Martin: 'I'm teary after Council Tax debt win', free £190 bank switch, 21 holiday tips, £40 off 1yr Disney+, supermarket coupons

Plus... Energy price to fall 7%?, uncover Amazon bargains, 'I saved £2k on car insurance'

                                                           

20 May 2025 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL 21 things to do NOW to slash holiday costs & hassle - Key passport check - Cheapest way to spend abroad - Rebook trick - Get travel insurance ASAB New. FREE £190 + '£120' reward bank switch bonus Martin: 'Are you underpaid on min wage?' Energy Price Cap to fall 7%? 40+ supermarket coupons: Free £2.25 yogurt, £1 off cat food etc Martin: 'I'm teary after Council Tax debt win' £40 off 1yr ad-free Disney+ Martin pod: Childcare special with Secretary of State for Education Win £100s on FREE postcode lotto 'I saved £2,000 on car insurance using your sweet spot trick' Uncover Amazon bargains, eg, £99 Samsung watch 8pm tonight (Tue). Martin's Money Show Live Summer Special Watch the UEFA football finals for FREE Child turned 16 and in education? Act NOW to keep Child Benefit Follow MSE on WhatsApp This week's best buys: 33mth 0% debt shift, £20/mth broadband, 4.86% easy-access savings Money Moral Dilemma: Should we leave our house solely to our youngest daughter? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Compare+ Car Insurance 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

