, then use it for a while to build data (always repay IN FULL though to avoid interest). v) You can hold hands, snog, live with or marry who you like... just be careful if you get joint products. Even marriage won't link your credit file with someone else, ONLY joint products (mortgage, loan or even a bills bank account with flatmates) can, then lenders can assess their history too. So avoid if they've had issues. If you're no longer with someone you were linked to, see how to de-link your finances. vi) Ensure you time it right. Major problems, such as county court judgments, defaults or bankruptcy, stay on your file for six years. Applications for products stay on for one year. So if you're nearing a point where things will soon lapse (your credit file will tell you), try holding off applying until they do. vii) Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is increasingly appearing on credit reports, so timely repayment matters. The three credit reference agencies now add data about firms like Klarna and Zilch, so on-time repayments should boost your credit history, while late repayments may harm it. See how BNPL works. viii) Don't do little applications just before big ones. Too many applications too quickly can be negative, so space out and prioritise applications, eg, if you're soon applying for a mortgage, don't apply for trivial things like cashback credit cards in the month or two before. ix) Don't withdraw cash on credit cards. It's expensive & evidence of poor money management. See Withdrawing cash abroad. x) Payday loans can kill mortgage applications. Payday lending is less common these days, but as well as being dangerous in its own right, some mortgage lenders won't lend to anyone who's had one recently. Related: See our free First-time buyers' or Remortgage guides for full help on mortgage acceptance. Step 5: Struggling to cope? Get free debt help The solutions above all involve you being in a functional relationship with your debt, ie, you can afford to repay and you just want to cut the cost. But for some, a different tack is better - full help in our Debt crisis help guide, but Martin has three questions to help you decide which route is right... - Do you struggle to meet minimum monthly payments? - Is your total debt (not mortgage/student loan) over 1yr's salary? - Do you have sleepless nights or depression/anxiety over debt? If you answer 'yes' to any of these, forget the solutions above, and instead get free, one-to-one debt-counselling help from Citizens Advice, StepChange, National Debtline or CAP (which gives emotional support too). They're there to help, not judge. The most common thing we hear after is: "I finally got a good night's sleep." Just go for it, read inspiring stories in our Debt-free wannabe forum, and also see our Mental Health & Debt guide.

 

 

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

 

 

 

Disabled or ill pensioner? (You, or someone you know) Martin: 'Over 1,000,000 likely missing out on non-means-tested help worth a min £3,700/yr to support daily lives...'  'She now gets £8,000/yr extra, helping her live independently - thank you'  Last year, we launched our Attendance Allowance (AA) guide and awareness campaign - this crucial state support remains unclaimed by an estimated 1.1 million people according to the calculations that analytics company Policy In Practice did for us. Since then, I'm stoked to say the successes have flooded in (as well as a few frustrating failures from some who've been turned down too). To inspire you, here's the email Andy sent me in May... "Following your advice, my mother-in-law was granted £73/wk plus £727 backdated to the time of application. They then reassessed her Pension Credit as she's severely disabled, increasing it by £36/wk with a £1,010 backpayment. Overall, an annual increase of £7,956. She's 89, lives alone, and is recovering from a hip replacement. Thank you - this'll allow her to employ a cleaner for a couple of hours, and get her out the house to see people, socialise & live independently." It ISN'T means-tested - it's for state pensioners who need some daily living help. With AA, your finances are irrelevant. To get it, you must be of state pension age (currently at least 66). There's no specific conditions list. It can be a mental or physical disability/illness - what counts is its impact on you. - You must've needed either help or supervision for six consecutive months (even if you didn't get help). - Help means: assistance with daily living / bodily functions (see image) eg, washing, eating, so even if you don't think of yourself as disabled, you may be eligible - it's worth clicking the link to read the detailed definitions. - Supervision means: someone to watch you to avoid danger to yourself or others. - It's common for those with Parkinson's, dementia, terminal illness, blindness, learning difficulties and more. Want to help someone else claim it? You can apply on someone's behalf too. If you're looking after someone who meets the criteria, you can apply for them as long as they can sign the form, or you've Power of Attorney. Basic Attendance Allowance is worth £73 a week - that's £3,778 a year. There are two rates of AA: - Need help during the day OR night? You get the lower rate of £73/wk (£3,778/yr). - Need help during BOTH the day and night? You get the higher rate of £109/wk (£5,644/yr). - Have less than 12 months to live? You get the higher rate of £109/wk (£5,644/yr). How you apply matters... If you apply online, claims aren't backdated. Yet if you call up and request an application form, claims are backdated to the day of that request, so best to do that. When applying, do have your national insurance number, GP prescriptions and hospital records handy, and fill in the form with as much detail as possible. Applying can be tricky, but there are people you can call for help. The decision usually takes 8 weeks (very few need to attend an assessment). Best to read our full help to apply for Attendance Allowance, including how to appeal if rejected, and do let us know how you do. Warning. Beware if you get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Both PIP and DLA are usually worth at least as much as, and often more than, AA and you can't get both. See our AA clashing benefits help. If you're not sure, get free benefits adviser help before doing owt if you're on these. Attendance Allowance may unlock access to £1,000s of other extra help. AA is often the key to eligibility or an indicator you may be due other help. Here's a rundown of some key areas - click the links for more info: - YOU WILL qualify for a Disabled Person's Railcard. Costs £20, and gets you & a companion 1/3 off rail travel. - YOU MAY be accepted for a blue badge to park in places others can't, often for free, but it's council by council. - YOU MAY get council tax help with the horrible-sounding severe mental impairment (SMI) discount, which can mean 25% off for some or 100% off for those who live alone (or with someone else with an SMI). - LOW INCOME? You may also be due £81/wk extra Pension Credit, or up to £416/mth extra Universal Credit. - HAVE A CARER? If someone close to you looks after you unpaid for 20 to 35 hours a week, your AA may mean they get Carer's Credit. If they do over 35 hours a week on low pay, then they may get paid Carer's Allowance, though how this interacts with AA is complex - see Carer's Allowance with Attendance Allowance help. - LIVE-IN CARER? If you live with someone who cares for you, you may be entitled to a council tax discount.

