Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Furlough to Oct & work, CHEAP energy fix, self-employ grant 2, Nando's hacks, hol abroad?

Plus... ​Dyson hairdryer, NHS staff freebies, 2.8% loan, J Lewis £100 off
                                                           
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Martin's weekly coronavirus update

18 NEW need-to-knows incl: Furlough till Oct & you can WORK | Self-employ grant TWO | Hols in Spain, US & more? | 2yr 0% overdraft | Mortgage hols extended | Must you take leave on furlough? | New People's Commission | Tui | Football charges return


So there I was, trying to take just one week off for half-term... and a year's worth of important money news happens. As I've therefore got a bumper crop of key info for you to catch up on, no preamble, let's just get to it.

Remember, as always the very latest info goes into our constantly-updated key coronavirus guides as soon as it breaks...

Coronavirus employees' help, incl furloughing rights
Coronavirus self-employed & small ltd co help, incl income scheme
Coronavirus finance & bills help, incl mortgages, energy & TV
Coronavirus travel rights, incl refunds & insurance
Coronavirus life in lockdown, incl MOTs, food & entertainment
Coronavirus financial FAQs, commonly asked Q&As


And finally, as always, while we strive for 100% accuracy, please give us just a touch of wriggle room - things are still changing all the time.

The 18 NEW coronavirus financial NEED-TO-KNOWS

1) Furlough to last until Oct, but from Aug employers contribute, which sadly may trigger redundancies. Last Fri, we got details of the extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. It allows employees to be put on furlough - where your job's put on standby - and the state covers 80% of your salary, up to £2,500/mth.

While employees must still receive at least 80% of their salary, from Aug employers will be asked to start to pay - at first just covering national insurance and pension contribution costs. Each month more is added, until by Oct - the final month of furlough - they pay 20% of salaries towards furlough. See full who pays what, when.

Sadly, that means if firms think they can't or won't keep their furloughed staff on their books from Nov, they're likely to start redundancy processes soon, so people leave at or after the end of Jul, before firms have to contribute. If that happens to you, see our Redundancy rights guide, and consider help from an employment lawyer, either direct or via a trade union or Citizens Advice.

2) Self-employment grant TWO available from Aug. The Chancellor said there will be a second (and crucially 'final' grant) for eligible self-employed people affected by coronavirus to cover Jun to Aug. This is something I, and others, have been pushing hard for, once it was announced furlough would last until Oct. Even though the amount's at a slightly lower rate than the first, I'm delighted to see it happen, as at one stage chances were no better than 50-50. For a full briefing on this, including who's eligible, watch my  self-employment grant TWO 5min video explainer.

3) From 1 Jul, YOU CAN WORK for your employer while furloughed - but what'll you be paid? From 1 Jul, a month earlier than planned, firms can bring furloughed employees back to work. The work hours can vary week by week, so it could be nothing, part-time or full-time. Exact details of how this'll operate will be published on 12 Jun, but I've had a rough preview.

For the hours you work, you'll be paid your full contractual rate by your employer, and you'll be paid by furlough for the rest of your normal hours that you're not working. I break this down in easy-to-understand detail in my furlough update 8min video explainer.

What if I can't/don't want to go back to work? You mightn't feel comfortable going back as you're shielding/looking after children/don't feel it's safe. We'll be doing detailed research into your rights on that and will update you next week.

4) Interest-free overdrafts due to END next month - check now if you can shift yours to TWO YEARS 0%. While mortgage payment holidays are being extended, it's far from certain if other coronavirus financial forbearance measures will be too. This includes the £500 0% overdraft help banks have had to offer customers who are struggling. It's currently only set to last until 14 Jul - after that, banks can start charging their new hideous 40% EAR charges again.

So it's worth knowing that there's now ONLY ONE money transfer credit card longer than 12mths 0% left. Money transfers are special cards that let you pay money directly into your bank account, which you can use to clear your overdraft, then owe the card at 0% instead. MBNA's 24mth 0% card has a one-off 2.99% fee - use our MBNA eligibility calc to check if you'll be accepted (some  poorer credit-scorers get 16mths at 0% and/or a 3.49% fee).

