YOUR
FREE
GUIDE TO SMARTER MONEY SAVING
Quids in! ISSUE 26: SCOTTISH EDITION, AUTUMN 2018
WWW.QUIDSINMAGAZINE.COM
M A X THE CASH
PUB POLITICS...
DANNY DYER AMPLE S THE STRAIGHTTALKING COCKNEY ON BREXIT AND BENEFITS
E L P M A
Boosting the bank balance
CYBER SECRETS How the rich
stay rich
HAMMERED Giving holiday hunger the boot
S
EXPERT ADVICE ON: ✔SPENDING ✔SAVING ✔BORROWING ✔INCOME
D THE N I H E B S WHAT’
S W E N
COMPLEX SYSTEM
CAUSES CLAIMS TO CRASH ● Charity finds
Welcome
paperwork required is hard to trace
Sometimes it feels like my money is under constant attack. If I don’t have a tight grip on my wallet, someone else has their pinching fingers inside it. Each day I have to take stock of how much more went out than I intended. The rich always seem to know how to get and keep what’s theirs. Did the rest of us miss the classes on how to keep hold of our cash? The rich don’t only know the best tricks. They’re often the ones wanting to take our money off us. And where do they always seem to have the upper hand? Online. It’s poorer people who tend to be least willing or able to use the internet. And our feature on pages 4 and 5 exposes how that suits the rich and powerful just fine. If someone asked what one thing I wanted to change to make the UK a better place right now, it’s that. Having to constantly keep an eye out for the legal pickpockets is exhausting. I’m sick of walking into hidden charges, overpriced goods or fines for not realising what we signed up to. The fightback starts here.
E L P M A O
ver a third of Universal Credit claimants seen by Citizens Advice face delays because they cannot find the documents needed. Tenancy agreements, bank statements and ID paperwork are often lost or not close to hand. The charity says just under half (48%) struggled to provide evidence of health conditions. Slightly fewer (40%) could not locate paperwork relating to their housing. One in three (35%) found it hard to produce details of childcare arrangements. Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “While Universal Credit is working for most people, our evidence
S
Jeff, Editor
25%
found the claim process so tricky, it took over a week to complete
E L P M A
S
editor@quidsinmagazine.com
shows a large minority are struggling to navigate the system.” This echoes research by Quids in! that found claimants who needed extra support were more likely to face delays to payments. Our 10 Critical Insights on UC report found claimants faced conflicting advice or confusing details given by work coaches. The more complex the claim, the more likely the system was to ‘trip’ and start the claim over. Citizens Advice says the system must be simplified. It found one in four people found the claim process so tricky, it took over a week to complete. Some stages of the process must be finished within a timescale or the process restarts.
In this issue…
Legal Pickpockets:
Income Max:
Straight Talk:
‘Don’t get online’, say the rich Page 4
Top tips to give our budget a boost Page 7
Danny Dyer says it like it is Page 8
Quids in! magazine
◆ Address 3 Princes Street, Bath BA1 1HL Tel 08456 8049 06 ◆ Editor Jeff Mitchell Email editor@quidsinmagazine.com ◆ Comms Officer Dan Fineman Email dan@ socialpublishingproject.com ◆ Advertising Opportunities Lisa Woodman Email lisa@ socialpublishingproject.com ◆ Copy Sales Lisa Woodman, Rhiannon McNamara, Email lisa@ socialpublishingproject.com, rhiannon@socialpublishingproject.com ◆ Design Joe Burt ◆ Cartoon by Rachel Wotton www.harmfulraes.com ◆ Agony Aunt: Jayne Bellis at PennySmart © This magazine may not be reproduced in part or full without prior written permission Quids in! makes every effort to ensure content is correct at the time of going to print. Readers should take specialist advice where necessary. Quids in! has no political allegiances, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. Any relationship with advertisers or sponsors is always on the understanding that we retain our editorial independence.
2 | Quids in!
Quids in! magazine is designed to help people understand and manage their money better. It is published quarterly by the Social Publishing Project, a social enterprise.
Quids in! magazine is supported by Aon and Aviva. Aon arranges home contents insurance with Aviva for tenants of social and council housing. Ask your landlord if they have a scheme in place.
