As is customary for bloggers at this time of year, here are the top twenty posts on Pounds and Sense in 2020, based on comments, page-views and social media shares. They are in no particular order. I have excluded any posts that are no longer relevant.
I hope you will enjoy revisiting these posts, or seeing them for the first time if you are new to PAS. Don’t forget, you can always subscribe using the box on the right to be notified of new posts as soon as they appear.
All posts in the list below should open in a new tab/window when you click on the link concerned.
I’ll be taking a break from blogging over the festive period (though I’ll still be around on Twitter and Facebook). I’ll therefore close by wishing you a happy, Covid-free Christmas, and for all of us a far better new year 🙂
If you have any comments or questions, of course, feel free to leave them below as usual.
If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
December is here, so it’s time for another of my monthly coronavirus crisis updates. Regular readers will know I have been posting these updates since the first lockdown started (you can read my November update here if you like).
As ever, I will start by discussing financial matters and then life more generally over the last few weeks.
Financial
I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg stocks and shares ISA, as I know many of you like to follow this.
As the screenshot below shows, since last month’s update my portfolio has been on a generally upward trajectory and is currently valued at £18,008. Last month it stood at £16,955, so it has gone up over £1,000 in value since then. Considering national and world events at the moment, I am more than happy with this.
As you may recall, I recently put £1,000 into a second Nutmeg pot to try out Nutmeg’s new Smart Alpha option. It is too early to comment on this yet, but I will include an update about it next time.
The news hasn’t been so good with my Bricklane Property ISA, which I talked about last time. As stated in in my blog review, Bricklane – not be confused with Brickowner – is a REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust). Investors’ money is pooled to purchase properties. Rental income is then distributed to investors, who also stand to benefit if the value of the REIT goes up. Last month I was down by about £80 on my £5,000 investment, but this month – as you can see from the screen capture below – the figure is over £600.
This is obviously disappointing, though not unexpected. As I said last time, the pandemic has hit property investors hard, especially investors in large commercial properties (as are most in the Bricklane portfolios). But, in addition, the current price factors in the liability of Bricklane and its investors to assess and where necessary replace exterior cladding in some buildings in light of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. I understand that almost half of the properties in the Bricklane Regional Capitals fund (in which I invested) fall into this category.
About the only good thing to be said is that right now Bricklane’s price reflects its liabilities in the worst case scenario. In particular, it has been argued that lease-owners should not bear sole responsibility for paying for this work, as the rules were only changed after Grenfell and it isn’t the owners’ fault that some properties were built to different specifications which were regarded as perfectly safe (and legal) at the time. If the government accepts that argument, in whole or in part, then Bricklane will not have to set aside large sums of money for remedial work, and the share price will rise accordingly. I have written to my MP about this, of course 🙂
As I said last time, if I was braver and had a longer investment horizon, I might look at Bricklane as a value opportunity just now. As it is, I am leaving my money where it is but won’t be investing any more with them for the foreseeable future. I am not planning to sell up as I don’t currently need the money and that would only crystallize my losses. i just hope there will be some better news on this front soon.
I also wanted to say a word about Kuflink this month. This property loan investment platform is still performing well and returning the promised monthly dividends. A couple of loan terms have been extended due to the pandemic but interest continues to be paid and I am not unduly concerned about this. I also had a couple of investments repaid after the loans in question were paid off. So I decided to reinvest in a new six-month loan to help finance the construction of a children’s day nursery in Chorley. Some details of this project from my Kuflink dashboard are shown below…
As you can see, the interest rate being paid is 6.80%. When I invested yesterday the offer had only just launched, so it’s interesting to see it is already up to almost 42% funded now. Although the loan hasn’t gone live yet, as is Kuflink’s normal practice I will received cashback equivalent to the interest on offer until it does, so I am already making money from this loan 🙂
Incidentally, I am not saying this project has any special merit compared with others on the Kuflink platform. But I decided to invest on the basis that it looks reasonably secure with a loan-to-gross-development-value ratio of 36%. And from a more personal perspective, wherever possible I like to invest in projects that will have a socially beneficial outcome, and a new children’s day nursery certainly ticks that box.
i did want to mention as well that I recently updated my full Kuflink review. You can read it here if you like. I’d particularly like to draw your attention to their new and more generous cashback offer for new investors. They are now paying cashback on new investments from as little as £500 (it used to be £1,000). And if you are looking to invest larger amounts, you can actually earn up to a maximum of £4,000 in cashback. That is one of the best cashback offers I have seen anywhere (though admittedly you will need to invest £100,000 or more to receive this!).