If so, make sure you do a 'money transfer', don't just withdraw cash. Then always make at least the min repayments and clear the borrowing within the 0% period or the rate soars to 22.9% rep APR.

5) Plans to go to France, Spain, USA or other top 10 destinations for Brits - when will they let you in?  The Foreign Office is still warning against all non-essential travel. Yet if you've a holiday booked this summer, even if the warning's removed, there's still the issue of whether they'll let you in or make you quarantine when you arrive.

So we've got our top 10 holiday countries travel access guide, which tells you what the score is in each country at various dates for Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Croatia, Turkey, the Netherlands and the USA. Even then, from Mon the current plan is that you'll need to self-isolate for two weeks when you return - though there's likely to be movement on that.

6) Have YOUR say on how post-lockdown UK society will look - join the People's Commission. Life has changed forever. The way we work, support each other, travel, shop, spend, and also the value we put on the roles people play in society. The past few months have been challenging for our country on every level, but it is time to try and find opportunity from adversity.

Cross-party think tank Demos has launched its "People's Commission". Its aim is to have 1 million people feed in to what life should be like when we return to normal. Have your say, join the People's Commission.

I've agreed to be one of 11 commissioners, alongside the likes of former education secretary Nicky Morgan, trade union Prospect's general secretary Mike Clancy and UK Youth chief executive Ndidi Okezie.

7) Mortgage payment holiday extension confirmed - starts Thu - but ONLY do it if you need one, as it can hit your credit score. Regulator the FCA has just confirmed that, from Thu, the mortgage payment holiday extension proposed 12 days ago, for those suffering financial difficulties, will be in play. In brief...

- If you've not yet applied, you've till 31 Oct to do so.
- If you're already on a payment holiday, you can ask to extend it for a further 3mths.
- The 'no repossessions' rule has been extended until 31 Oct too.

My rule on payment holidays is simple: IF YOU NEED ONE, DO IT, BUT ONLY DO IT IF NEEDED. And if you don't need the whole holiday, you can do a partial holiday, eg, ask to reduce what you pay by half. There's more info in our step-by-step guide, incl my mortgage holiday 8min video briefing.

The reason it's not a 'grab it' is two-fold. First, because the holiday is just a deferment, you still have to pay it back later, plus the interest that's racked up.

Also, while it won't go on your credit file, as I revealed here two weeks ago mortgage payment holidays can affect your credit score as lenders use other methods to detect it. After I'd raised this with the FCA, it checked it, confirmed it and put it in its announcement.

Yet if you're going to struggle to repay, and need cash flow, do it. Better that than killing your finances.

8) Warning. New furlough deadline. You need be furloughed by 10 Jun (even if on MATERNITY now) to get it after. A new rule means to be eligible for furlough from Jul, you have to have been on full-time furlough for a min 3wks. So if you've not been furloughed, and may need to be, the cut-off time to start is 10 Jun (3wks before Jul).

For those on maternity leave, if you plan on coming back between Jul and Nov, and it's likely your firm will want to furlough you, they need to furlough ASAP or you're unfurloughable (yes, I've likely invented the word) later - we think this will do the job, but are making some final technical checks. You'll usually still stay on maternity pay until that ends though, see maternity furlough for more.

9) It's coming home, it's coming home, football's coming (to your) home... but that means Sky Sports and BT Sport charges.  Both allowed custs to stop their charges due to the pandemic sport suspension. Yet with the Premier League, snooker, golf and horse racing either restarted or soon to, charges return too. Full info in Sky and BT Sport rebates, but in brief...

- Sky Sports customers who "paused" their subscriptions will start paying again from 19 Jun. Those with a package for just one sport (eg, Formula 1 or cricket) will stay on pause until that sport's back.