Martin: Summer's coming! Going away? Here are: 21 things you can do NOW to slash costs & hassle when you go abroad Cheap $, € | Roaming | Zara tips | Passport alert | Rebook trick & more It may still be May, but change is in the air, the summer holiday season is close to taking off, after all... Humidity is rising (mm rising), barometer's getting low. According all sources... holiday's the place to go. Sorry, as I started writing I came over all a bit Weather Girls. Yet the good vibes can't detract from the fact that while many yearn for a break, if you're not careful it can break your pockets. The average Brit going abroad will spend around £3,000 on their main getaway (source: Easyjet). To ease that, I've a supercharged pre-prep checklist of 21 things to look at now, that'll cut the cost and hopefully the hassle when you go. Tonight, Tue, ITV1 8pm The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE Summer Special Don't miss tonight's one-off big audience special from Concorde's hangar! All you need to tool you up for summer away, childcare help & more (email questions to the team via martinlewis@itv.com). PS: Miss it? it'll be on ITVX 'Martin Lewis' after. 1. THE PASSPORT CHECK: Don't risk being turned away. There are more stories coming in of people not being allowed to get on flights or being turned back at border control. There are two checks you should make, but even if you pass them, if you're not far from failing, with seemingly increased border control rigidity, it may be safer to sort a new passport. Check now that, on the day you enter the country... a) Will there be at least 6mths left (3mths for EU)? b) Even if so, will your passport be less than 10 years old? If you said no to EITHER, check our country-by-country UK passport rules to ensure you won't be sent back, unlike Abigail, who emailed to tell us she was denied boarding her flight to her best friend's hen do in Lisbon because her passport was over 10 years old... even though it had seven months left on it. The Passport Office says you should allow "up to three weeks" to renew. Full help on how in Cheapest passport renewals. 2. USA BOUND OR JUST PASSING THROUGH? You'll need an ESTA. There's heightened security at the border, due to a push back on immigration, so carefully ensure your travel docs are in order. See our ESTA guide, which'll also show you how to avoid scams overcharging for this. 3. CHEAPEST WAY TO SPEND ABROAD: Use the right plastic for best rates for euros, dollars, dong & more. Spend on your plastic abroad and banks get a virtually-perfect exchange rate for that moment, but most add up to 3%-ish non-sterling exchange fees on top of what we pay. So £100 worth of euros costs you £103, and others whack more fees on too. Yet top specialist overseas cards don't add this fee, so you get the same near-perfect, bureaux-beating exchange rates as the banks. My 3 top-pick overseas spending cards All give near-perfect exchange rates in every country Best overall Barclaycard Rewards Visa CREDIT card Easier to get  Chase Mastercard* DEBIT Mastercard via app (no bank switch needed) Switch cash First Direct* DEBIT Mastercard Via First Direct's current account (top rated for service) Cashback on spending abroad? ✓ 0.25% on almost all overseas & UK spends. No No but yes. No cashback on spending abroad, but new customers who switch bank to it get a FREE £175 (see top bank accounts below). Can you get it without a hard credit-check? No, though our eligibility calc shows your odds of acceptance. ✓ Yes (it's a soft credit-check just for ID purposes, it doesn't impact your credit file, so most can get it). No Interest-free SPENDING & ATM withdrawals? ✓ Yes, if paid IN FULL monthly (avoid if not, as 29% rep APR). ✓ Yes (as it's a debit card, and there's no overdraft facility). ✓ Yes (as it's a debit card, unless you go over the interest-free overdraft). Fee-free ATM cash? (Individual ATMs may charge) ✓ Yes, up to £500/day. ✓ Yes, but less, up to £1,500/mth. ✓ Yes, up to £500/day. Does it have Section 75 protection? ✓ Yes, full Section 75 protection. No, though it has lesser chargeback protection. No, though it has lesser chargeback protection. You may already have another top card, whether it's worth switching is questionable. If you've already got a specialist debit or credit card (eg, Club Lloyds, Halifax Clarity, Monzo, some Nationwide debit cards, some NatWest credit cards, some Santander cards, Starling and some Virgin Money credit cards), the above do beat them generally due to the cashback/perks, but it's marginal, so most needn't bother switching. Full options in Top overseas cards. Which is YOUR winner? It's quite a clear-cut choice right now... - Willing to switch your current account? First Direct wins if you're new to it, as it pays you £175 cash to switch, is top rated for service, has a linked 7% regular savings account & many get a £250 0% overdraft. See top bank accounts below. - Overall best card: Barclaycard, as it's a top cashback credit card abroad and a decent one in the UK, meaning you're paid to pay (provided you pay it off IN FULL each month, preferably by Direct Debit, to avoid any interest). Plus it's the only one you get Section 75 protection on, important if you make big purchases. - Easiest to get, with no hard credit-check: Chase, as there's only a soft credit-check, not a full one, and you needn't switch bank accounts, just open it alongside your existing bank. 4. IF THEY ASK 'WANT TO PAY IN POUNDS OR EUROS?' Pay in the local currency. These days, buy things abroad or take cash out and the store or ATM will pressure you to pay in pounds. That's so they can ramp up the conversion cost and pocket extra profit. Just say non/nein/no! Full help in my Pay in pounds? video & blog. 5. JUST WANT TO TAKE CASH? Speedily compare 15+ bureaux. While the top plastic beats it, if you just want a little foreign cash in your pocket for safety before you go, or more as it helps you budget, then our TravelMoneyMax comparison tool quickly compares 15+ bureaux, factoring in all rates & costs to find your best. Eg, on Monday it showed the cheapest place for $1,000 cost £755 all in, compared to leaving it to the airport, where it'd likely be somewhere close to £900. 