Big ISA changes & warning for 18-39s, 1yr savings fix 4.9%, 22 travel tips & hacks, 1yr free £500 travel & mobile insurance, £10 Pimm’s

Plus... New cheapest energy fix, cheap No7, Ban mid-contract price hikes!, childcare save £1,000s

                                                           

30 June 2026 | View in browser

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

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL → 22 travel tips to slash cost & stress: - Free Ryanair seats for some news - Tool 1: Cheap airport parking - Tool 2: Cheap travel insurance - Going to Europe? Allow more time - Top-pick overseas spending cards → FREE £180 + £150 hotel voucher New → Pay for childcare? Save £1,000s → 1yr 4.9% savings fix WITH access New → Aged 18 to 39? Important warning → Cheapest energy fix - save 17% New → £130 of No7 beauty & skincare £40 → Big ISA changes coming incl 22% tax → Martin: 'Ban mid-contract price hikes!' → £10 for one-litre Pimm's → 145Mb Plusnet broadband £19/mth New → 2for1 Burger King Whopper & more → Martin to MPs: 'Have single water social tariff, sort Standing Charges & more' → 'Is saving 15% of salary into your pension enough?' → Use heating oil or LPG in N. Ireland? → Code to get £60 off package hols → Free pint of Heineken → 70k student loan balances miscalculated → M&S 20% off school uniform → Want an MSE Charity grant? → This week's best buys: Top 0% card + £25, £'225' bank switch & more → Money Moral Dilemma: Is it fair for Mum to include my nephew in her will?

