All news by author: Ruby Flanagan

PIP claimants are reporting a new £150 cost of living payment suddenly appearing in their bank accounts - it comes two weeks ahead of the final cost of living payment which will see £299 sent to eight million households on means-tested benefits

The fraudster sent Mary fake graphs which said her £5,000 investment was growing and she was later convinced by the scammers to send a further £5,000 to "activate" her wallet

This Government's Household Support Fund scheme provides each local council with a pot of cash which they can spend on helping struggling households in their area

The Money Saving Expert (MSE) website founder returned to screens again this week for the latest episode of the Martin Lewis Money Show and this week's episode focused on housing - so the cost of rent, mortgages, and house prices

As running costs continue to run high the UK may see further losses on our high streets - this weekend alone five different brands and retailers are closing stores

The help comes in the form of a Budgeting Loan which is available to people who are claiming certain income-based benefits and from a Budgeting Advance, which is very similar but only available to those claiming Universal Credit

Banks offer switching incentives to entice customers into moving their cash to them however the pool of incentives has dried up a tad with another bank axing its switching offer

Due to the criteria of PIP, it means that a broad range of conditions and disabilities can make you eligible to claim and this includes a whole list of musculoskeletal conditions

BT customers have reported being signed up for the Xbox Game Pass and having £10 added to their broadband bill without them signing up for the gaming subscription

When James checked his online Nectar account at the start of this year, he was shocked to find it completely empty and he did not know where his pot of 74,000 Nectar card points had gone

According to Lloyds Banking Group, only 8% of its more than 21 million banking customers choose to bank with them exclusively through its high street branches, whilst four our of five now use online banking

Martin Lewis shared the warning on the recent episode of the Martin Lewis Money Show this week as the deadline to claim cash is in two weeks time on February 8 2024

With many actively trying to cut energy costs, energy expert Catherine Storer from ESS says knowing how much you are spending when using your household appliances can help you make small adjustments which can help make huge savings over the year

The DWP has this week admitted that widowed people with an inherited pension who claimed New Style Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) during the pandemic may be due cash after they were underpaid benefits

According to UK housing law, if landlords are renting a single property to multiple residents they need to licence the property with the local council - if they don't they could owe their tenants thousands in refunded rent

The Money Saving Expert (MSE) website founder shared the advice on pensions during a live caller phone-in on ITV's This Morning earlier this week and one piece of advice shared by Martin was about pensions

Scratch Meals Ltd has recalled its Chicken Pad Thai with Noodles & Veggies product as it contains peanuts which could cause potentially serious reactions to those who have a peanut allergy or intolerance

Asda said it had been converting the sites with drive-thru kiosks since December last year - so far, 14 of its forecourts are fully automated with pay at the pump services

If Cornwall Insight's price cap predictions are correct, then this will be the lowest it has been for two years. The reduction also means that a typical household will see their bills drop by more than £300 a year from spring

You can receive cash payments you've experienced a power outage or disruption to your water supply, so here is a round up of compensation payments you may be able to claim if you are impacted

The DWP announced that some New Style Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) claimants had been underpaid their benefits and the mistake mainly impacted people who inherited pensions from someone who had died and was claiming New Style JSA

Around 500,000 households on Universal Credit didn't get a similar cost of living payment in 2022, with the majority being denied the support payment because their wages happened to be too high during the qualifying period

The help is being provided through the Government's Household Support Fund, this scheme gives each local council a pot of cash which it can spend on supporting struggling households in their area

PIP is a disability benefit and it is paid to people with long-term mental or physical health problems or disabilities and the amount of benefit you receive depends on how your condition affects you - not the condition itself

According to fresh predictions from consultancy firm Cornwall Insight, annual energy bills could fall by 16% from the current £1,928 to £1,620 in April 2024 - this would be the lowest point in a little over two years