6. REBOOK TRICK: Is hotel or car hire cheaper than when you booked? If your booking has low-cost or free cancellation, regularly check if you can get the same for less. Try using Skyscanner*, Kayak*, Carrentals* and Trivago*. If you find it cheaper, just rebook, then cancel your original (best to do in that order, check you can actually really get that price before cancelling). Paul emailed us his success last year: "Booked car hire direct in January 2024, collecting and returning for one week from Carcassonne Airport in August. It cost £609. Read your newsletter about rechecking and did. Beginning of August cost £248 - identical terms. Thanks for the heads-up." See step-by-step cancel & rebook hotels and cancel & rebook car hire help. 7. My most important TRAVEL INSURANCE rule... Get it... ASAB  As Soon As you Book Booked & don't have it yet? Do it NOW! I say this because half of what you pay for is protection in case illness or other issues before you travel mean you can't go - though insurance must already be in place for that (see what counts as having insurance in place). As Bev replied to me on X: "My parents made the mistake of waiting until closer to the date, and mum got diagnosed with cancer and had no choice but to cancel as she needed life-saving surgery. They only got 10% back. An expensive mistake." I went through how to speedily get cheap travel insurance, even if aged 65+ or have pre-existing conditions in last week's email, so please jump there for the info. 8. GOING TO THE EU? Ensure you've a valid (free) EHIC/GHIC. 1.8m expire this year. These cards are a valuable additional to travel insurance and give access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local, so if they don't pay, you don't pay. Yet check your card, as almost two million expire this year. If it shows it's no longer valid you'll need a new one, now called a GHIC. It gives the same coverage as an EHIC, plus it can be used as proof of UK residency to access state-funded treatment in Montenegro, St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha - regions which aren't part of the EHIC/GHIC scheme. Both the EHIC and GHIC can also be used this way in Australia, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Yet the card should always be free. Never pay to get a GHIC. Beware shyster sites trying to charge you for 'fast tracks' or other fake nonsense. See how to safely get a free GHIC. 9. FAMILIES SIT TOGETHER FOR FREE. On BA, Virgin, Jet2 and more. A family of four could have to stump up £250+ to book seats to sit together on return flights. Yet gen up on the rules and your rights via our Airline-by-airline seating guide now, and you may be able to do it free (though even we struggle to find a way to overcome Ryanair's charges). 10. FOUR FREE AIRPORT LOUNGE PASSES: Plus a free £165 at Amazon & Sainsbury's. If you've not had an Amex card in the last two years, apply for this card and use it right by 27 May and there are serious freebies, including lounge passes for four. We covered the urgent deadline in last week's email, so see Amex Gold airport passes + £165 Amazon + Deliveroo bonus for full info. 11. KNOW YOUR FLIGHT RIGHTS BEFORE YOU GO: £100s compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled. If you're on any flight from the UK, or any flight to the UK (but in this case it must be with a UK or EU airline) and your flight is cancelled, or delayed by over 3 hours, and it's the airline's fault (it often is), remember you're entitled to fixed compensation under the law (plus a refund/alternative flight for cancellations). Now that's in your head, if it happens, zip to our Flight delay & Flight cancellation rights guides for the full detail. Mark emailed us: "My wife, two children and I missed a connecting flight in January back from Lapland and ended up staying a night in Helsinki, missing work and school. I submitted a claim and after a couple of months they rejected it. I followed your guide and submitted a claim to the CAA, and Norwegian then agreed to pay out compensation of £1,400 (£350 each). Thanks." PS: Had a delay or cancellation in the last six years & didn't get compensation? Check the guides NOW. You may still be due. 12. ZARA, MASSIMO DUTTI OR PULL&BEAR SHOPPER? It's likely cheaper on hols... My Zara trick blog has long been a real winner for anyone going to Europe (especially Spain and Greece). 13. PARKING AT THE AIRPORT? BOOK AHEAD... even if it's on the day. Pull up at Manchester Airport without a booking tomorrow (Wed), and it'll cost you £419/wk to park there, but we found official parking today (Tue) via a comparison site from just £81/wk - in fact, even if you book online on the way to the airport it can be cheaper. Generally though, the earlier you can book, the better the price. See if you can save with our blagged comparison site discounts (bear in mind the biggest discount doesn't always mean the best price): FHR 11%-51% off* | Holiday Extras 10%-60% off* | SkyParkSecure 3%-44% off* | APH 16%-20% off*. For alternatives and need-to-knows, fly over to Cheap airport parking. 