- BT Sport had given bill credit equal to their subscriptions, and will give a 50% credit for the Jun bill - automatic for all who've already asked, if not, you can still ask.

10) Football season ticket refunds. Top-level football clubs are set to play out the rest of the season without fans watching, so season ticket holders can usually get refunds, though some only offer credit unless asked. See football season tickets.

11) Can employers ask you to use up annual leave on furlough? I've been asked this countless times. Some employers want staff to use up their holiday. Both the Govt and ACAS confirm they can require you to do this, though they must pay you your full contracted rate for your annual leave days.

But, crucially, they must give you NOTICE TWICE AS LONG AS THE HOLIDAY. So if you're taking a week, they must tell you at least two weeks beforehand - if not, speak to your manager and show them the guidance. There's far more on what to do in annual leave and furlough.

12) Warning. Beware new NHS Test and Trace scams. They've been added to our updated  20+ coronavirus scams to watch out for blog.

13) Are you one of 1m self-employed eligible for an income support grant who haven't claimed it? Only 2.5m of the 3.5m eligible for the self-employment income support help have claimed it. The deadline's 13 Jul. Some may not, as a deliberate ethical choice that you don't need help. That's cool. Yet there are a few reasons people may WRONGLY be missing out that I'd like to clear up. Pls spread word...

- You wrongly think 'I'm working/earning, I can't claim'. Unlike the current furlough scheme, if you're self-employed you've always been allowed to claim it even if you're working and earning.

- You're worried declaring 'I'm impacted by Covid-19'. Doing this is part of the application, but don't overly worry, it's a very broad criteria. Unless you're deliberately defrauding, there's no claw back - just be honest. You've been impacted by Covid-19 if one or more of these apply (or something similar)...  a) you or a staff member's been unable to work/work normally, b) your work premises have been closed/had reduced access, or c) you've seen a decrease in demand/work level.

- You've not been contacted. HMRC has contacted people by letter, email or text. Yet for some, details will be wrong or this contact hasn't made it to you. If so, you can use the HMRC eligibility checker.

14) Tui's cancelled 10,000s more hols - get a full refund. The package hol giant's now cancelled all trips departing up until the end of June (and some cruises even further ahead). Its record for refunds has been very poor - it scored -60% in our recent survey.  Yet it has recently simplified its refund system - tentative feedback seems to be that if it's not perfect, it's at least an improvement. See Tui refund help.

15) Updated: Can I get a refund on my static caravan pitch fees? Far more help, including template letters. This is one of the thorniest issues we're investigating, with some caravan parks helping, others playing hardball. We're continually adding to our Static caravan pitch fee refunds guide - this week there's a comparison of how different parks are reacting and more legal guidance, and now we've added template letters.

16) Is there going to be any more help for the excluded... ltd co directors, the ineligible self-employed, new starters, freelance PAYE and others? Sadly, desperate people who aren't eligible for the state support schemes make up a big chunk of my e-mailbag - constantly asking if there is any news on their situation. I wish I had news. I don't.

I've been lobbying hard for the cracks to be filled for months, but I think it is getting less and less likely that we'll see any substantial change coming. If you're not eligible for support now, as the Chancellor is trying to reduce support, not increase its range, barring maybe a few small technical tweaks I can't see much change coming.

This leaves universal credit and, for those with small businesses, bounce back loans as the main hope (limited company directors may also be able to furlough themselves ). Do see our full guides for more. I'm not ignoring you, but I'm sorry to say I just don't have anything new to tell you.

17) Fewer lenders now offer bounce back loans to new customers. Small biz, including limited companies, impacted by coronavirus can get loans of £2,000 to £50,000 interest and payment-free for the first 12 months, and as our Bounce Back Loans  guide explains, these CAN be used to support your income in some cases.

Most banks only offer these to existing customers with a business account, and some who were allowing newbies including RBS and NatWest have now pulled back from that. This leaves HSBC as the main newbies' option (Barclays and Starling to a lesser extent too) but we have a lot of reports that it is a SLOOOWWWW process and many are frustrated. See our bank-by-bank bounce back table for full info.