NEWS LIFTING THE LID ON…
SINGLE HOUSEHOLD PAYMENTS When more than one claimant shares the same address, all payments are made to just one person. This may include a couple, as well as adult children if they are on benefits too. As the old system is phased out, millions of households will be forced to deal with this.
The government says it wants Universal Credit to work like, well, work. They say paying benefits direct into a bank account, monthly, in arrears is how most working people are paid. While campaigners dispute this, one aspect of UC is not at all like receiving wages: Single Household Payments.
E L P M A
S
GOAL TO KICK HOLIDAY HUNGER
"Three million children are at ris k of holiday hunger"
W
est Ham United is tackling the meal-time challenges faced by families whose kids’ free school meals stop for the holidays. Projects have sprung up across the UK to kick holiday hunger into touch this summer. But despite 3 million at risk, the government has stumped up just £2 million. Ross Williams at the West Ham United Foundation told Quids in!: “Three million children are at risk of holiday hunger. People from deprived areas of East London are referred to our Holiday Hunger scheme. They take part in sport, eat well and access health workshops. It’s not just football we offer and it’s for boys, girls, disabled kids, anyone.”
Grassroots projects up and down the country have set up their own schemes but the government has fed in £2 million. Its Holiday Activities and Food Research Fund will work with seven projects, helping to feed 30,000 under-18s. Street Games Fun and Fit is a summer long holiday project that will benefit and is run by Optivo Housing. Vanessa Porter, Health & Wellbeing Project Officer, told Quids in!: “It was recognised a couple of years ago that many families struggle to feed their children during holiday time. So, working with Active Hastings, healthy meals and snacks are provided, along with a range of fun, engaging activities.”
JOIN THE CONVERSATION… When defrosting your freezer, don’t waste the ice. Put it on or in your outside plant pots to save water. Received via quidsinmagazine.com
AGONY AU NT PREMIUM IDEA? Dear Penny,
E L P M A
S
EVERY LITTLE HELPS
The Legal Pickpockets (See page 4)
WIN £50
POST The Editor, Quids In! 3 Princes Street, Bath BA1 1HL EMAIL editor@quidsinmagazine.com TWEET @quidsinmagazine
Have you got something you want to tell us, or a money-saving hint or tip to share? Each issue we’ll send £50 to our best letter writer, emailer or tweeter! Don’t forget to include your name and address.
Out of the blue I heard a distant relative had left me a few hundred quid in her will. I know I ought to be saving it and someone suggested Premium Bonds but is that a good idea? Mr Locky, Bromley
Penny says: Congrats on your windfall, Mr Locky! We could all do with a bit of help now and again. Saving it is certainly good advice. Experts say we should all have at least £1,000 saved for a rainy day. But if you have debts costing more than your savings would make in the bank, think about paying them off first. Money saving expert Martin Lewis is rather scathing about Premium Bonds as it is unlikely you would make anything. Using a Credit Union saving account might tick the box. You could get life insurance and after a time access loans for one-off purchases.
Quids in! | 3
ACCESS DENIED:
10 Reasons l u f r e w o P d n A h ic R e h T e n li n O s U t n a W ’t n Do E L P
M A S
E L P M A
S
There is a direct link between how well off we are and how likely we are to have access to the internet. Quids in! reveals why that’s just how the people at the top like it…
4 | Quids in!
T
he games between rich and poor have been played for centuries. The battle has always been about the well-off trying to get wealthier while the rest of us do our best to make the system tip a little in our favour. If Robin Hood were alive today, he wouldn’t be raiding ill-gotten taxes hoarded by King John. He’d open an internet café. Because it seems whichever way we turn, if we’re not online, someone is taking money off us.
E L P M A
S5
HERE’S HOW:
1
Beyond the limit Having no access to online banking, whether using a PC or an app on a smart phone, means we can’t check our bank balance at any time. For current accounts that can go overdrawn, that means profits for the fat cats if we stray into the red. Kerching!