14. AVOID £7+ 'KISS & FLY'... though you may need to get your steps in. How to ditch the pesky charges for dropping people off at the airport, if you know where to go and can walk just a little bit. We've a newly-updated airport-by-airport guide. Not booked & want to? Use our guides on Cheap flights | Cheap hotels | Cheap package holidays | Multi-destination MoneySaving 15. DO YOU HAVE FREE EU ROAMING? Most big networks don't, many little 'uns do. Vodafone, Three and EE all now charge £2ish/day to use your home phone & data package in the EU. O2 is the only 'big four' network to still be free. Yet many piggyback operators are free to EU-roam, including Lebara, Smarty and Giffgaff. With 14m of you out of contract, free to switch and often already massively overpaying, why not ditch and switch to save in the UK and in the EU? Or you can do more specific searches via our Cheap Mobile Sim Finder. For example, currently the following all include EU roaming (and roaming in some other countries) at no extra charge: - Lebara (via Vodafone signal) - 5GB for '£2.63/mth' (includes full allowance) - iD Mobile (via Three signal) - 40GB for '£3/mth' (max 30GB abroad) - iD Mobile (via Three signal) - 120GB for '£5.42/mth' (max 30GB abroad) Do put a spend cap in place for when you go abroad to avoid bill shock, and use our tips for using less data. 16. ROAMING OUTSIDE THE EU. There's an eSIMple way to cut costs. Your home network will charge up to £15/day for very limited data via a costly add-on - just watching TV can cost a fortune. Instead buy cheap international eSims online (eg, £9 for 9GB USA data that lasts 30 days), which adjusts your phone's settings and temporarily routes it via another provider so it provides your data allowance overseas. Prices differ based on your destination and the length of your trip, so as with most purchases, it's wise to compare a few providers to find the best eSim for your needs. Popular providers to try: Airalo* | Breeze* | EasySim* | Firsty* | GoMoWorld | Holafly | Nomad | Saily* Frustratingly, feedback on these firms is tough to come by, so we can't vouch for how good the coverage or the speeds are. Even so, don't be put off, many people rave about eSims, including me - read my story of trying an eSim from a couple of years ago (spoiler: it worked well and was far cheaper). 17. Beware holiday car hire traps i) Booking early, via a comparison, usually wins. We saw car hire prices skyrocket after the pandemic, but in recent years they've been falling. Early booking tends to be cheapest, but we've also seen some super cheap last-minute deals in places where there's spare capacity (so try for free cancellation and check the cancel & rebook tip). Either way, don't leave it till you get there. Top comparison sites include: Kayak* | TravelSupermarket* | Carrentals* | Enjoy Travel* See a full list and far more help & tricks in Cheap holiday car hire. ii) Be ready for the insurance hard-sell at pick-up - make sure you're pre-prepared to beat it. Car hire usually includes basic insurance. Despite this, at pick-up they'll almost always try to push you to get 'excess cover insurance' at up to £25/day with scare stories of huge bills for just a scratch (or sometimes implying you have to do it). Say no. Instead, get standalone car hire excess cover insurance. - Compare prices via the MoneyMaxim* holiday car hire excess insurance comparison. - Then check against MSE Blagged discounts, eg, our 20% off Leisure Guard* (with code MSE20), 20% off ReduceMyExcess* and 17% off Eversure* (code will be auto-filled when you follow these links). - If you hire cars a lot, you can buy an annual policy. iii) They WILL try to put you off doing this. Even once you've told them you've got your standalone insurance, they'll try to put you off or tell you it doesn't work. They will also normally make you jump through hoops, and find ways to exclude you from doing this. You must usually... - Leave a refundable deposit of possibly up to £1,200 on a credit card. - Have a credit card, as often debit cards aren't accepted. - Have the card in the name of the person who booked (though some say it needs to be the main driver). If not, they won't accept it, so check first. Don't be overly put off by these tactics. Many (including me) successfully do this with no problems. Just be prepared. 18. SORRY, BUT DO A BUDGET. Though you can factor in what you're not spending at home. Not many relish the idea of sticking to a budget while away, but if you don't you can have a holiday hangover when you get back. Even if it's just an idea of what you can afford to spend, it's useful to do a budget before you go (and be careful if you're out on the town - drinking and sticking to financial limits go together as well as Baileys and lime juice). As a salve, remember when you're away that some of your usual home expenditure won't be made (no food, lower energy bills & transport), so you can add that into your budget. For general help, see our budgeting guide. 19. HOW LONG DOES SUN CREAM LAST? Turn it around to find out. Don't just assume your old sun cream no longer offers protection and fork out for new bottles. Watch my video explainer or take a look at our turning sun cream around help. 20. BEWARE HOLIDAY SCAMS. They're rife. If you get an out-of-the-blue email or WhatsApp message offering deals, be very careful. Scams are rife - it's a Wild West out there. Any source contacting you that you haven't asked to is a risk. See our full list of holiday scams to be aware of. 21. A MICKEY MOUSE DEAL: How to cut costs at Walt Disney World. Doing the Orlando parks is never a MoneySaving trip, but if you're going, we've 34 Disney & Universal tips and tricks to help with costs, including a code to nab discounted attraction tickets, what to watch out for when booking and how to find hidden freebies.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