My two Buy2LetCars investments are still delivering the promised monthly returns without any issues. As you will remember, investors with Buy2LetCars put up the money to finance a car for a key worker such as a nurse or police officer. They then receive 36 monthly capital repayments followed by a final balancing payment of interest and capital. If you are looking for an income-producing investment with a substantial lump sum payment after three years – and you like the idea of doing a bit of good with your money too – they are well worth checking out (and likewise if you’re a key worker looking for a lease car yourself). If you’d like to learn more, you can read my review of Buy2LetCars here and my more recent article about the company here. And here is a link to Wheels4Sure, their car-leasing website.
Otherwise, there is nothing especially notable to report on the financial front this month, so let’s move on to the more personal stuff…
Personal
Since my last monthly update England has been mostly in lockdown, so I haven’t been doing anything especially exciting 🙁
I went for my latest checkup at the eye clinic at Burton Hospital in the first few days of the new lockdown. As you may remember, I was diagnosed with a perforated retina after a routine eye test at my optician’s.
I wasn’t allowed to drive, as they put drops in your eyes which blur your vision for a few hours. The trip to Burton involved a bus ride, two train journeys and a one-mile walk, so it took up a whole day. The train journeys in particular felt odd and at times almost post-apocalyptic. I was literally the only person on Lichfield Station waiting for a train to Birmingham, and had the whole carriage (and possibly train) to myself. The train to Burton was a little busier, but you do start to wonder how long the railway network can go on with such minuscule passenger numbers.
It was very quiet at the hospital too, so I was seen straight away. The doctor seemed happy with what he could see, though it’s not easy to tell when he – and everyone else – was wearing a mask. I was told I will have to go back again in January, and if everything is still okay then, they will discharge me. So I guess that’s good news, although they did say that last time as well…
During the lockdown month I aimed to go for a walk every day, and apart from a couple of days of foul weather I achieved that. I have been wearing my new music hat – described in this recent post and pictured below – and enjoying listening to my choice of music. My preferred genre is prog rock (classic and current) but I enjoy jazz and blues as well. I do just find I have to be a bit careful when walking on the narrow country lanes where I live, as with my music playing I don’t always hear cars coming up behind me. Still, I haven’t had any really close calls yet!
I was pleased to be able to go for a swim again this week at my local David Lloyd leisure centre. It was very quiet, and all the staff, including those at reception, are now wearing masks. I suppose some people would find that reassuring. I just find it rather sad and dispiriting. Still, I really enjoyed my swim, and it was great to see a couple of members I know and exchange a few words with them. Even small social interactions like that offer a welcome morsel of normal life in these strange times.
Afterwards I ordered my usual hot drink from the centre’s coffee shop, but because I’m in a Tier 3 area I was told I couldn’t sit down to drink it. I was afraid I might be forced to take it to the freezing cold car park to consume, but was informed there was no objection to me drinking it while standing up in the centre, so long as I didn’t stay in one place for too long. You might think this is barking mad – I couldn’t possibly comment.
There has of course been some good news on the virus front in the last few weeks. As I said last time, new cases (in England anyway) are on a clear downward path. The government are of course trying to spin this as a success for lockdown, but I am sceptical about that. As I said in my November update, cases were already starting to decline pre-lockdown, so what we are seeing now is simply a continuation of that welcome trend.
It’s also interesting that the – admittedly shorter – Welsh lockdown appears to have failed totally, with cases there on the rise again. So they are now imposing even harsher restrictions, including a total ban on pubs and restaurants serving alcohol. I would therefore like to extend my sincere commiserations to Welsh readers (and especially those working in tourism or hospitality) at this time. It is a shame that the four nations of the UK couldn’t have come up with a more coherent, co-ordinated policy to combat the virus – although in my view lockdowns shouldn’t ever be a part of this due to all the collateral damage they cause.
