Money
The 10 freebies and discounts worth up to £70k you can get on PIP benefits in October
MILLIONS of people claiming the Personal Independence Payout (PIP) benefit are eligible for extra freebies and discounts.
Those who claim PIP for help with long-term health conditions and disabilities could be missing out on extra advantages which come with the benefit.
PIP is an important benefit for adults aged 16 and over who have not reached state pension age (66) and is made up of two parts.
One is to help with day-to-day tasks and the other is to help with mobility for those who need help getting around.
And whether you are able to claim both depends on your disability and how it affects you.
The amount you can get within these brackets also differs depending on your individual circumstance.
Payments are issued every four weeks.
In April, payments for the daily living component increased from £101.75 to £108.55 for enhanced and £68.10 to £72.65 for standard.
The mobility component also rose from £71 to £75.75 for enhanced, and £26.09 to £28.70 for standard.
If you get both parts, you can receive a maximum of £184.30 every 4 weeks – which is nearly £10,000 a year.
Eligible applicants must have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least two of the last three years, and currently living in one of these countries.
Whereas the process is different if you’re from Northern Ireland, you live abroad, or you’re not a British citizen.
Health professionals assess the claimant to work out the level of financial help needed to support the mental or physical disability.
Then payments are made every four weeks into the individual’s bank account, tax-free.
Here are 10 freebies you can also get if you claim the PIP benefit. It could be worth thousands of pounds extra a year, but of course the exact amount can vary depending on your circumstances.
Council tax discounts – £2,171 average
People who claim benefits can apply on the Government website for a council tax reduction.
This means if you’re either the daily living or mobility part of PIP you could get money off your council tax bill.
Some claimants are eligible for as much as a full discount.
Though the amount will vary depending on where you live and how much of the benefit you receive.
The average Band D council tax set by local authorities in England for the 2024/25 financial year is £2,171 – meaning this much could be saved if you got a full discount.
In order to find out if you are eligible, contact your local authority, and they will seek a PIP letter as evidence.
Reportedly around 2.8 million people don’t take advantage of the council tax discount, meaning £2.7 billion goes unclaimed each year.
Blue badge – £3,800 average
With a blue badge, those with disabilities can claim exemption from certain parking restrictions and take advantage of designated parking spaces.
The spaces usually offer more room to the individual and are located closer to store entrances.
Blue badge holders can park on single or double lines for up to three hours as long as there are no loading or unloading restrictions.
They can also get free or discounted on-street parking.
According to Just Park, Brits spend £3,800 on parking on average each year.
Which means PIP claimants could be saving this much with their blue badge.
The blue badge must be visible to others and displayed on the windscreen of your car.
Those who qualify for a blue badge receive one of the following benefits:
- Disability living allowance
- War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
- Received a lump sum payment as part of the Armed Forces compensation scheme (tariffs 1 to 8)
Anyone with a limited ability to walk, a disability in their arms, or who are registered blind are eligible for the badge.
To apply, you must submit PIP evidence to your council – however they usually charge a fee up to £10.
Benefit boost – £7,334.40
Individuals on PIP as well as one of a number of other benefits can claim a premium – which is an extra benefit top up.
You can claim a boost if you’re receiving one of the following alongside PIP:
- Housing Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Employment and Support Allowance – but only if you get the PIP daily living component
- Pension Credit – but only if you get the PIP daily living component
If eligible, you could get either:
- £39.85 a week for a single person (disability premium)
- £56.80 a week for a couple (disability premium)
- £76.40 a week for a single person (severe disability premium)
- £152.80 a week if you’re in a couple and are both eligible (severe disability premium)
- £19.55 a week for a single person (enhanced disability premium)
- £27.90 a week if you’re in a couple and at least one of you is eligible (enhanced disability premium)
This means with the maximum amount, you could claim up to £7,945.60 annually.
The top up can happen automatically – or, if you haven’t received it when you should have, you should get in touch with the department in charge of handling your benefits.
This will either be HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions, and they will likely ask for proof of your PIP letter.
Go to Gov.uk and use the Benefits Calculator to check your eligibility.
Capped water bills – £1,053
If you are claiming PIP, you could also benefit from a water bill cap thanks to the WaterSure scheme.
This means your bill could be capped, so you’re paying less than others in your area.