Getting ready for summer hols abroad? 22 tips, tricks & checks to do NOW to slash cost & stress when you get there Flight seats, cheap Euros, passport checks, cheap travel insurance, airport parking, cheap lounge access & lots more Feeling hot, hot, hot. Scorching temperatures and Scottish and Northern Irish schools starting to break up mean summer is here! Over the next couple of months, millions will head off on holidays abroad. Yet don't leave prepping until the last second - scan down our to-do checklist now... 1. News. Ryanair now lets kids sit with parents for free - find out how (plus how to sit together free on other airlines). An investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) looks to have pushed the firm to allocate seats next to parents without a fee on new bookings. See our Ryanair parents & kids sit together news story for how. Other airlines have long allowed this, if you know how. See our airline-by-airline how to sit together free guide. Plus, if you want to find the best seats on any plane, use AeroLOPA. 2. New Tool. Airport Parking: Compare the comparisons to find the cheapest at speed. Pull up at, say, Manchester Airport without a booking, and it'll cost you £500/wk to park. Yet our new Airport Parking: Comparison of Comparisons tool today found official parking for £76/wk - bookable even while driving to the airport (by a passenger, obvs). Early booking is usually even cheaper. The recently launched tool compares three of the big four sites (we're working on adding the fourth) and automatically includes the blagged discounts we've always listed. As Rachel emailed: "I needed parking at Liverpool airport, the cheapest was £94. Thought it was worth checking your comparison checker & literally 2mins later had booked for £68. It was super simple to use. Many thanks." We want to make it as good as possible, so please feedback. For alternatives, need-to-knows & more, read our Cheap airport parking guide. 3. Two passport checks so you don't risk being denied boarding. Check NOW that, on the day you enter the country, your passport has... a) at least 6mths left (3mths for EU) b) even if so, if going to the EU, will your passport be under 10yrs old? If it's no to EITHER, review our country-by-country UK passport rules and renew if necessary. The Passport Office says you should allow "up to three weeks" to renew. Full help in Cheapest passport renewals. 4. New Tool. Compare+ Travel Insurance (includes over-65s & pre-existing conditions). We launched our new Compare+ Travel Insurance tool a few weeks ago. With it, you fill in a short question set (which gives you tips to help), and it then gives you a comparison result from two comparison sites, plus loads of other special help you don't get elsewhere, to find you the right policy.  Pip posted on the MSE Forum: "Thanks to MSE's new tool, I've just replaced our annual travel insurance for nearly £400 less than the price quoted on our renewal documents. Worldwide travel excluding the USA for £390, for two adults, one of which (me) is only 2 years post-treatment for lymphoma." 5. Booked a holiday and not got travel cover yet? Do it NOW! It's no coincidence that we've just launched the Compare+ tool. Martin's oft-quoted rule is: get cover ASAB (As Soon As You Book). If you've booked and haven't done it yet, then it becomes... do it NOW (ie, no delay... have you done it yet? No... how about now?). Martin's big point is that half what you pay for with travel insurance is to cover you in case something happens before your trip that means you can't go... At this time of year, inevitably someone asks me something like this... 'I've been diagnosed with a serious condition (eg, cancer). We can't go on our holiday as I need treatment, but the airline/hotel won't refund. What do we do?' Sadly, unless the ticket's flexible, there are no refund rights as nowt's faulty with the holiday (it's a bit like trying to argue your new tennis racket is faulty because you broke your arm using it). So I point them to travel insurance as that's what it's for. Yet some reply: 'We haven't got round to it yet.' And that's painful, as then there's often little left to try. So what counts as 'having a policy in place now'? Single-trip policies: You just get insurance to cover a specific future trip (eg, 10-17 Aug) and once that's paid for, you're done. If you've a trip booked over a year ahead, see our single-trip policies for over a year in advance info. Annual policies: You need an active policy in place from the period of booking (or now if not) to the end of your trip. So if you don't already have one, get an annual policy starting from now, if the trip's booked, not from when you go away. If you already have an annual policy in place, you're good, unless it ends before the date you return from holiday, in which case you need a new policy that runs straight on, ie, starts when your existing cover ends. Most policies will cover you for issues that happen within the cover period for booked trips, even if the travel is after your renewal date (a few don't, do check).  