2
Stuck in debt If we knew our rights we’d be less likely to be pushed into things we cannot afford, be able to strike a deal with lenders and know what to say to bailiffs. By not having access to the Citizens Advice website, often waiting in line to see an adviser instead, it’s harder to know how to fight our corner. The longer we’re in debt, the more they make from interest.
3
Deal or no deal So many places offer deals and discounts these days but they’re almost all online. But someone has to pay full price, right? If everyone was online, who would keep the profits up? People who shop around online and sign up to money emails with the latest offers make the wealthy’s blood boil.
8
Balancing the books We’ve squeezed as much as we can onto page 7 about ways to make a little extra cash. But on quidsinmagazine.com the full story includes 20 tips for boosting our income. This helps make sure more is coming in than going out. Yes, we can also cut back on spending, and the online savings help there too, but the less debt we’re in, the less the fat cats are making off us.
9
Jobs for the boys It is amazing that some supermarkets insist we apply online even for shelf-stacking jobs. They must have some very qualified people piling up the beans. If cost is a reason why people are not on the internet, then it’s only people with money who get the jobs. Most employers nowadays recruit online, slamming the door on people who cannot afford a PC or smartphone.
6MPLE Sanctions A simple online search for ‘benefit sanctions’ throws up a list of advice on how they work and why the Jobcentre withdraws payments. Some are a guide on how to appeal and how four in every five appeals result in benefits being restarted. If knowledge is power, then it’s better for the authorities if we don’t find the answers online.
SA
Keeping it basic Knowing they’ll mostly be paying benefits into bank accounts, the government got the main high street banks to offer accounts with no fees or overdrafts. But not all banks like offering these Basic Bank Accounts and the less we’re able to check what accounts we’re entitled to, the more the banks can steer us towards the ones that make them money.
4
Given the benefit Ministers don’t have to worry about their own money but it’s music to their ears that over £12 billion of benefits go uncollected in a year. Four million families could have shared the windfall but luckily for the government, they didn’t use the simple benefit calculators online. They tell us exactly what we’re missing out on. What’s more, any of us who are working age and on benefits or tax credits will soon be forced to claim benefits online… One in five are losing out through these changes already and for many it’s because they don’t know their way around the internet. A nice little boost for the Treasury.
7
Access denied More and more services are ‘digital first’, from passports and driving licences to parking permits and even out-of-hours GP appointments. It means it’s cheaper to cut out the middle person, (ie, cut staffing), but it’s cheaper still if we don’t bother to use the service.
10
Ignorance is bliss The law of ‘divide and rule’ says if we don’t speak to other people like us, we won’t realise what’s going on. From angry consumers on Martin Lewis’ moneysavingexpert.com to SkintDad’s Facebook groups trying to ‘Reduce Your Supermarket Spend’, people are sharing their tips for getting ahead. The less we know, the more the rich and powerful can make.
ck e to kick ba aybe it’s tim m , se is o th th l f al o of en one In the face uld have be o w ag d b o r o ie H in arr a little. Rob ment’s 5p c the govern w sa n bag, o w h o w y s heroe bring m ll I’ . is th ff : ‘Stu our rights. tax and said fighting for e n li n o e b d he’d thanks.’ An
Quids in! | 5
SHOW ME Most of us are feeling the pinch and who wouldn’t like a little cash boost to make ends meet or pay for a little treat? Online or in the real world, there are plenty of options…
W
E L P M A
hen it comes to bringing in the extra, ask: What can I sell? What can I do? What am I entitled to? Here’s a quick taster but find out more online: qimag.uk/incomemax
WHAT CAN I SELL?
S
“One website explains how to sell worn underwear for cash!”
It may not be antique but what is old junk to us can be treasure to someone. Companies buy old phones, car booty hunters pay for CDs, DVDs and almost anything. There are options online but some are not for the faint-hearted… One website explains how to sell worn underwear for cash! Growing and making things, or hosting parties as a product rep, can bring in the bucks. Got a spare room or parking space? What about renting them out? The Big Issue, the magazine that used to only be sold by homeless people, might now be an option. Peter Bird, Distribution Director, explains: “Selling The Big Issue is a great way to earn extra cash for anyone who is struggling. You can work when you want and you learn new skills. Every new vendor gets five free copies to get them started, which means you can earn straight away.”