New. Top bank switch bonus, FREE £190 + '£120' reward TSB's new deal puts it top of the four banks that pay switchers. So unless your bank makes you smile, why not make it pay you! After a dry spell, it's raining bank switch bonuses again, with 2025's highest total cash bribe launching this week. Our full Best bank accounts guide has huge detail, but let's run through it here, er, drop by drop. Getting the bonus & perks is pretty easy if you'll use the bank as your main account (the criteria are designed specifically to encourage that). Switching's usually quick & easy. In Martin's social media polls today, almost 90% of the 5,500 who'd switched said it was easy & hassle free. To get the free cash, you need to use the bank's seven-working-day switch service (so roughly 10 days), which moves across your standing orders & Direct Debits for you, closes your old account and from that point auto-forwards any payments made to it to your new one. You'll also need to pass a not-too-harsh credit check. Top new-customer FREE CASH switch bonuses (fee-free accounts) Top overall cash New. TSB Spend & Save* £190 cash + '£120' reward Min monthly pay-in: None Service rating: 38% 'great' This is a clever new deal from TSB*. A lucrative part of it is that its free cash is structured to incentivise you to stick with it until at least January 2026. For who can get it & more, see full TSB eligibility & review, but in brief, switchers get... - £100 upfront free cash if you make 5+ debit card payments and log into its app by 19 July. - Then six months' £15/mth cashback (so £90 total), provided you make 20+ debit card payments in the month (if it's a struggle, just split your shopping into smaller amounts). - Choice of £120 hotel voucher or 12mths' UK activity tickets if you make 20+ debit card payments in December. The hotel voucher is for £120 credit for bookings on Expedia's Travel Credits website (no min spend), which mostly seems to have the same prices as the main Expedia site. The activity tickets are for the National Activities Network, which includes things such as theme parks, trampoline parks, escape rooms and museums. Yet it's only usable for one person, so not the best for families. - It also has a linked 5% AER one-year fixed regular saver you can put up to £250/mth in (maxed out, that's £71/yr interest). Top all-rounder deal First Direct 1st Account* FREE £175 cash, top service & 7% linked saver Min monthly pay-in: None Service rating: 92% 'great' You open it by app unless joint, then it's online. First Direct's* been near-top of every customer service poll we've ever run, with a current 92% 'great' rating. Factoring that in, its package is the most well-rounded. For who can get it & more, see full First Direct eligibility & review, but in brief, switchers get... - £175 upfront free cash if you switch over 2+ Direct Debits / standing orders, pay in £1,000+ (putting it in then taking it straight out counts) and make 5+ debit card payments within 45 days. - Ongoing 0% £250 overdraft for many. - Top overseas debit card (see above), so you get near-perfect exchange rates. - It also has a linked 7% AER one-year fixed regular saver you can put up to £300/mth in (maxed out, that's £136.50/yr interest). Top ongoing cashback NatWest Reward FREE £150 + £36 a year cashback Min monthly pay-in: £1,250 Service rating: 54% 'great' NatWest's main advantage is the cashback is ongoing rather than being time-limited (though it has the right to choose to stop that offer in future), so if it lasts, over time it should add up. For who can get it & more, see full NatWest eligibility & review, but in brief, both new & existing customers switching an account in from elsewhere can get...  - £150 upfront free cash if you deposit £1,250+ and log into mobile banking within 60 days. - £36/yr cashback. Technically this isn't a fee-free account as it charges you £2/mth, but you get £5/mth cashback each month... so you're £3/mth up. For that, you must have £1,250+ going in (equivalent to paying a £16,000/yr salary in), pay out at least two £2+ Direct Debits & log into its app. - It also has a linked 6.17% AER variable regular saver you can put up to £150/mth in (maxed out, that's £60 interest in the first year) until you've £5,000 saved. Alternative all-rounder Co-op Bank FREE £175 cash Min monthly pay-in: None Service rating: 45% 'great' This is a decent alternative if you don't qualify for some of the others. For who can get it & more, see full Co-op eligibility & review, but in brief, both new & existing customers switching an account in from elsewhere can get... - £100 upfront free cash if you deposit £1,000+, have 2+ Direct Debits, register for online/mobile banking and make 10+ debit card transactions, all within 30 days of switching. - £25 cashback for 3mths. Once you receive the £100 bonus, in each of the next three months, deposit £1,000+, make 10+ debit card transactions and have 2+ Direct Debits. - It also has a linked 7% AER one-year variable regular saver you can put up to £250/mth in (maxed out, that's £114/yr interest). Ends Mon. Don't want to switch? Grab a £30 Amazon voucher. New & existing customers opening a Santander Edge* current account via this link get a £30 Amazon voucher. The account is our top-pick bills (& joint bills) account. While you pay a £3/mth fee for the account, that's usually more than outweighed by the 1% cashback (max £10/mth) you get on Council Tax, water, energy, broadband etc bills that you pay on it via Direct Debit. Until 8 Sept there's also a separate 1% debit card cashback (max £10/mth) on supermarket, fuel & travel spending (it's being axed after). The debit card also gives near-perfect exchange rates abroad. Crucially, you can open it without switching (just say no during application), and therefore use it alongside your main account as a bills account (you need to pay a min £500/mth in). See full Santander Edge review & eligibility. Easy to get, up to £180/yr cashback on top. The Chase current account* is a different beast, and you can combine it with the switch bonus accounts above. It's an app-based bank you DON'T need to switch to get, there's only a soft credit-check (so it won't impact your credit file), and it's easy to get and fee-free. Spend on its debit card and you'll get 1% cashback for at least the first year on UK groceries, transport and fuel (exclusions apply), max £15/mth. It's easy to do. Just use the other accounts to pay your salary into and pay bills from, then fund Chase and use its debit card to spend on. It's also a top debit card for spending abroad (though no longer gives cashback on that). Yes, you CAN repeatedly switch to make £1,000s. It takes work and you need to follow our make £1,000s by repeatedly switching banks guidance, yet there's an ever-growing tribe of bank-profiteers who do it. Tommy emailed us in April: "Hi Martin, thanks for your info on bank-switching and loyalty payments. I think I might be the king of the switchers - or am I? With your help, I've bagged £2,135 in free money. Keep the info coming - thanks again." Can switching bank affect your ability to access credit? In the short term, yes. It's a credit application, so that has an impact by itself, but also lenders like to see evidence of stability. It usually isn't a big deal, but if you've an imminent, important credit application due (eg, a mortgage), it's probably best holding off. More in how switching banks affects your credit.