There has been good news about vaccines this week, with the first one from Pfizer/BioNTech receiving regulatory approval in the UK and due to start rolling out next week. I am not an anti-vaxxer and will (probably) accept the vaccine when it is offered. There are, though, some reasons to be sceptical about some of the claims being made for vaccines, nicely summed up in this cautionary blog post by my old friend John ‘Platinum’ Goss. In particular, we still don’t know about any possible long-term side-effects of the vaccines. And with case numbers dropping dramatically in England, you have to wonder how much Covid will still be around in a few months’ time anyway…
In my view, this pandemic will only end when some sort of herd immunity has been achieved. That will be partly through growing numbers of people achieving immunity through contracting the virus, and in addition (hopefully) people acquiring immunity through vaccination. If that is the case, the virus will have nobody left to infect and will ultimately die out (though maybe returning occasionally in milder variants, as happens with other cold and flu viruses). That’s the best-case scenario, anyhow, and I hope it plays out that way.
Before leaving this topic, I would just like to include a quick shout-out for the excellent Lockdown Sceptics website. This site is updated daily and is the first thing I look at when I switch on my computer in the morning. It includes articles from a wide range of academics and other commentators, and offers a sceptical slant on official policies and announcements that is often missing in the mainstream media. Even if you don’t agree with all the views expressed, it’s well worth a read.
As for Christmas, I am expecting to have an even quieter one than usual. I don’t normally socialize a lot at this time anyway. My only remaining close family consists of my three sisters, but they are all in different parts of the country and have their own families and social circles. I have put up my lights and decorations, though, and am looking forward to receiving plenty of cards and letters. I shall also ensure I have a good stock of box-sets to watch!
Well, I guess that’s it for now. I do hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and well and looking forward to the festive season. As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.
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2020 has been a stressful and difficult year, but here’s a chance to end it on a positive note. I’ve joined forces with some of my fellow UK bloggers to put together a giveaway with a Samsung 50-Inch Smart UHD TV for the lucky winner.
Read on to find out how you could win this amazing prize in time for Christmas. And please do check out the other talented bloggers who have collaborated on this giveaway.
One lucky winner will win themselves a Samsung 50 Inch UE50TU7100 Smart Ultra HD TV worth a whopping £400! This smart TV is compatible with the following smart apps: Now TV, Disney+, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime and YouTube. It also has its own built-in Internet browser. To quote from the sales page:
Experience crystal clear colour HDR powered by HDR10+ as the film-makers intended. Crystal Processor adapts to provide the very best 4K picture and targeted sound based on what you are watching. Works with Alexa and Google Assistant. Slim design with very narrow bezel.
How to Enter
To enter simply complete all or any of the Rafflecopter entry options below. The more you complete the more chances you have of winning.
The competition ends at midnight on Sunday 13th December and a winner will be drawn on Monday 14th December. If for any reason the chosen prize is out of stock at the time of the draw, the winner will be able to select an alternative prize up to the same value.
For full entry terms and conditions please see the Rafflecopter widget below.
One final small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, the organizers will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow, as your entry won’t then count.
Good luck, and here’s hoping we can all look forward to a happier Christmas!
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The number of people applying for Universal Credit has surged to record levels as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and the numbers are set to rise further with the ongoing economic uncertainty.
In addition to a loss of income, households could also be facing a rise in energy-bills due to more time spent at home and cold weather approaching. Many will be coming to grips with the benefits system for the first time and starting to understand the rules, regulations and complexities around making a claim.
However, there is a little known silver lining for these claimants. Anyone who has claimed Universal Credit successfully will also be eligible for home improvements under the Government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme.
This current scheme, called ECO3, targets people that have high energy costs comparative to household income. The scheme has a list of ‘qualifying benefits’ for eligibility. Universal Credit is on that list.
Plus, there are no savings or income-tests for the qualifying benefit part of the application, so if you receive any benefit on the list below (excluding Child Benefit, as that has an income cap), it’s likely you’ll be eligible.
According to Ofgem (who administer the ECO scheme), claimants will still be eligible for a period of 18 months following the date of the letter for the Universal Credit award (page 44 of the Ofgem ECO3 guidance has full details).
So if, say, you were awarded your Universal Credit in April but you got a job last week and came off Universal Credit today (for example), you still have a significant period of time (a year and a half) to apply for and install the measure, as you would still be classed as eligible even when you return to work. While you can wait to apply, it’s advisable to apply sooner rather than later, as funding rules can change at any time.
Even if you have returned to work or are planning to return to work, you will still be eligible, providing you have had at least one award for Universal Credit.