Claimants must be on a water meter or be waiting to have one installed, and they should also be able to prove that their disability causes them to use more water than an average household.
According to WaterSure, the average water bill a household pays annually is currently £471.
This means your bill will be capped at this amount if you are claiming PIP.
However, according to Martin Lewis, one person was refunded £1,053 through the scheme.
This scheme applies to households in England only, and they should apply by contacting their water supplier via its phone line or website.
Vehicle tax reduction – £1,177.50
Vehicle tax is the same as road tax – it is the price you pay to drive on the roads.
People who claim the standard mobility component of PIP can get up to a 50% reduction in vehicle tax.
You can also get 100% off if you’re on the enhanced rate mobility component.
In some cases vehicle tax can hit prices of as high as £2,355 a year, so the reduction could be as much as £1,177.50 for PIP claimants.
This is not always the case, and the amount could likely be lower.
To be eligible, applicants must be registering the vehicle in their own name or the name of their nominated driver.
They must also provide:
- A letter or statement from DWP that shows your PIP rate and the dates you’re getting it
- The vehicle log book (V5C)
- A V10 form
- An original MOT or GVT certificate (if your vehicle needs one)
- A cheque or payable order (made out to “DVLA, Swansea”) for 50% of the full rate of car tax for the vehicle
Paperwork should then be sent to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BF.
Motability Scheme – £23,760
The Motability Scheme is designed to allow PIP claimants to lease a car for their specific needs.
There are over 2,000 cars to choose from and insurance, tax and servicing are all sorted within the lease.
This is for people on the higher rate of the mobility component on PIP, and who also have at least 12 months remaining on their allowance.
Car rental costs around £66 a day on average in London, which could typically amount to a whopping £23,760 over the year – a considerable save.
Go to motability.co.uk for information on how to apply.
Free prescriptions – £115.80
If you are claiming PIP and have a certain qualifying illness, you could get your NHS prescriptions for free.
The prescription charge is £9.65 which means you could save £115.80 a year.
The full list of disabilities are available on the NHS website, and include cancer diabetes and epilsepsy.
Claimants must provide a medical exemption ticket (MedEx) which you can get online if you ask your GP for a signed FP92A form.
Disabled person’s railcard – £113
According to National Rail, adults with a disability can get a third off of travel with a Disabled Persons Railcard.
This means you could claim an average annual savings of up to £113, says the group.
With your PIP award letter, you can apply on National Rail’s website.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
Discounted days out – £144
Many attractions offer discounted prices to those who can show they are on PIP or have a blue badge.
National Trust and English Heritage offer free entry to a person and their carer through the Essential Compassion Card.
An annual pass for these sites usually costs £72 a year, meaning you could save a combined £144 with your carer also entering free.
Discounts can also extend to cinema, theatre and art gallery visits, as well as the additional bonus of reduced bus and train travel.
To browse which discounts you can get, disability charity Scope offer a useful summary of what’s on offer.
Disabled facilities grant – £30,000
PIP provides useful evidence for those wishing to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
This is a grant which allows you to rework your home to suit the needs of your disability.
For example, bar handles for bathrooms or ramps for wheelchair access.
People in England can get a grant up to £30,000, while those in Wales can get £26,000, and Northern Ireland £25,000.
This grant scheme does not include Scotland.
This is the general maximum, and could be much less depending on your circumstance.
Gov.uk specifies that in specific cases the grant could be even higher, based on the cost of the work on the property.
The grant can be acquired through your local council, so you should go to their website to find out how to apply.
How do I apply for PIP?
You can make a new PIP claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions on 0800 917 2222.
There are also other ways to claim if you find it difficult to use a telephone. See Gov.UK for more information.
When you claim, you’ll need:
- Your contact details
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number
- Bank or building society account number and sort code
- Your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number
- Dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital
Someone else can call on your behalf, but you’ll need to be with them when they call.
You’ll then be sent a form to fill in, after which you’ll be invited for an assessment or your health or social care worker will be asked for information.
After this, you’ll be sent a letter telling you if your claim has been successful.
You can find out more on the government’s website.
What is PIP?
HOUSEHOLDS suffering from a long-term illness, disability or mental health condition can get extra help through personal independence payments (PIP).
The maximum you can receive from the Government benefit is £172.75 a week.
PIP is for those over 16 and under the state pension age, currently 66.
