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Marriage, relationships & families

Discuss the MoneySaving implications of relationships and family life.

MoneySaving mums

A place for mums with kids of all ages to discuss parent MoneySaving matters.

968 discussions 13.7K comments Most recent: Property Income Excluded from Free Childcare Hours by ileven1225 2 June at 7:39PM
MoneySaving dads

A place for dads with kids of all ages to discuss parent MoneySaving matters.

367 discussions 4K comments Most recent: Increase in child custody from 40/60 to 50/50 by marcia_ 9 June at 1:46PM
Deaths, funerals & probate

Get MoneySaving help at the time of bereavement - discuss wills, inheritance tax, estate planning and more.

12.5K discussions 131.8K comments Most recent: IHT, slightly complex situation by Grumpy_chap Today at 12:50PM
Pets & pet care

For MoneySaving questions about taking care of your cat, dog, parrot or other animal companion, including vet fees and pet insurance.

15.9K discussions 249.9K comments Most recent: Identibase confusion by VyEu 13 July at 8:35PM

Financial Order Needed?
I'm currently in the initial stages of a divorce and I’m seeking advice to help me move this forward. To give some background, I applied for divorce in February 2023 and we are currently in the cooling off period until July when a conditional order can be applied for. As part of this divorce my ex wife still lives in the…
UK Family Visa - Minimum Income Requirements
I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of these. Basically my situation is that I work in Malaysia and I'm going to be marrying my girlfriend this year. She's from Vietnam. And while we're not planning to move to the UK for at least a couple of years (if ever), I thought it's still worth asking a few questions. So my…
Divorce - pension sharing report
Good morning, Our pension sharing report suggest 2 different sharing options?1 - Based on equity of value @ 60.88%2 - Based on equity of income @58.88% Naturally both parties want the bigger %. Can someone please explain the difference. TIA
Stuck on a mortgage
Hello, I have a question around a joint mortgage with my ex-wife. We separated over 15 years ago and since then I've been stuck on the mortgage, unable to move on with my life financially. Two reasons why I've not contacted solicitors during that time is because, my son lived in the house and I did not want to make him…
Birthday Spend
How much did you spend on son's 26th birthday? Their previous birthdays have been good, even though I was on a budget; I'd start keeping an eye out for bargains 6 months prior to the birthday so it was always a good one. Things are a lot easier now financially so can up the budget. Any ideas on what to get him other than…
Birth certificate name issue
Hi all, Hoping you can help me here, currently living in Scotland and I've came across something very strange to do with my birth certificate. My first name on my birth certificate is missing a letter, say my name is Allan, its spelt Alan on the birth certificate (error is almost identical to this one, missing an L). All…
Lasting Power of Attorney - Address for Attorney
I am just about to complete my LPA online and have chosen my three children to act as Attorneys. One lives with her dad (she's 21) and the other two are currently in rented accommodation (separately) and both likely to keep moving on at the end of their rental contracts until a time comes when they can purchase properties.…
Newly single parent who needs a bit of guidance
Due to unforeseen circumstances I am now a single parent as of a few weeks ago. I have 1 dependent child and 1 adult daughter who just started working last month. I work part-time (21 hours per week) with a salary of £11200 per annum. I have just applied for child benefit as husband was on a high income so we didn't need…
If I move out should I still pay my partner remt
I’ve decided to move out of my one year joint rent with my partner and have agreed to continue to pay until the contract is over. However, my partner does not want to move out of the flat but can’t afford it on their own so has asked if I can contribute £200 to £300 a month. I’m not sure what to do as my decision to move…
Using mediation for financial agreement
Ex husband and I split after 24 years, about 15 months ago. I have now paid for a divorce application. He wants to give me a cash settlement of a certain amount now, then a remaining sum to be paid over the next couple of years. This will be approx 40% of our home which is jointly owned. I want to get the house valued and…
What’s mine is ours, what’s hers is...hers?!
My wife and I are about two thirds through paying off our mortgage helped, in part, by several lump sums received from my parents which, at various stages, have paid down the mortgage considerably. Rightly or wrongly, I have always taken the view that we’d be better off getting rid of the burden of a mortgage…
We're an older couple - which way to jump!
I'm 62, he's 70. We've both been married twice before, and we both have adult children from previous relationships. We both own our own properties with no mortgage (he has a large 4 bed detached house worth about £450k, I have a small 2-bed end of terrace worth about £200k). Going forward, we'd like to move in together -…
Care Home Property & Other Stuff
Hope this is the correct forum. My mums currently owns a property but is going to sell up and buy a property near me and then I will move in with her, so I can take care of her. I'm trying to cover all bases. I currently renting and on PIP both care and mobility. If I have read the rules correctly if at some point in time…
Lasting Power of Attorney - Family Disagreement
Hello Not sure if this is the right place to post but grateful for any advice/signposting. We have an elderly widowed father. 4 siblings, the youngest of whom lives with my Dad (has never worked and various issues but has, to be fair, looked after my Dad in his old age). It's just come to light, today, that the youngest…
Help, I think my mum is being scammed
Hi all. I think my mum is being scammed. She asked my sister in February this year her to take out £1000 from her Isa for a holiday that she was acting all funny about. She didn’t go on a holiday and when I asked her about it she told me she might go to London with her friend Sarah, but never went. She then messaged me…
Transferring ownership of house after a divorce
Trying to do divorce as fair, no expensive legal solicitors and fiction free for the kids sake. Have agreed with ex they will have the house (mortgage free and joint tenants) and they will pay me half the value. How do we update the land register so the house is showing in the ex's sole name?
Using LPA to make existing Donor's current account Joint Account
Hi, The scenario - my Mum has a Santander 123 Account, from which there are two household bills paid via Direct Debit (council tax and power). She is currently in end of life care (late stage dementia, no specific timeline on this) and I'm looking at the best/easiest way to transfer the DD payments to my Dad. My thought…
DIY LPOA
Hi, Wondering if anyone has DIY'ed a LPOA and if so how difficult it proved, ours is a simple married couple situation where we want our children to make the future decisions so I guess about as straight forward as can be ...thanks.
Marriage Tax Allowance
HI, my husband took 4 years off from work (his choice) so during this time he paid no income tax, I returned to work in 2020 and now realise that we could have applied for the marriage tax allowance, I know that I can backdate this but he recently returned to work and will now be paying tax again all be it at the lowest…
Inheritance Tax and gifting money to children
Hi All I have a question about gifting money to children and tax. Are cash gifts taxable no matter what ? I have googled it and an annual max figure of £3k keeps popping up. Does that only apply if the estate on death is worth more than £325k ? Thanks

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
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
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
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 low-income 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.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
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
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
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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Marriage, relationships & families

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