And it isn’t just Universal Credit recipients who are eligible for grants. Also on the ‘qualifying benefits’ list are the following:
You will still be eligible if you return to work as you can claim for a period of 18 months after claiming benefits.
What Grants Are Available?
There are a range of energy-efficiency measures that can be installed under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, including boiler upgrades, home insulation and heating upgrades. The Scheme is funded by the major energy companies and if you claim benefits, you are entitled to this funding.
Table: Measures Available Under the Energy Company Obligation Scheme
Measure
Homeowners
Private Tenants
Housing Association Tenants
Landlords
Council Tenants
Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP)
✅
✅
✅
❌ Landlords ✅ Private tenants can apply
❌
Boiler Upgrade or Repair
✅
❌
❌
❌
❌
Cavity Wall Insulation
✅
✅
✅
❌ Landlords ✅ Private tenants can apply
❌
Electric Heating Upgrade
✅
✅
✅
❌ Landlords ✅ Private tenants can apply
❌
First Time Central Heating (FTCH)
✅
✅
✅
❌ Landlords ✅ Private tenants can apply
❌
Internal Wall Insulation
✅
✅
✅
❌ Landlords ✅ Private tenants can apply
❌
Underfloor Insulation
✅
✅
✅
❌ Landlords ✅ Private tenants can apply
❌
How Much Could You Get?
The amount of funding available depends on a range of factors, including property type, your existing heating, wall type and potential energy savings from proposed work.
The first step in working out what you could get is to check your eligibility online. There’s a quick form on the Energy Saving Genie website where you can enter your details to see if you are eligible.
If you meet the criteria, you can choose to apply and once your application has been submitted, it will be passed to a Registered Installer.
The Registered Installer will arrange a free survey of your property. You can choose to proceed ASAP with a survey taking place following strict health and safety guidelines or you can choose to wait until after Covid-19.
Once the survey has taken place, the surveyor will report back to the Registered Installer, who will talk you through the grants that are available towards energy-efficiency measures at your property.
The grant is paid directly to the installer and they are awarded on lifetime savings (LTS) scores. Currently electric heated properties and larger properties tend to receive the most funding. But even if your home isn’t large or heated by electricity, it is worth applying as you could still receive a significant grant towards home improvements.
So if you are one of the many million new Universal Credit claimants due to Covid-19, you can start the process of applying for a home improvement grant that will knock £££s of your energy bills for years to come, well after the pandemic has passed.
Disclosure; This is an adapted reblog of an original post by Energy Saving Genie. It is also a sponsored post. If you click through and end up taking advantage of this government scheme, I will receive a fee for introducing you. This will not affect any products or services you may receive or the value of any grants you may be awarded.
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Another month, another coronavirus crisis update. Regular readers will know I have been posting these updates since the first lockdown started (you can read my October update here if you like).
As always, I will discuss what has been happening with my finances and my life generally over the last few weeks.
Financial
I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg stocks and shares ISA, as from feedback received I know many of you like to follow this.
As the screenshot below shows, my portfolio has been on a roller-coaster ride over the last few weeks but is currently valued at £16,955, about £500 up on last month. Considering national and world events at the moment I am very happy with this. You can read my in-depth Nutmeg review here (including a special offer for PAS readers).
I haven’t mentioned my Bricklane Property ISA for a while, so I thought I should rectify that this month. As discussed in my blog review, Bricklane – not be confused with Brickowner – is a REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust). Investors’ money is pooled to purchase properties. Rental income is then distributed to investors, who also stand to benefit if the value of the REIT goes up. As you can see from the chart, though, this year the trajectory has been largely downward.
.
At first glance this looks alarming, but of course it’s important to note that the vertical axis of the graph goes from minus £200 to plus £200, so in reality the losses aren’t as bad as that scary-looking precipice might suggest. Allowing for the fact that I received a £100 welcome bonus when I signed up with Bricklane, overall I am about £80 down on my £5,000 investment. Of course, that’s not what you would hope for, but this has been a particularly tough year for anyone investing in property. Among other things, rising unemployment, company failures, more people working from home, and rising defaults on loans and mortgages (along with mandatory payment holidays) have all affected demand and reduced rental returns and property values.