 

Friday is Energy Price Cap announcement day - a 6% to 8% CUT is predicted. Yet fixes are already 18% cheaper. The assessment period for Ofgem's July to Sept Price Cap is now over. Analysts are predicting falls of 6% to 8% for that period, then not that much movement for the rest of the year. Yet right now you can currently fix for a year and cut costs compared to the current Cap by up to 18%, which looks like being a far cheaper route (and gives peace of mind). Use our Cheap Energy Club comparison to find your cheapest (as it depends on region and usage). PS: Don't think 'I'll wait till July to fix' - the Price Cap move has no impact on the price fixes are set at, they could rise or fall by July. May's coupon update: Free £2.25 yogurt, £1 off cat food, £1 off Bonne Maman mousse. 40+ May coupons. Martin: 'I'm a bit teary, we just got a win on changing hideous Council Tax debt collection.' Miss a monthly Council Tax repayment and within six weeks you can have bailiffs at the door asking you to pay the whole year's bill, plus extra on top... banks would never be allowed to behave that way. Martin and his Money and Mental Health Policy Institute charity have been campaigning on this. Watch Martin's reaction to the surprise win. A year's ad-free Disney+ £50 (normally £90) and 'free' Uber Eats delivery. Sign up to Uber One's £50/yr subscription and get 12mths' free Disney+ (normally £90). It's a way to save on the popular streaming service, even if you don't want any of the other perks ('free' Uber Eats delivery etc), but do remember to cancel as it'll auto-renew. Disney+ trick Childcare special. The Secretary of State for Education takes your questions and Martin gives his tips. Must-listen pod. If you use childcare, have younger kids at school or plan on having children in the next few years, listen as Bridget Phillipson MP joined Martin. Discussion topics included: Are there enough funds for 30 hours of funded childcare?, why 800,000 families miss out on Tax-Free Childcare and the Child Benefit cliff-edge. Plus lots more in the new The Martin Lewis Podcast. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify & elsewhere. Please share with anyone it'll impact. FREE postcode lotto with £200+ daily prize. Over £3 million has now been given out (£1m to MSE users), and one MoneySaver won £3,800! Pick My Postcode. Please be GambleAware. 'I saved nearly £2,000 on my car insurance using your sweet spot trick.' Our success of the week comes from Fleur, who likely used our Compare+ Car Insurance tool. She said: "I just wanted to thank you so much for saving me almost £2,000 on my car insurance. I used your 'sweet spot' guidance and got quotes 26 days prior to renewal, which I'd have never known to do without your steer. My renewal had been hiked dramatically, so I was thrilled. This has made retaining the car possible, so I am incredibly grateful to the difference you have made in my life, and it was so easy. Brilliant." If we've helped you save (on this or owt else), send us your successes. Uncover Amazon Resale's big bargains, eg, £310 Samsung watch £99. It's where Amazon offers returned items, many 'as new', for knockdown prices. Our free Amazon Resale Discount Finder tool speedily finds the bargains.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Up to 50% off airport parking Ongoing - Up to 20% off standalone car hire excess insurance Ongoing	DID YOU MISS? - 1-click check to see if you can get £5 off £15 at Amazon - NHS & care worker discounts, including 20% off Wagamama - Got a will? Register it for FREE throughout May - Martin: 'How millions can get a 50% boost on their savings' - Ends Thu. 150Mb Sky broadband '£21/mth'