PS: Also see our news that we're referring complaints about Starling's bounce back loans for sole traders to the regulator.

18) Smart meter installations restarting. If you signed up to a tariff that needs smart meters, in England E.on, Npower, SSE and Ovo have started offering appointments again, as has British Gas, but only for prepay meters - all with appropriate precautions. You don't have to get them fitted. See smart meters latest.

-----------------------------------
NEW SERIES - NEW TIME
The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE (from home)
EVERY Thu now at 8.30pm for the next six weeks on ITV


Remember those heady days of my last series... OK, it only ended the week before last, but I'm delighted to say ITV's recognised the importance of the week's must-watch Thursday financial briefing (if I say so myself) and we've agreed to do six more, now at the LATER TIME of 8.30pm.

I'll talk you through many of the key tips above, and more, plus new deals, and MoneySaving tips too. Of course as we're live I can answer your questions as well, just tweet me @MartinSLewis using the show's hashtag #MartinLewis . So do tune in or set the Betamax.

 
 

DON'T believe the fake ads on Facebook
Lots of scam ads that litter social media lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

 

 
 

New. Save £350/yr as we've blagged the CHEAPEST FIXED ENERGY with decent service. Plus with 100% renewable elec & carbon offset gas
 

We're constantly negotiating to try to get energy firms to undercut the market. So we're chuffed to have done it now with this  Pure Planet deal, given energy prices are near 3yr lows. Plus it lets you LOCK IN that rate for a year as it's a fix, which means no price hikes. And switching savings can be huge, as Sue emailed us last week: " Just to let you know, I just changed energy supplier. I used your site and the saving is an amazing £453/yr. Thanks, stay safe."

As YOUR exact winner and saving depends on use and region, all links go via our Cheap Energy Club comparison, which also gives switchers the £25 dual-fuel cashback you don't get by going direct.

TOP PICK CHEAP 1YR FIXES
Prices vary by area and use - so do a comparison to find your winner
BENCHMARK: The energy price cap. The price for typical dual-fuel use on a standard tariff - more than 50% of homes are on this.
 
£1,127/yr
CHEAPEST 1YR FIX PICKS
PRICE (1)
New. Cheapest good service fix, 100% green. MSE Blagged. The Pure Planet 100% Green 12m Fixed tariff is on average the cheapest for new dual-fuel custs. Pure  scores a very decent 3.9/5 for customer service and the tariff has 100% renewable electricity and 100% carbon offset gas (see green energy defined).  Pure is a mid-sized firm with about 120,000 custs, and when we've done deals with it before, they've gone well. This exclusive is its normal cheapest fix, but with a special £54 bill credit and the usual £25 MSE cashback. You don't need to have/get smart meters.

Note, there is a cheaper tariff on the market, but the provider has very poor service so we exclude it, though it will appear in your comparison results (if you remove the 'OK or better service' filter).
£770/yr
(Save £357/yr)
Cheapest Big 6 fix plus it includes a year's 'free' heating insurance. For those who prefer a big name, the British Gas Energy & Home Services Jun 2021v2 fix is for dual-fuel custs NEW to British Gas. It comes with 100% green elec (not gas) and gives 1yr's free heating cover (£108/yr after, so cancel if you want to avoid that). BG also scores 3.9/5 for customer service, while you don't need to have/get smart meters.
£793/yr
(Save £334/yr)
Next cheapest Big 6 fix (good for existing British Gas custs). If you're with BG and want a cheap fix with a Big 6 firm, E.on's Fix Online Exclusive v37 fix is the next cheapest. E.on scores 3.0/5 for customer service, and this deal is  for new dual-fuel or elec-only custs and comes with 100% green elec. You need to agree to have smart meters fitted if you don't have them - but you can wait till happy to have an engineer round.
£801/yr
(Save £326/yr)
(1) Prices are avg dual-fuel costs on typical use + MSE cashback & bill credit (if applicable). Savings compared to typical price cap cost.
  • Switching is easy - little changes apart from service and cost. Switch firm and it's the same gas, same elec and same safety. The only thing that changes is the customer service and who bills you. Your supply isn't cut off as part of the process, while no one visits your home unless you want or need smart meters (though some installations are paused for now). See our switching FAQs for more help. Try not to call unless you have to at the moment.
     