Crucially, you must also have a health condition or disability where you either have had difficulties with daily living or getting around – or both- for three months, and you expect these difficulties to continue for at least nine months (unless you’re terminally ill with less than 12 months to live).
You can also claim PIP if you’re in or out of work and if you’re already getting limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) payments if you claim Universal Credit.
PIP is made up of two parts and whether you get one or both of these depends on how severely your condition affects you.
You may get the mobility part of PIP if you need help going out or moving around. The weekly rate for this is either £26.90 or £71.
While on the daily living part of PIP, the weekly rate is either £68.10 or £101.75 – and you could get both elements, so up to £172.75 in total.
You can claim PIP at the same time as other benefits, except the armed forces independence payment.
Make a claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 0800 917 2222.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Money
Huge restaurant chain to deliver Christmas dinner feast to your door this festive season
THIS massive restaurant chain is to deliver a Christmas dinner feast to your door this festive season.
Côte restaurants have launched their indulgent range of Christmas meals designed by Gordon Ramsay’s former Executive Chef.
Steve Allen – who previously ran Michelin-starred restaurants – has focused on fresh seasonal ingredients to showcase the classics, with a French twist, at Christmas.
This Christmas the premium delivery Côte at Home service has come up with three luxury Christmas feasts complete with simple instructions – so there’s less stress for the season.
In less than three hours, and with minimal fuss, the luxurious meals are ready to be served.
All three Côte at Home Christmas boxes have been specially designed so that dishes can be heated at the same temperature, avoiding oven hassle and more time to relax with loved ones.
Three of the Côte at Home Christmas boxes
The Côte Festive Turkey Feast (£124.95) serves up to six people and includes:
- A 2-2.5kg marinated British turkey breast from Larchwood Farm, East Anglia as the traditional centrepiece
- Pigs in Blankets with a spiced honey glaze
- Spiced Braised Red Cabbage
- Brussels Sprouts au Gratin
- Roast Potatoes
- Rainbow Roasted Carrots
- Sage & Onion stuffing
- Shallot & Thyme Jus
The second box of Christmas comes with the same side dishes, but you and your guests will dine on 1kg Chateaubriand instead.
The Côte Festive Chateaubriand Feast serves up to six and costs £154.95.
Or you can opt for the third box which is a vegetarian feast for two costing £54.95, featuring:
- Two individual Butternut Squash Tarte Tatin’s with toasted almonds and Chèvre Buchette goat’s cheese served with all the trimmings
- Spiced Braised Red Cabbage
- Brussels Sprouts au Gratin
- Roast Potatoes
- Rainbow Roasted Carrots
- Sage & Onion stuffing
- Shallot & Thyme Jus
There’s also a selection of delicious festive starters including:
- Chicken Liver Pâté (£8.95), infused with Grand Marnier and served with a fig chutney
- Truffled Pumpkin Soup (£5.95) topped with crumbled chestnuts and pumpkin seeds
- Brûlée Camembert (£5.95) which is sprinkled with sugar and caramelised to create a hard sweet crust, with grape chutney
All starters come with a freshly baked demi baguette.
Côte at Home also offers a selection of festive desserts:
- Pear & Almond Frangipane Tart with winter berry coulis (£8.95)
- Brandy Butter Madeleines with whipped brandy butter (£8.95)
- Bûche de Noël, a traditional chocolate roulade with pistachio cream (£15.95)
If you want to fill the fridge with other meals during the festive season, Côte’s chefs have designed another two exclusive boxes.
These mean you have more time to sit back and less time needing to focus on the big shop.
The Côte Christmas Breakfast Box (£64.95), for two or more people
You can enjoy a Continental breakfast of croissants, mini jams, French bread and butter, yoghurts, our Côte granola and Valencian orange juice.
There’s also smoked salmon, Comté cheese and Jambon de Savoie ham, alongside Cumberland sausages, Boudin Noir black pudding, Dingley Dell smoked back bacon and free-range eggs.
The Côte Christmas Evening Box (£74.95), for two or more people
Enjoy a selection of French cheeses, charcuterie and luxury fish perfect for a cold buffet of luxury food. All accompanied by crackers, confit jams, cornichons, olives and sourdough demi baguette.
Côte Christmas Drinks Package (£84.25)
Côte at Home also offers a range of drinks gift packages this year, alongside some chocolate and Champagne gifting options.