 

 

Martin: 'Minimum wage is now £12.21/hr - are you one of over 370,000 being underpaid? Whether you're paid by the hour or on a salary, check if you're being paid right...'  Even big names, eg, Easyjet and Greggs, have got it wrong in the past. Pls spread word The new minimum wage rates increased on 1 April. By law, employers need to ensure it takes effect in your first full pay period after the change. That means most of those on the lowest level of pay should have now seen the increase (if not, that's a problem, see below). The latest rise means many salaried staff will be nearer the threshold too. So it's important to know your minimum wage rights, especially as the Low Pay Commission says 370,000+ people are underpaid, ie, paid LESS than they legally should be. There's full info in our Minimum wage: Are you being paid enough? guide, but let's briefly run through what you need to know. The UK statutory minimum wage rates since 1 April 2025 Aged 21+: £12.21/hr (equivalent to £22,222/yr at 35hrs/wk) Aged 18 to 20: £10/hr (equivalent to £18,200/yr at 35hrs/wk) Apprentices & under-18s: £7.55/hr (equivalent to £13,741/yr at 35hrs/wk) It applies to all workers, including those on salaries, not just those paid hourly The main ways you may find you've been underpaid when on / near minimum wage. Scan through our summary list here, and if any may apply to you, read the full info in our Minimum wage: Are you being paid enough? guide. Most common breach: UNIFORM, TOOLS & SAFETY CLOTHING. If you must buy them, the cost shouldn't take what you get below the equivalent minimum wage over your pay period (eg, over a month, if paid monthly). YOU SHOULD BE PAID FOR ALL WORKING TIME. Including overtime, security checks, handover meetings, opening up, being on call & more. So if you get less than minimum wage once these are factored in, you're owed. CAN'T 'TOP UP' WITH TIPS OR OVERTIME. These must be on top of minimum wage. COMMISSION ONLY? Employers must top up with a salary to meet the minimum wage if you don't earn it. ACCOMMODATION COSTS. Pay can only be reduced by a maximum £74.62/wk below minimum wage if your employer provides accommodation. This includes charges such as rent, gas, electricity, furniture and laundry. NOT 'REAL' APPRENTICESHIPS. 18+ & apprenticeship has no structured training? You may be on the wrong rate. ENSURE YOU GET THE MIN WAGE RISES. It should have just increased, as it does every April, plus it should increase on your 18th and 21st birthdays, taking effect in your first full pay period after the change. If you think you aren't (or weren't based on old rates) paid enough under these rules, you've a legal right to be paid more and to back pay. It can be simple to do, though isn't always, and you can usually remain anonymous when complaining, as explained in how to claim back underpaid minimum wage. Don't think: 'I work for a big firm, so it must be correct'. Last year, more than 500 companies - including big names such as Easyjet, Greggs and Moss Bros - were named by the Government in a list of firms who failed to correctly pay their employees in or before 2023 (a new list is expected soon). Some explained why and spoke about complexities, but even so, it shows no matter the company or employment agency, don't assume it got it right...