6. Flight cancelled or delayed? Save key pages on your phone. If your flight's cancelled or delayed, you often have a right to £200+ per person compensation. Download or save our Flight delay and Flight cancellation guides to your phone so you can check your rights offline if disruption hits. 7. Going to Europe? You likely need to allow far more time on entry & exit for new checks. The new Entry-Exit System (EES) means you now need your fingerprints and face scanned as you enter and exit many European countries. Its introduction this year has meant long queues and delays at many borders. So much so, Greece has temporarily suspended the checks (so shorter queue there hopefully) and it's rumoured other destinations may follow suit. See our regularly updated EES info for full help. PS: Beware over 150 shyster sites trying to get your to pay for the new 'European Travel Information & Authorisation System' (ETIAS). It hasn't launched yet, it's planned for October, so you can't get one. See ETIAS info. 8. The cheapest way to spend abroad - just grab the right plastic now and it works everywhere. Specialist overseas debit and credit cards are by far the easiest way to ensure you get value on your spending abroad. They smash bureau de change.  Normally, spend abroad and the bank/card firm gets near-perfect rates, but then adds around 3% on what it charges you. These cards don't, so you get the same near-perfect rate the bank does. There's a growing number of them, so we pick not by the rate, but what else you get! Here's the current top three...  Our three top-pick overseas spending cards All give near-perfect exchange rates in every country Cashback on MOST spending Easiest to get & no (hard) credit check FREE £200 but you need to switch bank Card Lloyds Ultra Visa CREDIT card Chase* DEBIT Mastercard via bank app (needn't switch, can open as standalone) First Direct* DEBIT Mastercard ------ Alternative: Santander Edge* Debit card is similar with a FREE '£225'. It has a £3/mth fee but you get cashback on bills paid from it. Cashback on UK & overseas spending? ✓ 1% for a year on almost all overseas & UK spending (0.25% after). Unlimited. No. 2% but only on UK groceries, eating out, everyday transport & fuel. Max £20/mth. No but yes... No cashback on spending, but switchers get a FREE £200 (see full eligibility). Can you get it without a hard credit-check? No. So not all will be accepted and it will register on your credit file. ✓ Yes. (Soft credit-check for ID purposes, so doesn't impact credit worthiness). No. Though bank checks tend to be less harsh than credit card. Free overseas SPENDING? ✓ Yes, but only if you pay off IN FULL every month. If not, it's not for you. ✓ Yes, as it's a debit card, and there's no overdraft). ✓ Yes, as it's a debit card (unless you go over the interest-free overdraft many get). Free overseas ATM cash?  (Individual ATMs may charge) No. Unlike for spending, repay IN FULL and you still pay 13% rep APR on cash withdrawals So better to spend on card instead. Max withdrawal £500/day. ✓ Yes, as it's a debit card. Max withdrawal £1,500/mth. ✓ Yes, as it's a debit card (unless you go over the 0% overdraft). Max withdrawal £500/day. Does it have Section 75 protection? ✓ Yes, full Section 75 protection. No, though it has chargeback protection. No, though it has chargeback protection. See our full list of specialist cards, to check if you've already got one.  A new specialist overseas credit card some may prefer to Lloyds is the Santander Rewards credit card. It pays 3% cashback for a year on petrol, diesel, train travel, EV charging (not at home), eating out and takeaways in the UK or abroad and 0.25% on almost everything else. So if you drive, it's a strong deal. Yet only do it if you'll pay it off IN FULL every month or the 24.9% rep APR dwarfs the gain. See our full Santander Rewards review. 9. Just want to take cash? Speedily compare 10+ bureaux. If you just want a little foreign cash in your pocket for safety before you go, or if it helps you budget, then our TravelMoneyMax comparison tool quickly compares 10+ bureaux, factoring in all rates & costs to find your best. It won't beat the top plastic, but it's far better than AAARGH! getting it at the airport (terrible rates). 10. The Rebook & Cancel Trick: Is your 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 so you're sure you can really get that price before cancelling). As Bob emailed: "As you recommend, I booked my hire car early for my Spain holiday. I paid £663 for two weeks. I later checked the prices again for the same car, same company and was amazed to find the price had dropped to £252 - a saving of £411. Keep up the good work and many thanks to you and your team." See step-by-step cancel & rebook hotels and cancel & rebook car hire help. 11. Going to the EU? Ensure you've a valid EHIC/GHIC. Over 2m expire this year. You should have a free Global Health Insurance Card as well as travel insurance. It gives you access to state-run hospitals or GPs in mostly EU countries for the same price as a local, so if they don't pay, you don't either. It also means it can reduce what you pay towards a travel insurance medical excess.  As William emailed last week: "In Spain, I had an extreme reaction to food I was wrongly served. My travel insurer was hopeless at responding to my calls, so I saw a private GP for £80. I was told before flying I needed a stomach X-ray and other tests, which would've cost nearly €1,000. Luckily, I'd got a GHIC after reading MSE. I took a cab to a public hospital, was X-rayed in 3 hours, and ruled fit to fly home - total cost €104 instead of €1,000+." Over two million expire this year - check yours. And beware searching it on the web, you'll find shyster sites trying to make you pay unnecessarily (there's no such thing as fast track). Instead, see our how to safely get a GHIC.  12. Big change. EU pet passports no longer valid for most UK residents. Instead, you must get a possibly costly, single-use Animal Health Certificate (AHC), which will be valid for 10 days after issue for entry into the EU. See our