Start (or end) the day with their exclusive house blend coffee, followed by Buck’s Fizz courtesy of Montaudon Champagne and Valencian orange juice.
Côte’s Les Mougeottes Pinot Noir pairs perfectly with your main meal, and there’s a bottle of Quinta do Crasto Port to enjoy alongside desserts of one of our French cheese boxes.
There’s also a range of wine packages – mixed, white and red wines, three bottles of exclusive French wine for £39.95.
And a Champagne and Crémant package for £59.95.
If you’re looking for a smaller gift, this year Côte are partnering with Montezuma chocolates and offering their ‘Into the Dark’ and ‘Dairy Beloved’ gift boxes with your choice of Champagne, Crémant or Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé for £34.95 – £39.95.
Executive Chef, Steve said: “Our Côte at Home Christmas boxes have everything you need to creative a fabulous festive feast.
“From seasonal starters through to the main event and show-stopping desserts, you’ll find a selection of classic Christmas dishes with a touch of French flair.
“What’s more, everything is effortless to prepare in your own kitchen, so you won’t miss out on that all-important time with friends and family. Joyeux Noël!”
Delivered direct to your door Côte at Home festive menus and dishes are now on sale with delivery available nationwide from 18th – 23rd December.
Visit coteathome.co.uk to book your delivery and view the complete Christmas menu.
Money
Three ways to get a glowing complexion at home without needing pricey salon services
REGULAR facials help keep your skin in top condition especially during cold and windy weather.
But rather than fork out on pricey salon services, treat yourself at home instead.
Here’s how to get a glowing complexion on a budget . . .
CLEANSE: Start by getting rid of make-up and grime.
You can use your own regular cleanser, or baby oil is a cheap product that will clean your face.
Then fill your sink with hot water and dip in a clean flannel or face cloth.
Wring out the cloth before laying it over your face. The steam should help open your pores.
You can then use the cloth to exfoliate and buff your face by rubbing in small gentle circles over the skin.
SPECIAL CARE: When you head for a facial, your skin is usually lavished in extra products to give it a nice boost.
Retinol can help reduce the appearance of fine lines.
Aldi’s Lacura retinol toner, £2.99, is a budget alternative to expensive brands.
Serums are absorbed by the skin and applied after cleansing and toning.
Try a vitamin C serum to help boost collagen production and make skin feel more supple.
Tesco’s Skin Saints vitamin C serum is £4.
MOISTURISE: As temperatures drop, your skin can quickly dry out.
Keep it well moisturised to plump your face and help it looking healthy.
Hyaluronic acid helps dry skin look revived — Tesco’s Skin Saints version is £4.
No need to splash out on exra pricey moisturisers. Vaseline works well and a 50ml tub is £1.79 from Superdrug.
Finish with an SPF to protect your skin from sun damage all year round.
Tesco’s kind & pure daily moisturiser and SPF 15, £2, is an affordable everyday option.
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
Deal of the day
DRY your clothes in rainy weather with this three-tier heated airer, down from £94.99 to £59.99 at The Range.
SAVE: £35
Cheap treat
TUCK into Lyle’s new gooey golden syrup flapjacks, £2.50 for a pack of five at Tesco.
What’s new?
POP Holy Moly’s new cheese dips in the microwave for a couple of minutes to get a warm accompaniment perfect for nachos.
The range is £1.75 with a Nectar card at Sainsbury’s, down from £2.75.
Top swap
PUT some style in your step with Ganni’s buckle ballerinas, £325 at ganni.com.
Or head to Primark and bag its similar flats, for £16.
SAVE: £309
Little helper
IN Morrisons toy sale, customers with More cards can save up to 50 per cent on brands such as Hot Wheels and Barbie.
This Barbie Dollhouse set is now £25, was £50.
Shop & save
SNUGGLE up on the sofa on dark evenings with this throw, down from £36 to £25.20 at Dunelm.
SAVE: £10.80
Hot right now
LIDL’S reward scheme has been updated – customers who spend £250 in a month can get ten per cent off their weekly shop.
PLAY NOW TO WIN £200
JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.
Every month we’re giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers – whether you’re saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.
Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
The more codes you enter, the more tickets you’ll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
Money
Channel 4 reports biggest loss ever and calls for upcoming Budget to restore business confidence
CHANNEL 4 yesterday reported its biggest loss ever — and called for this month’s Budget to restore business confidence.
Boss Alex Mahon said: “That’s what advertisers need, that’s what consumers want, that’s what we want.”
And she insisted that would help more than government assistance in its ownership, as briefly flirted with by the last administration.
The Great British Bake Off broadcaster fell to a deficit of £52million last year, compared to a £3million surplus the year before.
Overall revenues edged ten per cent lower to £1billion.
It blamed a near ten per cent slump in advertising revenues, plus piling cash into content.
It said the ad slump caught the entire market unaware — “even the highly paid forecasters”.
The publicly owned but commercially funded channel, which also screens Married At First Sight and The Piano, spent £663million on programming, its second-highest annual figure.
Bosses admitted they had hoped to spend even more, but the ads downturn meant budgets had to quickly be trimmed.
Ms Mahon said of the spend: “We did it knowing the single biggest contribution we can make to the financial health of the creative economy is what we spend on British intellectual property.”
She reasserted the importance of the Government maintaining tax credits for film and drama productions.
Channel 4’s results showed consuming video content will overtake traditional linear TV.
Streaming now makes up 15 per cent of its viewing after growing by a quarter last year.
It has been investing heavily in its digital partnerships, including YouTube which also streamed its Paralympics coverage.
The advertising slowdown meant Channel 4 has already tightened its belt by cutting around 240 jobs and shelving shows including Banged Up and Scared of the Dark, despite good ratings.
It will quit its London HQ on Horseferry Road, due to hybrid working.
Sum mistake for Vistry with £1bn hit
MORE than £1billion was wiped off the value of housebuilder Vistry Group yesterday after it admitted that it had got its maths wrong.
The FTSE 100 group, formerly called Bovis Homes, put out an unscheduled update revealing that it had underestimated building costs on around nine of its 300 developments.
Vistry said the blooper would knock £80million off its profits and it will now make around £350million — below last year’s £419million.
Shares in the housebuilder tumbled by as much as a third as investors took fright at the error.
Investec analyst Aynsley Lammin said the key question for the City to consider going forward would be whether this was a one-off error or “more systemic and reflective of inherent risk within the group’s model”.
The business said it believed the issues were “confined to the south division” and it was starting a review to get to the root of the cause.
Vistry has been growing at a faster pace than all of its large competitors and recently upped its forecasts for house completions, despite others blaming higher mortgage rates for lower demand.
Boom in sarnies
BRITAIN’S biggest sandwich maker Greencore has boosted its profit forecasts for the year after a rise in sales.
Like-for-like sales were up by 3.7 per cent in the past quarter, the firm reported.
Workers returning to offices pushed up demand for its sandwiches, sushi and salads that it makes on behalf of supermarkets and retailers.
Greencore said it expects to make around £95million of profits this year, compared to £76million last year.
Shining results at Shein
FAST-fashion retailer Shein made £1.5billion in UK sales last year — more than its British online rivals Boohoo and Asos.
Young shoppers have snapped up its cheap goods.
And fresh company accounts for Shein Distribution UK Ltd reveal its revenues rose from £1.1billion for 2023.
Its growth eclipses the £1.4billion revenues Asos made in the UK and Boohoo’s £921.5million of UK sales.
As it gears up for a potential London stock market listing, Shein reported its UK profits doubled to £24.4million.
It is facing scrutiny for exploiting an import duty loophole by shipping goods in small parcels directly to consumers.
The China-founded group has recently shifted its headquarters to Singapore.
But its Companies House filings confirm the ultimate controlling firm is registered in Cayman Islands, a known tax haven.
IMP’s cig boost
THE maker of Golden Virginia and Lambert & Butler is giving shareholders a £1.5billion award after benefiting from the rising prices of cigarettes.
Imperial Brands said it would increase the amount returned to investors in buybacks from £2.4billion to £2.8billion in the year ahead.
Imps still makes the bulk of its sales and profits from cigs but has been investing heavily in “next generation” products.
It expects sales of its Blu vapes and nicotine pouches to grow by between 20 and 30 per cent in the next year.
THE CAFE and bars chain Loungers has opened 17 new sites in the past six months and has plans for 18 more.
The business now has 273 in the UK and openings are fuelling its growth, with half year sales rising by 19 per cent to £178.3million.