A recent email from Bricklane gave further insight into the problems they are facing. It turns out that the Regional Capitals fund (in which I am invested) includes a number of properties that may need extensive refurbishment in light of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. As I understand it, they have cladding which needs assessing by specialists and may have to be removed and replaced. This is a time-consuming and costly business. Of course, the owners (who include me as an investor) have no option but to undertake this, and inevitably this is having an impact on the value of the fund.
This does of course illustrate that any investment in a single asset class such as property carries additional sector-specific risks compared with broader-based investments, and you may see greater volatility as a result. On the plus side, when investing in property your money is secured by bricks and mortar, so it’s very unlikely you will lose your shirt.
I guess if I was braver and had a longer time horizon, I might look at Bricklane as a value-investing opportunity just now. As it is, I am leaving my money where it is but won’t be investing any more with them for the foreseeable future. I am not planning to sell up as I don’t currently need the money and that would only crystallize my losses.
Otherwise there is nothing dramatic to report on the financial front. My two Buy2LetCars investments are still delivering the promised monthly returns without any hassle. To recap, investors with Buy2LetCars put up the money to finance a car for a key worker such as a nurse or police officer. They then receive 36 monthly capital repayments followed by a final balancing payment of interest and capital. I heard from the company today that they are allowed to continue trading in England’s second lockdown and are already experiencing an upsurge of enquiries from key workers needing transport. So if you are looking for an income-producing investment with a substantial lump sum payment after three years, they are well worth checking out (and likewise if you’re a key worker looking for a lease car yourself). If you’d like to learn more, you can read my review of Buy2LetCars here and my more recent article about the company here. And here is a link to Wheels4Sure, their car-leasing website.
My Property Partner and Kuflink investments are still both ticking along satisfactorily. Unsurprisingly there have been delays in repaying some of my Kuflink loans, but I continue to receive monthly interest payments on them and am not unduly concerned. As regards The House Crowd, I assume that the sales of the two properties in which I hold £1,000 shares are progressing, but can understand that it is a slow process. As with Kuflink, rental payments are still accruing, which should help to defray some of the selling costs.
There has been no further word either regarding my investments with Crowdlords. As I said last month, I have two remaining investments with them, Kennington Road eco-houses and Trent House. I was told they hope to have exit options for these properties by the end of the year, but I’m not holding my breath. On the plus side, they are paying 6 percent interest on my Trent House investment, which is quite generous in these days of ultra-low interest rates.
Personal
Thankfully this month has been less eventful for me than the previous one. Touch wood my left eye is recovering well after the laser treatment (thank you to those who have asked and/or sent me good wishes about this). I am going back to Burton Hospital in a week’s time for what I hope will be a final check-up.
I still have floaters in both eyes – worse in the left – but that is not unusual for people of my age. It’s annoying but not dangerous in itself, and there isn’t really any treatment (I understand lasers can be used in extreme cases to ‘blast’ them, but it’s rare to do this as it risks causing other damage). I did read online about a Chinese study which found that eating pineapple can help reduce floaters, so I was happy to have an excuse to eat more of this delicious fruit!
As I write this, England is going into its second lockdown. I am dubious about the wisdom of this and worried for people whose physical and mental health is likely to suffer, especially as it appears the second wave has already peaked and new case numbers are starting to fall.
I am at least thankful that the schools have been exempted this time. I live quite near a secondary school, and it lifts my spirit when I see the young people bursting out of the school gates at the end of the day. chatting to their friends, larking around, and generally doing all the things young people do. And not a mask in sight!
Today I am off to see my accountant to discuss my annual accounts. He works from home and neither of us was sure what rules applied in this situation, so in the end we agreed to meet outside on his front drive. At least this will help to ensure that the meeting doesn’t go on a minute longer than it needs to 🙂
I had a winter flu jab last month (the first time I’ve qualified for a free one as I reach 65 later this year). It seemed a sensible thing to do, especially as it may give some protection from Covid too. I did have a reaction to it, though. I woke up at around 2 am shivering violently, and then I started to get nausea as well. By morning I was feeling a lot better, apart from having had almost no sleep. Apparently these are quite common side effects of the vaccine, though two friends (both older than me) didn’t get any effects at all.
I went for my last pre-lockdown swim on Tuesday. The centre was busier than usual, so I guess I wasn’t the only one who decided to take the opportunity while it was still available. I am very disappointed that pools have been made to close again as there is no evidence the virus is spreading this way and many people (me included) depend on swimming for our physical and mental health. I just hope they reopen at the start of December and the lockdown isn’t extended. Personally I expect the numbers of new cases to continue falling over the next few weeks, not due to the lockdown but simply because that is the trend now. If that is the case, there will be no excuse for prolonging the lockdown. But I guess by the time of my December update we will know one way or the other!