Taking pets abroad help. 13. Going to the USA? Get an ESTA - but don't overpay. Unless you've a visa, you'll need an ESTA. It lasts two years and now costs $40.27. Again, beware scam sites trying to overcharge, and even watch out for clicking your airline or tour operator's links, as some push people to overpay... Warning. Beware British Airways, Thomas Cook, Virgin, Saga, etc pushing you to overpay for ESTAs & other travel permits. On their sites, they often highlight expensive 3rd-party tools over links to official - and cheaper - govt sites. See our Beware BA & others news story for info. 14. New. Going to Disney? Tips and tricks to slash costs. Whether you're planning a trip and want to reduce the cost of tickets, or have booked and want to cut down queue times and save cash while you're there, see our new Disneyland Paris guide or our updated Disney World Florida guide. 15. Cheapest car hire in minutes (early booking tends to be cheaper). There are some easy top comparison sites which do this easily, always check a couple. Kayak* | TravelSupermarket* | Carrentals* | Enjoy Travel* Swerve over to our Cheap holiday car hire guide for more. 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 if you can get free cancellation, use the cancel & rebook tip - see more above). Either way, don't leave it till you get there. Plus, when getting your car hire always... 16. Beware the car hire insurance hard sell... get standalone insurance for 90% less. Car hire almost always includes basic insurance. Yet, at pick-up many firms will push their 'excess cover insurance' at up to £42/day with scare stories of huge bills for just a scratch (or even implying it's mandatory). Say no - standalone car hire excess insurance can cut the cost by 90%. Here's our ABC: Compare via MoneyMaxim's* excess insurance comparison. 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 (same links). Yet even if you get this, your car hire firm will likely try to put you off, say it doesn't work, or make you jump through hoops, so be prepared. 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 booker (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 successfully do this with no problems. Matt, emailed a couple of weeks ago: "Thank you for highlighting car hire excess insurance, something I learnt about from you. My wife and I took it out for our Sicily honeymoon. I reversed into a lamppost on the third day - door, wing and bumper all dented, triggering the full €1,400 excess. Insurance covered every penny and the premium was only £21. So we could carry on enjoying the trip without worrying about a huge upcoming bill. Everyone should be considering it!" 17. Planning to vape in Thailand or pee in the sea in Spain? Think again - you could get a holiday fine. Wearing fancy dress, feeding pigeons and not flushing the toilet could also land you in hot water depending on where you're going. Getting in trouble or being fined may spoil your break, so it's worth swatting up on local laws before you go abroad - see our unexpected holiday fines blog. 18. Avoid £3 to £13 '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 19. Don't believe the hype - free EU roaming is common. Vodafone, Three and EE all now charge £2ish/day to use your home phone & data package in the EU, and many therefore say O2 is the only one still free. Nonsense - many virtual networks give EU roaming at no extra cost too, including Lebara, Smarty, and Giffgaff. Most people are overpaying with the big providers anyway, so assuming you're one of 14m out of contract (just text 85075 to find out), why not ditch and switch to save, not just on holiday but in the UK too. Our Cheap Mobile Sim Finder will match your use and show you EU roaming info. As examples, both these include EU roaming: - Lebara (via Vodafone signal): 5GB for '£2.40/mth' (includes full allowance) or 35GB for '£2.77/mth' (max 30GB abroad). - iD Mobile (via Three signal): 120GB for '£6.90/mth' (max 30GB abroad). 20. 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. Instead, buy cheap international eSims online (eg, £9.50 for 9GB USA data for 30 days), which temporarily routes your phone via another provider, so it provides your data allowance overseas. Prices differ based on your destination and the length of your trip, so compare a few providers to find the best eSim for your needs. Popular providers to try: Airalo* | Amigo* | Breeze* | Easysim* | Firsty* | GoMoWorld | Holafly | Kolet | Nomad | Mozillion* | Saily* | Vodafone*. 21. When they ask, 'Want to pay in pounds or euros/dollars?' always pay in the local currency. Buy things abroad on plastic or take cash out, and the store or ATM will often pressure you to pay in pounds. That's so they can do the conversion themselves and add to the cost. Always pay in local currency. Full explanation in Martin's old but still relevant Pay in pounds? video & blog. 22. Cheap access to an airport lounge before your flight? See our Airport lounge access tips.