Oxtail of woes
THE miserable weather in September had chilly shoppers stocking up on soup and hot chocolate, according to the latest grocery figures.
Hot chocolate sales rose 28 per cent and soup was up ten per cent at supermarkets, Kantar stats showed.
Brits are still spending more as food inflation ticked back up to 2 per cent, from 1.7 per cent in August.
They are buying more items on promotion.
Of the discounters, Aldi’s growth slowed to 1.8 per cent over the month.
Lidl’s sales rose by 8.8 per cent.
Money
Six major broadband providers’ ads BANNED for misleading consumers over mid-contract price rise rules
THE advertising watchdog has ruled against six major broadband companies after they failed to meet advertising standards.
BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin have all been told to take down certain ads on their web pages by The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) after it said they did not make potential price increases clear.
The watchdog ruled that the firms had not been clear about how much customers’ bills would go up due to mid-contract price hikes.
Mid-contract price hikes are increases to your bill during your contract term.
Broadband and mobile phone firms typically increase bills every March/April in line with Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation, plus an extra fixed amount – often 3% – to account for other rising costs.
But the ASA said telecoms firms had made information about these rises too difficult for customers to find and that the adverts “must not appear again”.
For example, it said in some cases the firms had placed this information separately to the headline prices quoted on the advert, and in a less prominent position.
The watchdog said it had received multiple complaints from customers who felt they had been misled, and stated that the companies had “fallen foul of guidance” .
For example, it said an advert on the BT website featured the headline: “Get Ultrafast Full Fibre 100 for only £29.99 a month.”
But in much smaller text, the ad said: “Prices rise each year on 31 March by £3 – 24 month [sic] contract.”
And the ASA said the relevant information about price rises in EE’s ad “would likely have been overlooked because of its placement at the bottom of the page.”
The providers have been reminded that in future such price increases must be displayed prominently rather than in small print.
These rulings came as a reminder of CAP’s most updated guidance which was released December 2023.
The guidance said that “certain material information must be provided to consumers, in a specified format, before they can agree to enter into a contract for phone or broadband services.”
A Virgin Media O2 spokesperson told The Sun: “After working closely with the ASA to update our website and provide prominent advice about any price changes, we are surprised and disappointed by their ruling.
“Consumers visiting our website are greeted with a prominent message at the top of the page explaining in large bold font how and when price rises take effect, and this explanation is also always visible when consumers scroll, ensuring they are not misled.
“While we’re confident in the steps we’ve taken to repeatedly provide consumers with clear and easy-to-understand information about any price rises, we’ll carefully review their judgement and implement any necessary changes.”
The Sun also offered the other broadband providers the opportunity to reply and have not heard back – we will update readers if this changes.
How to save on broadband and TV bills
HERE’S how to save money on your broadband and TV bills:
Audit your subscriptions
If you’ve got multiple subscriptions to various on-demand services, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Sky consider whether you need them all.
Could you even just get by with Freeview, which couldn’t cost you anything extra each month for TV.
Also make sure you’re not paying for Netflix twice via Sky and directly.
Haggle for a discount
If you want to stay with your provider, check prices elsewhere to set a benchmark and then call its customer services and threaten to leave unless it price matches or lowers your bill.
Switch and save
If you don’t want to stay with your current provider check if you can cancel your contract penalty free and switch to a cheaper provider.
A comparison site, such as BroadbandChoices or Uswitch, will help you find the best deal for free.
This is not the only time providers have been warned about transparency with customers lately.
Last week, it also emerged that the regulator Ofcom had set new rules for network providers, so they must now warn customers when they might be hit with data roaming costs.
Data roaming is when you connect to another country’s network while travelling, costing as much as £6 per MB of data used.
The regulator ruled that providers must tell customers when these fees were happening to prevent them being unexpectedly charged.
Uswitch’s mobiles expert Ernest Doku pointed out that “while this is good news there is still inconsistency between providers – meaning a lack of clarity for consumers, who were hit with £539 million in unexpected roaming charges in 2023.”
To check your network or broadband rate visit your online account or phone your provider.
We recommend you always read the small print when buying into new contracts or making any changes to your location.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Money
Brits care four times as much about cost of living as they do about climate change
Brits care almost four times as much about the cost of living as they do about climate change, a new survey has shown.