 

Confused by the difference between the 'two-child benefit cap' and limits on Child Benefit? Watch Martin's 3min children & benefits explainer. £230 Ninja air fryer £99 with code (10,000 available). MSE Blagged. This air fryer & cooker has 10 functions, including air fry, bake & steam - and our code makes it the cheapest we've ever seen this model. Ninja Stop press: Free £25 cash on long 'up to' 20-month 0% spending card. Just launched - accepted new HSBC 'up to' 20mth 0% purchases cardholders get £25 cashback if spending £100+ on the card within 60 days (if you're pre-approved in our eligibility calc, you'll definitely get the full 20mths, otherwise you could get just 15mths). So you could just grab it, spend, then pay it off IN FULL for the cashback. Though this is a top 0% card, so if you NEED to borrow, this is the cheapest way as, used right, there's no interest. Golden rules: 1) Always pay at least the monthly minimum or you can lose the 0%. 2) Aim to clear the debt before the 0% ends or it's 24.9% rep APR interest. Full help and options in 0% spending cards. We'll bring you more of a step-by-step next week. When will your student loan be wiped? Watch Martin's quick video briefing. Starts Wed. Ikea 10% off spending from £100 to £1,000. See how via Ikea 10% off info. Martin's open letter to the Chancellor to fix unfair systems... on Child Benefit, Carer's Allowance, LISA fines, Tax-Free Childcare and more. Martin's restarting some of the campaigns we worked on with the last Govt with the new administration. Read Martin's letter to Rachel Reeves - it also touches on financial education, mortgage prisoners, student living costs and more. £50 cashback on £100 investment from UK giant Hargreaves Lansdown. MSE Blagged. If you plan to invest, this deal from investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown's managed portfolio offers a tidy boost. Keep £100+ invested for 7mths+ & you'll get £50 cashback. This isn't a recommendation - we don't do investment tips - but if you'll use it anyway, you can get cashback. Full info in Stocks & shares ISAs. 132Mb Virgin broadband '£21/mth'. MSE Blagged. Switchers in 60% of UK homes can now get this Virgin 132Mb broadband & line deal for £26.50/mth plus an automatic £100 bill credit, making it equivalent to £20.95/mth over the 18mth contract. Can't get Virgin? See MSE's broadband comparison for other options. Likely ending. FREE £175 if switching to top customer service bank. It's rated 91% 'great' in our customer service poll, but we think First Direct's* free £175 for switchers deal is unlikely to last the month out (but we've no confirmation) - it's already pulled the £25 Amazon voucher boost that was on top. You also get a top overseas debit card, a 7% regular savings account to put up to £300/mth in & many get a £250 0% overdraft. Two other free £175 deals: Check out full details on Barclays and Club Lloyds in Best bank accounts. Puma 30% off code, eg, men's T-shirt £9 (normally £21). MSE Blagged. On full-price & sale items. Puma New. Martin: 'A unique data-Crunch to find the UK's best cheese 'n' onion crisps.' It's the journalism MSE was made for - a blind taste test of 44 brands to find a winner, plus more info than you can shake a packet at. Read Martin's uber-detailed UK's best cheese 'n' onion crisps research. Related: Last year's UK's best salt 'n' vinegar crisps research.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £230 Ninja rapid cooker & air fryer £99 10,000 available - £50 cashback when you invest £100 1,000 available - 132Mb Virgin broadband '£21/mth' Ends Thu 1 Aug - Puma 30% off code Ends Mon 29 Jul - Topcashback £26 back when you spend £5+ 15,000 available - 25% + £2 off eSim with code Ends Sun 28 Jul	DID YOU MISS? - Tesco shopper? Can you get an up to £50 Clubcard bonus? - Martin: How to start a pension & should you consolidate? - Will you pay inheritance tax? Plus probate help - Going to Europe? Pack a valid EHIC/GHIC for all the family - Barclaycard customer? Some will see card interest DOUBLE