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Massive possible savings if you pay for travel, mobile insurance & more New. FREE £180 bank switch bonus plus FREE £150 worldwide hotel voucher. Account comes with family travel insurance, mobile phone insurance, breakdown cover and 24/7 virtual GP access. These could cost £500/yr separately  You pay £17/mth for the account, but free cash covers that for almost a year While these bank accounts are called 'packaged accounts', as Martin always says... "view them as a bundle of decent-quality insurance for a monthly fee, with a bank account on the side. So if you'd pay for that insurance anyway, is it cheaper this way?" And right now, if you would get them anyway, this is far cheaper than buying standalone insurance, especially for those with a family who all have mobile phones and holiday abroad. Switching's usually quick & easy. Use the bank's seven (working) day switch service. It closes your old account and moves all your money, Direct Debits and standing orders for you. You'll need to pass a not-too-harsh credit check, and most require you to have 2+ Direct Debits to get the cash. Top newbies FREE CASH packaged account switches Full details & eligibility via best packaged bank accounts New. Santander Edge Explorer* - Free cash: £180 - Monthly fee: £17 - Free cash covers fees for: 10+ mths - Min pay-in: A total of £1,500+ within 60 days (can be in dribs & drabs). None needed after. Full Santander eligibility & review Top all-rounder (singles, couples, families)  FREE £180 cash, FREE £150 worldwide hotel vch, 24/7 remote family GP access. Via this Edge Explorer* link, on top of the £180 you get a £150 no-min spend UK and worldwide hotel voucher on the TLC booking site, which has over 1.5m hotels. You also get 1% cashback on most household bills paid by Direct Debit (max £10/mth) and 1% supermarket and travel cashback on debit card spend (max £10/mth). For the £17/mth fee, you get: - Travel Insurance: World, family up to 75th birthday, incl winter sports - Mobile phone cover: Up to 4 household handsets (excess up to £135) - Breakdown cover: UK & Europe, incl home start, onward travel, replacement vehicle. Recovery to nearest garage/home as a driver or passenger. - Other perks: Family remote 24/7 GP access | 6% interest on up to £4,000 savings for 1yr | 8% variable regular saver interest on up to £200/mth for 1yr | Top debit card for spending overseas with near-perfect exchange rates. Nationwide FlexPlus - Free cash: £175 - Monthly fee: £18 - Free cash covers fees for: 9+ mths - Min pay-in: A total of £1,000+, within 31 days (can be in dribs & drabs), plus use the debit card once. No pay-in needed after. Full Nationwide eligibility & review Top for older travellers . FREE £175 cash. This has long been a top player but is currently outpowered by the financial benefits of Santander. Its big strength is there's no max age limit on the insurance (if you have pre-existing conditions, sometimes it will allow cover for an extra fee). For the £18/mth fee, you get: - Travel Insurance: World, family, incl winter sports, biz & golf cover - Mobile phone cover: All household handsets (excess up to £100) - Breakdown cover: UK & Europe, home start, onward travel, replacement vehicle. Recovery to nearest garage/home as a driver or passenger - Other perks: 6.5% variable regular saver interest on up to £200/mth for 1yr | Top debit card for spending overseas with near-perfect exchange rate. High earners only HSBC Premier* - Free cash: £500 - Monthly fee: None - Free cash covers fees for: N/A - Min pay-in: £100,000/yr salary being paid in each month (or £100,000 saved/invested). Full HSBC Premier eligibility & review Big switch cash, no fee, less insurance Free £500 cash, travel insurance, 24/7 family GP access. This isn't really a packaged account, but if you qualify and only want travel cover, it's a good alternative.  You get: - Travel Insurance: World, family up to 70th birthday, incl winter sports & biz cover - Other perks: 24/7 remote family GP access. There's a lower-fee strong packaged account, but it has no switching cash. The Co-op Bank Everyday Extra account is £12/mth and includes world family travel cover (max age 79), household mobile cover and full UK & Europe breakdown cover See full Co-op review. And see our full Best packaged bank accounts guide for info on other options from Lloyds, Chase, Virgin Money and others. Martin's six packaged bank account golden rules...  Only get one if you'd be buying most or all of the insurance anyway. If not, you'd likely be far better off just getting standalone policies. For help on that, see our: New Compare+ Travel Insurance tool | Cheap mobile phone insurance guide | Cheap breakdown cover guide Always declare any pre-existing medical conditions. If not, it could invalidate the travel insurance cover. You need to tell them even if you're just having tests. If you have a pre-existing condition, it may cover you as standard, or ask for an extra charge (often still good value), or it could exclude you or claims relating to that condition. Better this than not tell them, think you're covered and find you're not if you need it. If you struggle to get cover, Compare+ Travel Insurance includes specialist medical cover. Check insurance policies carefully for exclusions. We give the big picture above, but always check the small print to ensure the policies cover what you need. Far more help in our packaged accounts guide.   If insurance is valid for account holder(s), consider a joint account. If you're in a trusting relationship, consider adding your partner to the account, even if they won't use it, to get the cover. Yet do remember this means they could choose to access the account.  Insurance claim unfairly turned down? Just because it's insurance via your bank doesn't dilute your rights. If your claim is unfairly turned down, you can still take the insurer to the Financial Ombudsman for an independent adjudication. Flogged a packaged bank account years ago? You may be OWED £1,000s. Thousands were upsold or forced to get these accounts. It stopped a while ago, but see the reclaim tool in our Reclaim packaged bank accounts guide.

