MONEY MORSELS
Divorcees denied
RETIRED divorcees could miss out on tens of thousands of pounds because the Government refuses to check their state pensions for errors. Admin blunders at the Department for Work and Pensions have seen 134,000 retirees denied around £1 billion. Those affected are wives, widows, divorcees and the over80s whose pensions were not automatically upgraded. But while the Government is now trawling through records to check pensioners are receiving the correct rate, the exercise does not include divorcees.
Switching offer
HSBC is offering £150 cash to customers who switch to its Advance current account, plus a £10 donation to homeless charity Shelter. The offer is available through MoneySavingExpert and Moneysupermarket and ends on
December 16.
Covid swindle
YOUNG people are being targeted by text scams claiming to offer a Covid pass to prove they have been vaccinated, says the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. Anyone who clicks on the link is taken to a fake NHS website to pay a £4.99 fee. Forward suspicious texts to 7726.
Reward cut
BARCLAYS Blue Rewards customers’ monthly fee will increase by £1 to £5 and their cashback cut from March. So those who set up two direct debits will get £5 instead of £7, or nothing after the fee.
Part-time banking
NATIONWIDE is closing 50 branches for one day a week in a trial. Regional director Andrew Westhead told a conference that staff still come in to answer phone calls and respond to online inquiries on days they’re closed.
Deadline extends
AROUND 13,000 Post Office card holders have got more time to give the Government alternative bank details. The Department for Work and Pensions had said it would stop making benefit payments to the cards last month, but has extended it to November 2022.
Cheap mortgages
MORTGAGE rates for homebuyers with a 5 pc deposit have fallen to a record low, figures have revealed. A typical two-year loan now costs 3.09 per cent, down from 4.44 pc 12 months ago, according to analysts Moneyfacts. The average five-year rate fell from 3.97 pc to 3.39 pc.
Cases backlog
MPS have asked the Financial Ombudsman Service to explain how it will clear its backlog. Mel Stride, chairman of the Treasury committee, has written to the free dispute resolution service following concerns about its effectiveness. The Ombudsman says it started the year with a logjam of 90,000 complaints which has been reduced to 50,000.