 

 

What are you paying for your mobile tariff?  You could slash it to £4.50 A MONTH with unlimited UK calls & texts, 30GB data (easily enough for most) and free roaming, just by switching Sim Text INFO to 85075 for FREE to see if you're one of 14 MILLION people out of contract for your mobile, and likely massively overpaying, as you're free to cut costs. It's an initiative from regulator Ofcom to help combat unnecessary loyalty. Most get an instant answer (though Three customers need to reply with date of birth to prove identity) unless you're on a 'multiple-phones' contract. Generally though anyone who's not switched in two years is pretty sure to be able to switch.  Outrageously, those on old contracts may not even have seen what they pay drop once they paid off the handset. This is a dodgy trick that should be banned. It isn't, so protect yourself. As long as you don't need a new phone, just switch your Sim - the (sometimes virtual) chip in the back of your phone that gives it its identity. Our Cheap Sim comparison has all the deals, here's a taster (all of which give free EU roaming unlike Vodafone, Three and EE)... Current cheap Sim-only deals with free EU roaming Full info via our Cheap Sims comparison and use our Data Calc if you're unsure how much you use Provider (network) Key info Average monthly cost over the first year Lebara (works via Vodafone signal) - 15GB/mth data - Unlimited minutes & texts - Free roaming in Europe (1)  An average of '£3.90/mth', made up of: - £1/mth for seven months  - £7.90/mth after that - It's a rolling 1mth contract, so you can cancel any time (even after the seven months) iD Mobile  (works via Three signal) - 30GB/mth data - Unlimited minutes & texts - Free roaming in Europe (2) An average of '£4.50/mth', made up of: - £4/mth for three months  - £8/mth after that - You can claim a £30 Amazon or Currys voucher (which we factor into the average cost over the 12mth contract) Ends 11.59pm Thu. TalkMobile  (works via Vodafone signal) - 50GB/mth data - Unlimited minutes & texts - Free roaming in Europe (3) An average of '£5.90/mth', made up of: - You pay £7.95/mth - You can claim a £25 Amazon voucher (which we factor into the average cost over the 12mth contract) iD Mobile (works via Three signal) - 100GB/mth data - Unlimited minutes & texts - Free roaming in Europe (2) An average of '£6.70/mth', made up of: - £5/mth for three months - £10/mth after that - You can claim a £25 Amazon/Currys voucher (which we factor into the average cost over the 12mth contract) Beware caps on data usage when roaming abroad as these can be lower than your normal monthly data allowance.  1) Your monthly allowance, up to 30GB usage. 2) Up to 30GB usage. 3) Up to 5GB usage. Thinking "but I like my signal, I'm worried about switching?" There are only four networks in the UK; Vodafone, Three, O2 and EE - all the others piggyback on their signal. So you can just use our Cheap Sims tool to find out which is the cheapest deal staying on your existing signal (do note not all smaller firms offer 5G, Wi-Fi calling or 4G calling, so check what's included). As Katerina emailed us a few weeks ago: "Thanks, I've now saved £324/yr on my monthly contract price and even managed to stay on the same network. I'd been meaning to make the switch for a while, but was uncertain how to do it. Your guidance gave me the confidence." More Sim-switching need-to-knows... - Don't pay for more data than you need. Most say they use 3GB or less. Try our Data Calculator if you're not sure. - You can easily keep your number. Just text your old provider and give the code it sends you to the new provider. - Unlock your phone for free. If you're out of contract, your network must let you do this free. See Mobile unlocking. - Don't want to switch? Haggle. Mobile firms are among the easiest to haggle with. Full info in Mobile haggling.