 

New. Lock in 4.9% with the top 1yr savings fix... WITH access. The Marcus (part of Goldman Sachs) 4.9% 1yr fix* (min £1, max £250k) is the new top-paying fixed savings account, having just boosted its rate from 4.6%. Better still, while most fixes lock your money away for the term, here you can get your money out if needed, by closing the account, for an up to 90-day interest penalty. Perfect if you think you can lock away (but may just need it). Cash ISA fixes also must, by law, allow access, again with an interest penalty - rates there are lower, though if you'll pay tax on savings they're worth it. Full help & best-buys in Top fixed savings & Top fixed cash ISAs. Aged 18 to 39? This is an important warning for you. Lifetime ISAs can give a free £1,000/yr, but it's just been announced they're being replaced. Watch Martin's 1min warning for age 18-39, it's already gone viral (c10m views). If the video shows you should act, listen to Martin's detailed ISA changes pod for full help. Related: New First-Time Buyer ISA info. New. Cheapest energy fix: save an avg 17% over tomorrow's new Standard (Price Cap) rates. Everyone on standard-rate tariffs will see their price rise tomorrow as Ofgem's 13% higher July Price Cap starts. Ironically, at the same time, there's a few new cheap fixes launching - letting you lock-in far cheaper - as wholesale costs have been a smidge lower this last week. Best thing to do: Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Comparison as your exact winner depends on location & use. As examples, on average, Fuse wins at 17.2% less than the Price Cap, just followed by Outfox. The top big name is Eon (incl for existing users) at 15.4% less (prices incl any MSE cashback). £130 of No7 beauty & skincare £40. 8-piece 'Beauty Vault' set. Plus extra £5 off code till 11.59pm tonight (Tue). No7 Big ISA changes coming - 22% tax on savings interest in shares ISAs. Next April, the cash ISA limit for under 65s is reduced to £12,000 per tax year. Now the govt's announced other changes alongside it too. Read the ISA changes news or listen to Martin explain this in his pod. Martin on mid-contract broadband & mobile price hikes: "Ofcom's protections have failed, it's time to do the bleedin' obvious and just ban them." We investigated 47,000 tariffs, and in 75% of cases Ofcom's 'protection' rules meant people had to PAY MORE. In 99% of cases, people saw above-inflation rises. It needs to stop. Please read our It's time to ban mid-contract hikes news. £10 for one-litre Pimm's. Normally c.£24. Where to get cheap Pimm's (pls be Drinkaware). New. 145Mb Plusnet (part of BT) broadband '£19/mth' with excellent service rating. Switchers across 70% of UK homes (the link checks) can get this 145Mb Plusnet broadband only deal. It's £20.99/mth, rising by £4/mth in Apr '27 and Apr '28, but you get a £120 prepaid Mastercard within a month of signing up (do check your junk folder). Factor all that in and it's equivalent to £18.99/mth over the 2yr contract. Want other options? Use our full broadband comparison. 2for1 Burger King Whopper or Chicken Royale (incl plant-based) till Fri. See how to get 2for1 Burger King. Martin tells MPs: 'Have a single water social tariff, sort energy Standing Charges & stop confusion ruling.' And that's just the start. Martin delivered this wide-ranging and important evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee in a session on regulating these key utilities. Read and watch Martin's evidence to MPs. Is saving 15% of salary into your pension enough? | How long do I keep my financial docs? | What happens to an ISA when you die? Martin answers these & more in his Question Time podcast this week. Do give it a listen, via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Loveholidays code gets £60 off package hols 2,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Easy £25 and 6mths 5% easy-access savings - NS&I boosts all fixed savings, incl 1yr 4.69% - Beware a SCAM MSE lookalike website - Big 3% cashback on fuel + eating out with new top reward card - £5 full school uniform sets at Lidl & Aldi