WHAT CAN I DO?
Our best asset is our time. Even spending it sharing our opinions can earn us money. Bloggers and reviewers make money this way but market research companies pay too. What about dog walking? Or babysitting? Art classes need life models and festivals need stewards. Like dressing up? Production companies want extras to stand in the background on film sets. A shift at a local pub or café could tip the bank balance. For those of us working already, is overtime an option?
Everyone on low incomes should do a benefits check. It’s easy. There are also millions in forgotten savings accounts, Premium Bond and Lottery wins, pension payments from old jobs and Child Trust Funds. It’s time to get a grip.
KEEP IT LEGIT Everyone pays tax on anything over £11,850 in a year and we have to declare our incomes. Same goes for reporting earnings while on benefits. But even under Universal Credit, which promises we’ll keep more of what we earn, it’s not easy to go self-employed. If we’re a tenant renting out a room or parking space, check the tenancy agreement.
E L P M A
S
WHAT AM I ENTITLED TO?
£12.4 billion of benefits go unclaimed each year and as the National Lottery used say, ‘It could be you’.
Start earning extra cash today
For more info go to www.bigissue.com/become-a-vendor
TOP 20 TIPS TO MAX THE CASH
1 Give trash the (car) boot 8 Get crafty: Make and sell 2 Become a life model soft furnishings, clothes, for art classes (clothing greetings cards, etc optional) 9 Set up shop online through 3 Sell old gold to a local Etsy, eBay, etc jeweller 10 Sell The Big Issue 4 Get cash for your old magazine mobile 11 Host parties for 5 Get paid for market Tupperware, Avon, Ann research Summers, etc 6 Take in a lodger or rent out 12 Walk dogs for a fee a parking space 13 Do chores for cash 7 Grow and sell fruit and veg 14 Look for shifts in local
6 | Quids in!
pubs or cafes 15 Ask if there’s any overtime or a promotion going 16 Be a mystery shopper 17 Review goods on a website or start a blog of your own 18 Enter competitions like it’s a job 19 Check you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to 20 Apply for a grant
Odds & Ends PRIZE CROSSWORD Win a shot at a staggering £90,000-worth of prizes with a year’s subscription to Chat Crosswords!
WIN!
Name
3
4
Address
Email I would like to receive Quids in! Readers Club emails yes ∫ no ∫
5
7
E L MP
SA
WIN £300
2
6
9
10
13
HOW TO ENTER: Fill out the form below (and the crossword), then post it to Quids in! Crossword, 3 Princes Street, Bath BA1 1HL, or photograph it and email it to editor@quidsinmagazine.com. Closing date: 26th October 2018. See www.quidsinmagazine.com for terms & conditions.
✁
1
8
11 12
14
15
16
17
18
19
ACROSS 1 They rescue swimmers (10) 6 Keyboard instrument (5) 7 Drinking tube (5) 9 Helmets, breastplates etc (6) 11 Couple (4) 13 Lazy or at rest (4) 14 Pedal used when changing gear (6) 16 Soil (5) 17 Sphere – especially one with a map on it (5) 19 Woodworkers (10)
DOWN 1 Double; dead-ringer (4-5) 2 Thick mist (3) 3 Very clever person (6) 4 As well (4) 5 Asleep or inactive (7) 8 Of no value (9) 10 Disease transmitted by mosquitoes (7) 12 Motto used in advertising (6) 15 Bloke (4) 18 What the ‘O’ stands for in IOU (3)
E L P M A
MONEY SURVEY 2018: Take a few minutes to tell us how you’re getting on with your finances for a chance to win a cool £300 at qimag.uk/qisurvey2018
Sponsored by
✆ QUIDS IN! USEFUL NUMBERS
S
LOAN SHARKS The Illegal Money Lending Team tackles loan sharks. To repor t a loan shark anonymously you can call them on ✆ 0141 2876 655, or email loansharks @ glasgow.gov.uk. CREDIT UNIONS Credit unions are not-forprofit organisations that provide bank accounts, loans and savings. They may help people the banks won’t. To fi nd your local credit union call ✆ 0161 832 3694 or visit www.fi ndyourcreditunion.co.uk . BENEFITS • For unemployment and work-related benefi ts talk to Jobcentre Plus. • People with disabilities or carers should contact the Disabilit y Benefits Centre (✆ 0345 605 6055) and for Child Benefi t and tax credits call the Inland Revenue (✆ 0845 300 3900). • Council Tax and Housing Benefi t is dealt