Finally I am still dutifully completing the UCL Virus Watch weekly questionnaire saying whether I have any possible Covid symptoms (none so far). And I am still waiting to hear when I will be able to take the blood test to see if I have any antibodies or other natural resistance to the virus. But I gather they wouldn’t be able to do that until a few weeks have elapsed after the flu jab anyhow, so it may be just as well I’ve heard nothing yet.
So that’s it for this month really. I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and well. As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission for introducing you. This will not affect the price you pay or the product or service you receive.
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2020 has been a year like no other. And while the first vaccine has just been approved, for many of us this winter still looks like being a long, hard and stressful one.
There is no doubt many people’s mental health has been impacted both by the threat of the virus and the measures taken by government to try to control it. Add to that, many people have seen their income reduced or lost their jobs altogether, causing financial hardship as well.
Clearly we all need to find methods for getting through this difficult time. So I asked some of my fellow bloggers to share any tips they might have, including things they are doing to help them (and their families) cope. I have listed their answers below, with my own reactions in italics afterwards where relevant. I will then say a bit about how I am planning to get through the Covid winter myself.
Bloggers’ Tips
Jo Jackson who blogs at Tea and Cake for the Soul says, ‘List your outgoing payments and see what can be got rid of or reduced. List all of your utility accounts, insurances and entertainment packages then look at comparison sites to see if you can get better deals elsewhere.’
Always a good idea and can save you a lot of money. Check out cashback websites as well, as they may offer cashback if you switch to a new supplier.
Sally Allsop of Life Loving says, ‘Buy yourself a big thermos or two and fill them with hot drinks and homemade soup. Then you can still go for days out without having to worry about mingling and queuing at eateries/cafes. You’ll also be able to keep yourself warm on theoretically safer outside winter activities.’
Hayley Muncey, who blogs as Miss Manypennies, says, ‘I’ve applied for the 30 hours’ free childcare funding for my 3-year-old. Normally I love taking her out and about to playgroups, the library and meeting to play with her little friends, but since everything is cancelled, closed and we’re not allowed to meet anyone (local lockdown), preschool is basically the only social activity she’ll have, so I’m going to up her hours. I think she’ll have more fun there than stuck at home! Plus it gives me more time to concentrate on working from home, so hopefully I can bring in a bit more money.’
I didn’t know anything about this scheme, but there are more details on this government website if you may be eligible. In England you need to have a child who is 3-4 years old. Other schemes apply in different parts of the UK.
Jennifer Graudenz of Monethalia says, ‘Sign up at your local library. Many libraries let you take out eBooks, so you will always have something to read, no matter how many lockdowns we have.’
Good idea. You can still borrow ordinary print books as well but special Covid precautions are likely to apply. Ask at your library for more info.
Ryan Maley who blogs at A SIngle Step says, ‘Try to keep some sort of routine, even if you are stuck in the house all day. If you’re working from home, make sure you stick to set hours with a lunch break, and have a separate space in which to work. Organise calls, video calls, quizzes and virtual catch-ups with friends and family. Try to get fresh air or exercise whilst following the rules. A run after work or exploring some local countryside can do wonders. Or even dancing along to a YouTube video in your bedroom. Most of all, if you are struggling, make sure you speak to friends or family. A problem shared really is a problem halved.’
Claire of Stapo’s Thrifty Life Hacks writes, ‘We are a family of three and a few weeks ago we invested in waterproofs for the whole family. We started walking a lot at the start of lockdown and as things ramp up again, we know that we will want to get out and explore where we can. As we now have all the right gear, we are hopeful that the rain and wind won’t put us off getting out there as autumn turns into winter.’
Fiona Hawkes who blogs at Savvy in Somerset says, ‘We’ve started planning at-home Christmas activities, as trips to visit Father Christmas and big family gatherings won’t be happening this year. I’m making my daughter an activity advent calendar for us to enjoy during December which includes things like Christmas story books, festive cake making, writing letters and cards to family we won’t see and making lovely decorations for our home.’