 

New pod. Are you due £1,000s back on mis-sold car finance? Or already put in a complaint and want to know what's next? Martin talks you through it step by step, as well as discussing relationship issues and how to slash water bills, all in his pod this week via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify (or wherever you get your Martin fix). When you've listened, do use the free MSE car finance complaint tool to put your claim through. Check if you can get a school uniform grant of up to £200. Means-tested grants are available across Scotland, Wales, NI and parts of England. Yet deadlines start this week. See our council-by-council round-up. £65 for £217 of Sol de Janeiro, Nars, Elemis etc beauty. Nine-item make-up & skincare box, including face cream, blush and setting spray from popular online beauty retailer Lookfantastic. Tax Credits renewal deadline 31 July. If you're one of the one million or so people on Tax Credits, you need to check things are correct, and some will need to confirm it. Full help in Tax Credits renewal. Related: Should I switch from Tax Credits to Universal Credit now? New. Get £26 cashback when you spend £5+ online. MSE Blagged. Topcashback newbies can get an extra £26 cashback by signing up via our special link and spending £5+ via it. See Topcashback. Related: £17 Quidco newbies boost. Going on holiday outside the EU? Grab a cheap eSim. MSE Blagged. Roaming outside the EU can be costly, but if you've a big trip planned, eSims can make it all much cheaper. With this Easysim*, you can get 10GB USA data for 30 days for £10 - just use voucher code MSE25 to get 25% off the normal £16 price (plus an extra £2 off using referral code RF13234GX). Full info in eSims, including other providers to check, as your cheapest will depend on data amount and destination.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - 29mths 0%, 3.49% fee (24.9% rep APR interest) No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility, NatWest has asked us to link only to our calculator) - 13mths 0% (24.9% rep APR interest) Best bank accounts £175 to switch + top service: First Direct £175 to switch + perks (eg, Apple TV+): Barclays Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb): Virgin '£20.95/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£28.05/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Car insurance Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 7.2% rep APR (for Clubcard holders) Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 6.1% rep APR (for Clubcard holders) Top savings accounts Top easy access: NatWest Group's Ulster Bank 5.2%, min £5,000 Top fix: Beehive Money 5.22% for 6mths, min £500 Top energy deals Try our relaunched Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.13/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.23/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: iD Mobile, '£4.50/mth' for 30GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.92/mth' for 50GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How do you rate your bank account's service? Every six months, we ask for your help to track the quality of customer service provided by banks. By comparing your answers with last time, we can see which have got better or worse. Please vote based on CUSTOMER SERVICE for your main CURRENT ACCOUNT over the last SIX MONTHS. Ignore rates or any other products, and service if it's more than six months old. Vote in this week's poll. Zen eases in at number one for broadband customer service. Last week, we asked what you thought of your broadband provider, and 6,500 of you responded. Of the providers that got more than 75 votes, Zen is once again at the top of the customer service tree, with 91% saying it's got 'great' service. Shell Energy took the wooden spoon yet again, with 47% of its customers rating it as 'poor'. See the full broadband poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Inflation-linked broadband, mobile and TV price hikes to be banned - Wowcher to refund 100,000s of customers after signing them up to VIP memberships

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should we still give our son £1,000 after his brother changed his mind about wanting a puppy? Our son and his girlfriend wanted a Labrador puppy, so we bred our Labrador, with the idea we'd give them one of the pups and sell the rest for £1,000 each. Our elder son didn't want a dog, so we promised him £1,000 instead. Yet after they were born, our younger son decided he wanted a retriever instead. I still want to give our elder son £1,000 as it's not his fault his brother changed his mind, but my wife thinks we should put it towards a family holiday, so we're still treating them equally. What would you do? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we still give our son £1,000 after his brother changed his mind? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MARTIN'S BLOG - Martin's open letter to the Chancellor to fix unfair systems... on Child Benefit, Carer's Allowance, LISA fines, Tax-Free Childcare and more	MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Second-hand textbooks, simple funerals & solar panels

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 23 JUL ONWARDS) Wed 24 Jul - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm Thu 25 Jul - This Morning, includes phone-in, ITV1, 10am

 

 

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