 

 

Pay for childcare? Even if it's just for summer clubs... 100,000s are missing out on £1,000s/yr of help It's possible for two contrary things to be true at once. The school summer holidays are great fun... and a logistical and financial burden for many parents. Yet the problem element may be erasable by making use of little-known support and help. And this is often available even if you use no other childcare service across the year. Our Childcare costs guide has full info, but we've three important checks for you. First, though, a reminder... . Childcare ISN'T just nurseries & childminders, it includes holiday clubs, summer camps, etc To count for the help, childcare usually needs to be with an approved/registered provider. Many holiday clubs, play schemes, and summer camps count, though tutoring or private lessons usually won't. And if you're using Tax-Free Childcare, do check the provider accepts it. These links will tell you how to check if your provider's registered... England: Ofsted, including the Early Years Register & the Childcare Register | Wales: Care Inspectorate Wales | Scotland: Scottish Care Inspectorate | Northern Ireland: Local early years team register. Before we start, is your child eligible for free school meals? If so, there may be extra summer help available. Step 1. Before you pay for ANY childcare for under-5s, check if you can get FREE childcare hours. If your child's aged 9mths and under 5yrs in England, working parents can get up to 30hrs of funded childcare each week during term time (this can often be stretched over the whole year, giving you up to 22hrs funded childcare a week). You may need to pay for optional extras, such as meals, nappies, and trips. Hours and eligibility differ in other UK nations. See how much funded childcare you're entitled to. Step 2. On or eligible for Universal Credit (UC) and PAY for childcare for under-17s? If you pay for childcare for a child up until 31 August after they turn 16, you may be able to get help via boosted UC. Always check this BEFORE the 'Tax-Free Childcare' (TFC) system below, both as this is almost always better and, if you claim TFC, ALL your Universal Credit is cancelled. - On UC and in work? Claim childcare costs including just for summer. The amount you can claim was uprated in April, it's now up to 85% of childcare costs you pay, maxing at £1,071/mth for 1 child or £1,836/mth for two or more. What is 'in work'? Any paid work; there's no min hours and even if you start a job next month, you may be eligible. If you have a partner, you'll usually both need to be 'in work'. Some on statutory sick pay or parental pay can also qualify. - Earn under £40,000ish, pay for childcare and 'in work' - check if you're due UC? If your household income's roughly under £40,000 (or £55,000 if you've a larger family & pay high rent), it's worth plugging your info into our 10-min benefits calc to see if you're due anything. If you qualify, you'll get what's called the 'child element', worth around £352/mth for a first child born before 6 April 2017, or £304/mth per child born on or after 6 April 2017, plus your standard allowance. And you may get childcare costs on top. Step 3. 300,000 homes miss out on up to £2,000/yr via the 'Working Family Childcare Top-up' scheme. You won't have heard of this, because we made the name up. It's what we campaign for the formally titled 'Tax-Free Childcare' scheme to be called, as its real name is misleading and confusing: it has little to do with tax, and isn't tax-free. In reality, it's a top-up to help working families pay for childcare. The worry is that the confusing name is one of the reasons 300,000 eligible families still don't claim it. So if you're not on UC, this is worth a look... - It's for under-12s. Specifically up until the Sept after they turn 11. Or till the Sept after they turn 16 if they have a disability. - State adds 25% to what you pay in. So pay in £8 to use to pay for childcare and it adds £2. The max is £500 added every 3mths (£1,000 for some with disabilities), so £2,000/yr. - You must be a 'working family'. To count you, and your partner if you live with them, must be: a) Employed or self employed (you can often still qualify on sick or parental leave, and on certain benefits such as Carer's Allowance, or Incapacity Benefit where you can't work). b) Earn a min of the equivalent of 16hrs/wk Minimum Wage, roughly £10,500/yr if aged 21+ (less if younger). c) Earn adjusted income (eg, after pension contributions & gift aid) of £100,000/yr or less. If a couple, both must earn less. If you're eligible and your childcare provider takes payments from Tax-Free-Childcare (ask it), it's a no-brainer. For step-by-step info on how to do it, see how to get Tax-Free Childcare.  PS: Thinking it's unfair that the max is £100,000/yr earned by a single earner? You'd be right. It works the same with Child Benefit and is something Martin has raised with this and the last Chancellor. The system is unfair to single-parent, single-earner & dominant-earner families. Imagine two neighbours: in one household, both parents earn £99,999 (so £199,998/yr total) and they're eligible. Next door, one parent earns £100,000.01/yr the other £12,000/yr (so £112,000.01/yr total), yet they're not eligible.