with by your local council. • Pensioners should call the Pensions Service (✆ 0800 99 12340). • Free benefits calculator www.entitledto. co.uk
DEBT ADVICE Free help for anyone struggling with debt… StepChange Debt Charity ✆ 0800 138 1111 www.stepchange.org Take control and repay your debts. National Debtline ✆ 0808 808 4000 www.nationaldebtline.co.uk Support and advice. Debt Arrangement Scheme ✆ 0300 200 2770 www.dasscotland.gov.uk Governmentbacked scheme to pay debts. Citizens Advice Scotland www.cas.org.uk or contact Citizen’s Advice Direct ✆ 0808 800 9060
Quids in! Readers Club Pleased to receive your free Quids in! every three months? Now you can stay in touch all the time with our new Readers Club. Join the growing crowd of money-saving, savvy-shopping, debt-beating, cash-boosting Club members and receive freebies and top tips throughout the year.
Sign up here: qimag.uk/QIClubReg
Quids in! | 7
IN THE KNOW…
SAYING IT LIKE IT IS? Has actor Danny Dyer become the rough diamond speaking for the people?
A
S
ctor Danny Dyer is known to millions as lovable Mick Carter since joining EastEnders five years ago. Like most in Albert Square, Mick’s had a rocky time but it was Danny himself hitting the headlines this summer. And not just for being dad to Dani, winner of Love Island. Born in the Docklands in 1977, Danny has never even attempted to disguise his roots. His Cockney accent and soft-roundthe-edges hard man looks have been his fortune. Since ‘breaking through’ in 1999’s Human Traffic, he’s never strayed too far from the same image. And while the critics have been none too kind, a couple of National Television Awards might make up for it. But he’s fast making a name for himself as a straight-talking man of the people. We might not always like what he says. But whether on TV or in his books, (yes, he’s written two!), it’s refreshing he’s ready to say it.
BREXIT RANT
E L P M A
“If you’re working fo hours a w rty and you c eek cover your an’t bil that ain’t ls, your fault ”
S
In June, Danny’s appearance on the evening spin-off of Good Morning Britain left viewers shocked and presenters red-faced. In a potty-mouthed tirade, he launched into Brexit: “No one has got a f***ing clue what Brexit is. It’s like this mad riddle that no one knows what it is.” Then he turned his sights on the former Prime Minister who called the vote on Britain’s future in the EU: “What’s happened to that t*** David Cameron? How comes he can scuttle off? He’s in Europe with his trotters up. He should be held to account for it.”
8 | Quids in!
E L P M A
Whatever we think of Brexit, there’s no denying Danny says it how he sees it. In 2016 he published his book The World According To Danny Dyer: Life Lessons from the East End. In it, his wisdom is part tongue-in-cheek, part bloke down the pub. But when he’s not taking aim at poncey gastropubs or Twitter, he has something to say on socalled ‘benefit culture’: “There are p***-takers, no one doubts that. But I know plenty of people on benefits who work hard – it’s just they don’t get paid enough to cover the basics of life.” It’s not always a popular point of view
but Danny doesn’t seem to worry. Turning his sights on the bosses, it’s them, he says, who should be criticised if people working full time still have to claim welfare. “If you’re working forty hours a week and you can’t cover your bills, that ain’t your fault. It’s the fault of the slags paying you.”
SPEAKING OUT
Danny Dyer is not refined. He is not always right. Sometimes he deserves to be called an idiot. But with a twinkle in his eye, he’s happy to call out the so-called great and good. In these days of fake news and spin, it’s a bit of a tonic. Wouldn’t it be great if more in the public eye would say what they mean and mean what they say?