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Over 50s MoneySaving

Archives for March 2012

Care Home Fee Increase
I would be grateful if anyone has some advice. My father is currently in a Private care home in Scotland and has been resident there for one year. Last year his Care home fees increased by 4.79% and this year they have increased By 8.75% due to an annual review which means we are now having to pay an extra £230-00 a month…
Big Button Corded telephone
Anyone know of any cheap deals for a big button corded telephone?
Contesting Power of Attorney
Hi is anyone able to help. i am in a situation where i need to challenge power of attorney due to the money from some ones death not being split fairly. are there ways to challenege this, can anyone give any advice? Thanks in advance.
Car Insurance?
When you retired did your car insurance go up or down because you no longer worked for a living?
Gifting a house to my son
I am thinking of giving a house that my wife and I own to my son. He has rented the property from us with his partner and children. He is now unemployed and having difficulty getting work; he is in his late thirties. We now live in Spain. I need to know what the implications would be in respect to Tax etc for both my son…
Financial abuse of an elderly relative
Please excuse what will be a long & rambling post, but I could do with some advice. The background is that 14 years ago, after the death of his wife, my Father in Law moved down from the North of England to live 5 minutes away from us in a housing association flat which he owns without a mortgage. My husband's other…
Care Home Fees - family home being treated as capital??
Hi I hope I am in the right place. I have been posting on another part of this site and something has come up that has made me wonder if we are doing the right thing. Facts: Dad is in a care home suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. He has been there since early 2010. He gets no help towards the cost from the NHS because he…
Cost of home care for 88 year old
My Mother lives by herself in a Lancashire council house bungalow. She has recently taken a turn for the worse, has stopped eating and is very weak. She can just move around with a frame, but requires some home care, mainly for cooking and supervision. Hopefully this is temporary, but her problem may become clearer after…
Ending of age allowance for pensioners in budget
The tax system is to be "simplified" by phasing out the age allowance for over 65s. So when personal allowances go up for those under 65 in April, the age allowance will be frozen and, as there will not be an increase in line with inflation the following year, cut in real terms. It will be frozen until it reaches the same…
Loft insulation grants - misleading information
I was told by Warmer Home last August that I qualified for a loft insulation grant. I am over 60. But I have now been presented me with an invoice (I had the insultation installed based on this advice). They say now that I was not eligible and have to pay. I feel misled. Anyone else have a similar complaint ?
Mother keeps having money stolen
My 88 yr old Mother has recently lost some money again from her bungalow. It is all a bit of a mystery, but she doesn't seem to be vigilant enough to manage cash in the house. She is insistent at having about £250-£500 cash available for independence, although she rarely needs large amounts and we can nip out to a nearby…
Just wanted to say hello
Hi, just wanted to say hello to you all on my 50th birthday. Been looking forward to joining you all for ages:):)
Power of Attorney - how to apportion income for spouse
My mum holds Enduring Power of Attorney for my dad, who has advanced dementia. For the last several years that she's had EPA she's been scrupulous in keeping all bank statements, invoice for larger bills, etc, but has continued to operate all their finances from their joint bank account. We saw a solicitor a few days ago…
Making a will while on bennefits
can anybody please tell me if there are any solicitors out there that will wright a will for me ?? trouble is i havn't got that much money as i have a lung diss order and i do have my own property so i do need to make a will many thanks for reading Dickie.
Do my parents need to make any changes to their Will?
Hello Bit shocked really, having a conversation with my Mum this morning and somehow it got onto the subject of my Parent's will. Anyhow, I felt that my Mum really wanted to share the details of her will with me and through discussion and what (I think I know about wills !!) it just raised a couple of questions which she…
Letter of administration
Hi can anyone please tell me if there are any links on here about letter of administration.Mother passed away without leaving a will and we need to sort it, thanks forany help.
Notification purpose of 12 weeks.
Why do Pensioners need to inform DWP if they will be abroad for more than 12 weeks. Is it illegal if somone does not inform DWP? The question is puzzling me, is there an answer? sen
How to Avoid Scams Targeting those over 50
Rockwell Securities scammed me and I am no young man. I thought it might be helpful to let you know how they did it, so that you can avoid losing money to scam artists like I did. Number one: Never buy anything over the phone from someone who calls you. You can call your newspaper and renew yourself, if you want, you never…
Bus Passes
Why is this thread closed? I was talking to a friend today who had heard that the bus pass was going to be withdrawn in 2013. I was sceptical but checked my pass and yes it expires in 2013. I contacted a number of friends and theirs also expires in 2013 which made me think. Normally something as large as the number of buss…
Solicitor writing Wills - how long?
We approached a local solicitor back in Dec 2011 to rewrite our wills. Nothing much had changed since the last ones we wrote (20+ years ago) - other than son is now over 21 and would no longer require a guardian etc and we needed a new, younger executor. I rang in January and spoke to the receptionist who said "It's on her…

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MSE News

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Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
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Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
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Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
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Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
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Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
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Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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Over 50s MoneySaving

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