Human Carley, who blogs at the wonderfully named Unicorn Puffs and Rainbows, says, ‘Make your house as cosy as you can. Clear out anything you can now whist charity shops and recycling centres are open. Having as much usable space as possible will be important, as we will have much less time outside.’
You could sell anything you no longer need on eBay or similar sites to boost your income as well. There are some great tips about selling on eBay in this guest post by Lucy Olivia.
Anisa Alhilali who blogs at Two Traveling Texans says, ‘Feed your travel wanderlust. Even if you can’t travel there are ways to have “travel-like experiences” from home. You can take a virtual tour, have a travel-themed night, read a travel book, and more.’
Love this idea. You could start planning for future post-Covid adventures.
And Anisa also has a blog called Origami Expressions. She writes: ‘Take advantage of the time at home and learn origami. It is great for mindfulness and you will be amazed at all the things that you can make with just a sheet of paper!’
And it costs almost nothing as well. I may just try this myself!
Victoria Sully who blogs at Healthy Vix says, ‘Make sure you have ways to relax and chill at home to reduce the stress. This year I have just invested in a bath pillow, fluffy bath mat, candles and some soothing bath foam to indulge in some some luxurious baths this winter to take the stress away! Even something as simple as lighting candles in the evening can be calming and help to reduce stress.’
Anne Fraser who blogs at The Platinum Line says, ‘My lifesaver at the moment is our local leisure centre. Although a lot of classes have been cancelled they are still hosting an over 60s lane swim twice a week. I think it is important to find an indoor activity you enjoy and if it makes you healthier so much the better.’
Absolutely. I love swimming and was so relieved when my local leisure centre and pool reopened.
Vicky Smith of More Than A Mummy says, ‘For Christmas we will only buy gifts for the kids in the family. Will save valuable cash at a time when our business has been hit hard by the pandemic. We actually started doing this last year and it saved me hundreds as our family is huge!’
Jenny Tate of The Life Stuff says, ‘Check with your current suppliers to see if you can make any savings i.e. gas, electric, TV, internet providers. My internet bill was put up last week to £54/month so I called up the provider and got the exact same package for £26!’
Shelley Whitaker who blogs at Wander & Luxe says, ‘We are preparing at home by making sure we have plenty of things to entertain ourselves and our toddler. For example, crafts, puzzles, things to cook and DIY bits for around the house. We are also purposely not watching too many movies or TV shows so we have things we want to watch if needed. For now I am trying to get out each day and do normal things that I am able to (restrictions permitting), and basically just take each day as it comes.’
Sarah Bailey of Life in a Breakdown says, ‘Think about making some family time using a video calling service. Some of them cost after so long but some don’t, so shop around and don’t just use the one most spoken about. It will allow you to keep in touch with family during this time should the worst happen!’
Emma Reid who blogs at Emmareid.net says, ‘Just because it’s chilly doesn’t mean you can’t still go exploring and get outdoors. We are doing 1000 hours outside challenge and we still have a bit of a way to go to hit it so I am making the most of the days we have left to get outside whatever the weather. As long as you have the right gear, you can still have fun.’
Finally, Emily Jane of Emily Underworld says, ‘While winter means Christmas and the season of giving, don’t forget to practise self-care. This can be anything from rest to time alone for meditation. As my budget for Christmas this year is low, I’ll be supporting small UK businesses, as well as making some gifts myself. Getting creative is great for self-care, and it’s also great for my bank balance.’
Yes, as well as being kind to others we also need to be kind to ourselves at this difficult time. And I do agree as well with supporting local businesses, many of whom are having a very tough time of it.
My Own Thoughts
I have also been thinking a lot about how to stay sane and well over the coming months.
As you probably know, I’m semi-retired and live alone. Nowadays blogging is my main source of earned income. It doesn’t make me a fortune – far from it – but I’m lucky enough to have savings and investments and a small personal pension as well to keep my finances ticking over.
As well as being a source of income, working on the blog gives my days a bit of structure, which we all need at the moment. I typically spend a few hours each morning on it, then do other things (e.g. going for a swim or a walk) later. I feel as though once I have got my ‘work’ out of the way I have earned the right to do other things I enjoy. Though I do enjoy writing and blogging as well, of course!
I am planning other activities as well. Some friends told me recently that over the winter they intend to get on with some decorating projects. While that doesn’t appeal so much to me, there are a number of jobs around the house and garden that I really do need to tackle. I plan to make a list of them and see how many I can tick off before the spring!