  • New. We've changed our customer service ratings. We used to rank firms on the percentage of people who rated them as 'great' in our site polls. Yet we wanted to make it more rigorous, so we now use a combination of Citizens Advice service data and our own YouGov survey based on a representative sample of energy customers. Note that we're currently doing some work on the weightings, so a few firms may shift a tad in the next couple of weeks. See more on how our customer service ratings are assessed.
 

Finally, banks introduce 'confirmation of payments' - ie, to tell you if you're paying the right person. If you make a payment, it usually doesn't matter if you put the name 'Mickey Mouse' in - it'll go to the sort code & account number you give. Now banks are starting to introduce the long overdue 'confirmation of payments' so you can check who it's going to. Find out when your bank is including 'Confirmation of Payee'.

Nando's is back - 10 Nando's hacks, incl save up to £7.70 & free delivery trick. Now 94 of its 300ish stores are open for takeaway & delivery, we've some cheap, cheeky Nando's tips.

1,000 more official Dyson Supersonic 'as new' hairdryer refurbs £230 (norm £300 brand new). MSE Blagged.  Not MoneySaving, but many rave about 'em. This deal was so popular 2 weeks ago that Dyson's topped up the number avail - though only till Sun (or earlier if all the remaining ones go). Incl 1yr warranty. Dyson deal

New NHS & care worker staff discounts incl 20% off at Iceland, plus free drink at Starbucks, Caffe Nero & more. We've added new offers to our bumper guide of  40+ NHS & care worker discounts & freebies.

New. Get up to 50% off Which? wills. MSE Blagged. Doing a will is key to looking after loved ones, and we've got you this Which? premium will service* deal, which includes printing & binding, where single wills are £84.50 (norm £169), and mirror/joint wills are £129.50 (£259). You write it & it's checked by a specialist will-writer. For help & more deals, incl gold-standard solicitor-drafted wills, and when the annual free wills events are, see Cheap Wills.

10,000+ enrol on our FREE MSE Academoney in its first week. Last week we launched our new online financial education course with the Open University. It has six modules - spending, budgeting, borrowing, mortgages, saving/investing & retirement. See Academoney explained or sign up (it's totally free).

What records would Martin take to a desert Island? Find out on Radio 4 on Sunday. We suggested I Got Bills, or Money's Too Tight To Mention, but sadly he's not spilling the beans, so we'll be listening to BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs at 11am on Sunday (available as a podcast after) .

 
 

The UK's cheapest loan is just 2.8% - but is now the time to borrow?

Rates are rock bottom, but credit scoring and acceptance are tougher. As always, only borrow if you NEED to

UK interest rates are at a 325-year low, so it's no surprise loan rates are seriously cheap, at just 0.1 of a percentage point above the all-time low. Yet acceptance seems more difficult, as lenders have got pickier about who they'll lend to - to help, our Loans Eligibility Calc shows which lenders are most likely to accept you. Though note only 51% of accepted applicants get the advertised rate, the rest can be charged more.

  • Is now the time for you to get a loan? For those still being paid, with stable finances who need to borrow, the low cost means it looks to be a decent time - whether to cut existing loan costs or for new borrowing. But don't take on more debt lightly, and only do it if you need to. That means for a planned, budgeted, affordable, one-off buy (eg, you need a kitchen refurb) where you minimise the amount and repay as quickly as you can. If in doubt, don't.