 

Use heating oil or LPG in N. Ireland? The rest of UK's got its help... where's yours?! In March, the UK Govt promised help to LPG & oil users. Nowhere uses it as much as N.Ire, yet that's the only UK nation where help's been delayed. Code to get £60 off package hols. MSE Blagged. When you book a package holiday costing £1,000+ via Loveholidays for any time until Sept next year. 2,000 codes available. Loveholidays Free pint of Heineken (incl 0.0%) at 1,000+ pubs in Eng. Via cashback, 10k available. (Pls be Drinkaware). 70,000+ student loan balances miscalculated - are you affected? Some Plan 2 grads have had either too much or too little interest added to their balances due to recent technical issues. See Student loans error. From Thu. M&S 20% off school uniform. Eg, sweatshirt from £4.80, 3x polo shirts from £5.60. M&S Want an MSE Charity grant? Applications open next week. Know a non-profit group that could benefit from a cash boost? Our charity's summer funding round will be open for a week, starting 6 July, offering grants of up to £10,000 to organisations that help people to improve their money skills. Check whether your group qualifies and see how to apply.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers New. Top definite 0% card with £25 cashback: HSBC (check eligibility; existing customers use this link), 36mths 0%, 3.19% fee, 24.9% rep APR No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 13mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR Best bank accounts New. Free £180 + £45 Amazon voucher: Santander Free £220: HSBC Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Plusnet '£18.99/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£22.55/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Insurance Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Home: Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool New. Travel: Use our Compare+ Travel Insurance tool Cheap loans £5,000 to £7,499: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 6.9% rep APR £7,500 to £15,000: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 5.9% rep APR Top savings accounts Top easy-access savings: Revolut 5% (min £1) + possible £25 Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 4.63%, min £1 Top one-year fix: Marcus 4.9%, min £1 Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.38/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.40/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£2.44/mth' for 10GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3.09/mth' for 40GB

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Is it fair for my mum to include my nephew in her will when I was unable to have children? My mum says she wants to include my sister's only child in her will, splitting the inheritance between the three of us. She says my sister's in favour, but as I was unable to have children, I'm not sure how I feel about it. Is it fair? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Is it fair for my mum to include my nephew in her will? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

Some travel-related competitions... - Win a stargazing getaway in Cyprus - Win a set of suitcases - Win a 2-person getaway to Wiltshire - Win a £5,000 Virgin Holidays voucher ...from the MSE Forum comping boards - Win an off-grid glamping getaway - Win a £5,000 Secret Escapes voucher - Win a waterproof backpack - Win £250 of swimwear

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: beds, beetroot & duvet alternatives	DEALS HUNTER BLOG - Alton Towers, Legoland, McDonald's & more - who is (and isn't) passing on the summer VAT cut?

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 1 JULY ONWARDS) Thu 2 Jul - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, midday Tue 7 Jul - This Morning, ITV1, 10.20am

 

 

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