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Episode details

Radio 4,28 Feb 2015,30 mins

Misleading pension websites; Care fees shake-up in England; HMRC Letters cause concern

Money Box

Available for over a year

On Money Box with Paul lewis: We investigate a pension advice website which looks and feels official but in fact just generates leads for financial advisers. What are the dangers of people getting advice via unofficial websites just five weeks before the new pension freedoms begin? Michelle Cracknell from The Pensions Advisory Service joins the programme. People in long term care who defer their fees so they are paid from the value of their own home after their death, will leave their heirs a bill of possibly thousands of pounds on top of the high cost of the fees. New rules which begin on 1 April in England allow councils to charge interest and an administration fee. At the moment neither is charged. The new rules do not apply in rest of UK where deferment will still be free. Adam Hillier, Advice and Information Development Advisor, First Stop and David Pearson, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, discuss the issues. Thousands of single parents are being written to by an American outsourcing company on behalf of HMRC demanding proof that they are not cohabiting. Concentrix is writing the letters to single parents who get tax credits and asking for dozens of pages of information to prove they live alone on threat of suspending their money. Mike Spencer from the Child Poverty Action Group outlines people's concerns.

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