    For those struggling financially right now, avoid taking on any new financial commitments - it's likely you'd only be accepted at high costs anyway. If deep in the mire, read our Debt Help guide.
LOWEST LOAN RATES FOR £3,000-£15,000
Why we're linking via our eligibility calc at the moment. We've removed many direct links to lenders, at some of their request, instead linking to them via our Loans Eligibility Calc . This shows your acceptance odds, then lets you apply there. This way, only those more likely to be accepted actually 'apply', helping to reduce 'why was I rejected?' enquiry calls on over-capacity helplines, so they can prioritise coronavirus help for vulnerable people.
LOAN RATE & PROVIDER (OVER 1-5 YEARS OR AS STATED) HOW TO APPLY
£7,500-£15,000 2.8% rep APR - Cahoot Apply via our eligibility calc
2.9% rep APR - M&S Bank (1-7 years), John Lewis Apply via our eligibility calc
£5,000-£7,499 3.4% rep APR - Tesco Bank (1-3 years) Apply (not in eligibility calc)
3.5% rep APR - MBNAHitachi (2-5 years) Apply via our eligibility calc
£3,000-£4,999 8.4% rep APR - Hitachi (2-5 years) Apply via our eligibility calc
8.5% rep APR - Tesco Bank (1-7 years) Apply (not in eligibility calc)

  • Lowest rates below £3,000. It's likely to be cheaper to do a money transfer, where you get a credit card to pay cash into your bank account, so you owe it instead, but at 0%, for a one-off fee of 3%-ish. But if a loan is right for you (eg, you need longer to repay), the Loans Eligibility Calc will include your cheapest.

  • Beware, personal loan rates usually have 'representative APRs'. This means ONLY 51% of those accepted need to get the advertised rate - others may be charged more. Yet you're usually only told the rate after application, so once accepted, ALWAYS check it. Even our eligibility calc currently has to work with rep APRs ( though we're working to change that), so a high acceptance chance doesn't always mean a cheap rate.

  • Loan Golden Rules. Full info & options in Cheap Personal Loans (APR Examples).
    a) Minimise the amount you borrow and repay as quickly as possible.
    b) Pay on time (preferably by direct debit) or you may get a charge and a missed payment on your credit report.
    c) If you're getting a loan to pay off credit cards, a balance transfer may be cheaper.

 

£100 John Lewis voucher when you buy a £479 fridge freezer, £999 TV or other BIG spends. John Lewis isn't the cheapest but as it price-matches, gives £100 off a future purchase & has 2yr+ warranties, some of these deals are decent. It's  on selected big-ticket electricals online till Tue 9 Jun. See £100 John Lewis voucher.

Where to find FREE, popular TV box sets - incl Community, ER, Scrubs, 90210, Life on Mars. We've rounded up some big binge-worthy box sets that you can stream for free. Full info in  23 TV MoneySaving Tricks.

New. Live music you can stream online for free, incl Glastonbury, Radiohead, Take That & more. While live music is unlikely to be back for a while yet, many artists & bands are playing virtual gigs, posting footage of classic performances & more to keep fans going. Free live music online

 
 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: TSB* up to 30mths 0%, 2.95% fee (19.9% rep APR)
No-fee 0%: Santander 18mths 0% (18.9% rep APR) or 20mths 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (19.9% rep APR)

Get comparison site quotes in this order:

  1. MoneySupermarket*
  2. Confused.com*
  3. Compare The Market*
  4. Gocompare*

Then check insurers they miss: 
Direct Line*
Aviva*

Cheapest for £5,000-£7,499: Tesco Bank 3.4% rep APR (1-3yrs)
Cheapest £7.5k-£15k: Cahoot 2.8% rep APR

Standard b'band & line rent: Shell Energy equiv £14.82/mth
Fibre b'band & line rent: Plusnet equiv £18.82/mth
Superfast fibre b'band & line rent: 
Plusnet equiv £22.82/mth

1-3% cashback on bills: Santander 123 Lite
2% interest fixed for a year: Nationwide FlexDirect

 

SUCCESS OF THE WEEK:  
"We followed your instructions on checking our council tax band and have now received a refund of £7,712.40, which is massive for us as we are pensioners. We can't thank you enough."
(Send us yours on this or any topic.)