 

Summer travel special... The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE, ITV1, 8pm tonight (Tue). Martin: "I'm back for a one-off summer special. I'll be covering everything you need to have ready to enjoy your holiday away with less cost and, hopefully, less stress. Plus a host of the latest news you can use. If you've got questions, email the team at martinlewis@itv.com. Do watch, or at least set the VHS." How to watch the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League finals FREE. Head-er over to our Watch UEFA finals for free blog. Child turned 16 and in full-time education or training? Act NOW to avoid losing Child Benefit. Contact HM Revenue & Customs by 31 Aug. See Child Benefit when my child turns 16? Follow MSE on WhatsApp. Get the latest news and deals straight to your phone. What'sAppening?

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) 33mths 0%, 3.45% fee, 24.9% rep APR interest No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR interest Best bank accounts Free £100 + £15/mth cashback for 6mths: TSB Spend & Save Free £175 + TOP service: First Direct 1st Account Broadband top picks Fibre (55Mb+): Sky '£19.92/mth' Fast fibre (100Mb+): Sky '£20.67/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£29.09/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap insurance Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Home: Try our new Compare+ Home Insurance tool Cheap loans £5,000 to £7,499: People's Choice (check eligibility), 7% rep APR interest (6.5% rep APR interest on £7,000 to £7,499) £7,500 to £25,000: People's Choice (check eligibility), 5.8% rep APR interest Top savings accounts Top easy-access cash ISA: Chip 4.96%, min £1 Top easy-access savings: Chip 4.77%, min £1 Top one-year fix: Tandem 4.44%, min £1 Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.57/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.63/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£2.70/mth' for 10GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3/mth' for 40GB

 

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK Are you confident managing your money? Skill up with the 10-min Numeracy Challenge. Tomorrow (Wed 21 May) is National Numeracy Day. A third of UK adults say managing money is their top motivation for improving their skill and comfort in using maths and numbers. So try the free 10-minute National Numeracy Challenge.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Buy now, pay later regulation one step closer - Tesco shoppers have less than two weeks to use or extend £15m of Clubcard vouchers - Now broadband confirms hikes for some

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should we leave our house solely to our youngest daughter? My husband and I own our own home outright and we've four grown-up children. One is single and has his own house, two are married and live in rented accommodation, and the youngest lives with us as she has additional needs. I'm sure our three older children will be fine as they've already got property or strong relationships, but the youngest will always need help and somewhere safe to live, so should we leave our house solely to her in our wills? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we leave our house to our youngest daughter? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

Some travel-related competitions... - Win a two-night hotel break - Win a luxury river cruise for two - Win a guide to Britain's best bike rides - Win a year's supply of sunscreen ... from the MSE Forum - Win a midweek break in Wales - Win a Corfu holiday - Win a trip to Australia for the British & Irish Lions tour - Win a suitcase

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Laundry, lodgers & (a)llotments

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 20 MAY ONWARDS) Tue 20 May - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live - Summer Special, ITV1, 8pm Thu 22 May - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, noon (listen to previous podcasts)

 

 

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