The figures underline long-held concerns that many cash-squeezed Brits have to prioritise their budgets rather than considering more expensive green electric cars or heat pumps and solar panels.
While net zero is considered a pressing issue, it still falls far behind Brits’ lists of concerns and after the cost of living, the quality of the NHS, the economy and immigration, according to a survey of 12,000 households by British Gas.
However, threat of climate change is still seen as the fifth most important issue to Brits and even comes above housing, crime, Brexit, welfare spending or terrorism.
Despite the government’s net zero obsession, almost two-thirds of Brits reckon the UK will not hit its targets by 2050.
The survey also revealed that almost half of Brits believe that heating bills should be kept low, even if it means doing so will contribute more to climate change.
READ MORE ON COST OF LIVING
While eight in ten Brits said they would be willing to make changes to their home to tackle climate change, two thirds are put off by the cost of installations and worries that upfront costs won’t actually reduce energy bills.
More than half of the survey respondents said that the current system of grants and subsidies for energy reduction schemes was difficult to understand.
Money
Wilko returns to another high street before Christmas – see the full list of locations and if there’s one near you
BELOVED homeware chain Wilko is back on the high street having closed 400 stores last year after going into administration.
Wilko has confirmed that its Uxbridge store will open its doors to customers at 9am on 22nd November – right in time for Christmas.
Brits were heartbroken when beloved Wilko announced it would be closing all of its shops back in October 2023.
But almost a year later, Wilko is making a comeback, launching new stores across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Uxbridge store launch marks the household and garden retailer’s return to West London.
It is also its seventh opening since the brand was acquired by CDS Superstores.
Spanning approximately 30,000sqft, the store will be situated in its former trading location at The Pavillions Shopping Centre.
It looks to offer local shoppers access to products they know and love – including Christmas essentials.
The store’s launch day will feature goody bags for the first 50 shoppers in the queue and an exclusive prize for the first person in line, along with great value deals across many key categories.
Shoppers will also get to try their luck at the spin the wheel, with a chance to win gift cards and pick-n-mix vouchers.
As with its fellow six concept stores launched to date, the new Uxbridge store will feature additional services, including a Click and Collect offering.
This store launch forms part of Wilko’s expansion plans, with a further national roll-out planned.
It’s the brand’s latest store, joining recent openings in Poole, Exeter, Luton, Plymouth, St Albans and Rotherham.
What other retailers have made a comeback?
It has been a tough time for retailers since Covid and the last few years have seen many vanish from our high streets.
The rising cost of living and expensive rents have all been playing a part in the demise of some of our much-loved high street names.
This week saw the return of the beloved record chain Our Price.
The record store was once a staple of the UK high street from the early 1970s until 2004.
The first store was on London‘s Finchley Road, and the brand had as many as 300 branches at its peak, making it one of the biggest music store chains in the UK.
Last week Our Price revealed it would be making a return as music lovers will once again be able to buy thousands of vinyls and other merch.
Shoppers can browse the catalogue online for now only, owners have not ruled out the return to physical stores at some point in the future.
Toys R Us is also among those which has managed to make a comeback.
The popular toy brand opened up nine new shops in 2023 after vanishing from the high street in 2018.
However, the new stores are slightly different as they are “shop-in-shops” and are located inside WHSmith stores.
Toys R Us will be opening 30 new shops across the UK this summer following the successful opening of almost a dozen stores last year.
In October last year, Paperchase also made a return after closing all of its 134 shops and concessions earlier in the year.
Fans of the brand were devastated when the retailer disappeared from the high street in April after falling into administration.
However, supermarket giant Tesco stepped in and bought the rights to the brand and then went on to launch it in some of its stores. A total of 261 Tesco stores now stock Paperchase products – we have the full list here.
M&Co, previously called Mackay’s, fell into administration for the second time in two years in December 2022.
Fellow retailer Yours Clothing bought the M&Co brand and intellectual property.
The retailer launched a new M&Co website in June 2023 and The Sun exclusively revealed its plans to open up physical stores starting in May 2024. Meanwhile, we also visited the new Toys R Us shops when they first reopened.
Plus, have a look inside an iconic fast food chain’s training centre with a fake restaurant simulator.
IT’S not all bad news on the high street as several retailers are bucking the trend and opening shops.Retailers opening stores
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