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL

When did you last check your credit file? Your credit file can strongly influence whether you get a particular mortgage, credit card deal, mobile phone contract or cheap energy tariff, and sometimes the rate. So even a small error can cause havoc. When did you last check yours?

Half of MoneySavers say they've moved their savings in the last six months. Last week, we asked when you last shifted your savings to get a better rate. Over 4,800 people responded - and, encouragingly, 52% said they've switched accounts in the last six months. Nearly 10% of respondents told us they've NEVER moved their savings though. See full savings switching poll results.

 
 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should I take my job back after being let go when lockdown began? My employer refused to furlough me, saying it couldn't afford to pay 80% of my salary until Government help came through, and put me on a one-week notice. With the lockdown rules easing slightly in our part of the country, I've now been offered my job back. While I need the money, should I go back when I'd be worrying about job security - as if the lockdown is tightened again or the business struggles, it could do the same thing again? Or should I look for a job elsewhere, where I may feel more secure? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I take my job back after being let go when lockdown began? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs

 

NHS discounts - Eg, 20% off at Iceland, free Starbucks drink
Nando's hacks - Eg, Save up to £7.70 and free delivery trick
Dyson - £230 Supersonic hairdryer official 'as new' refurbs
Free virtual gigs - Stream Radiohead, Take That etc
John Lewis - £100 e-gift card with selected big electricals spend

Libraries - Borrow 1,000s of e-books & audiobooks free online
Kobo - 700+ free modern & classic e-books via app
BBC - Free audiobooks, eg, Life on Earth, Pride & Prejudice
Marvel - 100+ free digital comics, eg, Avengers, Spider-Man
Amazon Alexa - Listen to free audiobooks every month

Deezer - Three months free (norm £30)
Disney+ - £2 off each month for existing O2 custs
Figleaves - Up to 60% off sale
PlayStation Plus - June's 'free' games incl Call of Duty, Star Wars
Xbox Live Gold - 'Free' games incl Warhammer for Xbox One

Tips to help you get ready for summer barbecuing...

Building your own BBQ. Bricking it
Competition to win a smoker & grill BBQ kit. Bar-be-quick
Cheap and easy ways to keep your BBQ clean. Grate job

 
 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 3 JUN ONWARDS)

Wed 3 Jun - LBC, Nick Ferrari, 9.50am
Thu 4 Jun - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.15am
Thu 4 Jun - The Martin Lewis Money Show - Coronavirus Special, ITV, 8.30pm
Sun 7 Jun - BBC Radio 4, Desert Island Discs, 11am
Mon 8 Jun - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.55am
Mon 8 Jun - BBC Radio 5 Live, Ask Martin Lewis, 12.20pm. Listen again

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (MOST SUBJECTS TBC)

Wed 3 Jun - BBC Radio Stoke, Breakfast with John Acres, from 7.10am, Eesha Mohindra on mortgage payment holidays
Mon 8 Jun - BBC Radio Manchester, Drive with Phil Trow, from 2.25pm
Tue 9 Jun - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Lunchtime Live with Jeremy Sallis, from 12.25pm

 

HAPPY AIRTHDAY: YOUR TOP CELEBRATION DECORATION FAILS

That's it for this week, but before we go... last week, our social channels were flooded with examples of packing fails after we shared a birthday blooper in which balloons that should have spelt 'Happy Birthday' arrived as 'Happy Airthday'. MoneySavers told us about other fails, including 'Sensons Greetings', 'Happy Fahters Day' and 'Merry Christmac'. But the most spook-tacular was the Halloween banner that arrived saying 'Bob' rather than 'Boo'. Let us know your celebration decoration fails in our Facebook post.

We hope you save some money, stay safe,
The MSE team

 

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