I am also considering getting into video gaming – though as I spend a lot of time anyway at a computer or watching TV, I am not entirely sure I should be lining myself up for more hours staring into a screen.
I’m also thinking of teaching myself a musical instrument – possibly tenor ukulele, as I have heard they are among the easiest instruments to learn, although I am open to other suggestions 😀
I am also trying my best to keep some sort of social life going, even in the face of mounting restrictions. I don’t live in an area under lockdown (yet) so am hoping and planning to go on meeting friends for pub lunches. I am also keeping in touch with friends/relatives as much as possible using video calling and traditional phone calls. It has been particularly good to be in more regular touch with my sister Annie, who also lives alone. We speak on the phone most weekends now, and it’s been great to hear what’s been going on in her life and her job (she works as a librarian).
I agree with my fellow bloggers who pointed out the importance of staying active even in the cold winter months. I aim to go swimming at least once a week and really enjoy this, not least because it’s something normal I can still do at a time when our freedom of action is increasingly limited. I also try to go for a walk every day, though as the weather worsens I suspect I won’t be doing this quite as often.
Finally, although I did say I’m wary of spending any more time than I do already staring at a screen, I’m considering taking out a Britbox subscription for the long winter nights. They have a lot of classic BBC and ITV series that I would enjoy watching (or re-watching). And I must admit I wouldn’t mind giving the new Spitting Image a try as well!
I’d like to close this post by thanking my fellow bloggers for their varied and thought-provoking suggestions for surviving this Covid winter. I hope you may want to check out at least some of their blogs.
And, of course, if you have any comments or questions about this post, or any other suggestions for coping over the coming months, I’d love to hear them. Please leave a comment below as usual.
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Regular readers will know that I have been posting about my personal experience of the coronavirus crisis since the original lockdown started (you can read my September update here if you like).
As previously I will discuss what has been happening with my finances and my life generally over the last few weeks, while trying to avoid being too repetitive!
As always, I will start with the money side of things.
Financial
As I’ve done before, I’ll begin with my Nutmeg stocks and shares ISA. This has gone up and down over the last few weeks, but currently stands at £16,578. That is over £500 up on last month, so I’m happy with that! Here is a screen capture covering the last three months…
My Property Partner and Kuflink investments are still both ticking along satisfactorily. Property Partner has resumed paying dividends on some properties, which is appreciated. The five-year sales process has also resumed. There is a backlog, though, so it will probably be longer than five years till the properties I hold shares in can be sold at the current, independently-assessed market price (or retained, of course).
There is nothing really to report about The House Crowd. I assume that the sales of the two properties in which I hold £1,000 shares are progressing, but can understand that it is a slow process at present. At least rental payments are still accruing, which should help to defray some of the selling costs.
There has been no further word either regarding my investments with Crowdlords. As I said last month, I have two remaining investments with them, Kennington Road eco-houses and Trent House. I was told they hope to have exit options for these properties by the end of the year, but I’m not holding my breath. On the plus side, they are paying 6 percent interest on my Trent House investment, which is quite generous in these days of ultra-low interest rates.
Personal
It’s been an eventful few weeks one way and the other.
As mentioned previously, I had booked a short break in Llandudno (see cover image) near the end of September. Thankfully I was able to go. If I had left it just a few days later I would have had to cancel, as the Welsh Assembly has decided to lock down the whole of the Llandudno and Conwy area due to rising infection rates. That means no-one can currently go in or out of the area without a compelling reason (and having a holiday booked there doesn’t count).
Anyway, I enjoyed my visit. I stayed in a self-catering apartment, which turned out to be a good choice in most respects. It was on two floors, with a lounge and well-equipped kitchen on the lower floor and a double bedroom and bathroom on the upper. The location was central but quiet, yet just five months’ walk from the sea. The only drawback was that parking was on the street and finding a spot was a bit of a lottery. I was lucky to get somewhere close when I arrived, but later in the holiday had to park on another road half a mile away, which was a bit of a pain. I paid £255 for my three-night stay via Booking.com, which I thought was reasonable. By comparison, the seafront hotels I checked out were charging over £600 for three nights’ bed and breakfast.
Not surprisingly Llandudno was quieter than usual for the time of year, but there were still plenty of visitors, and many of the small hotels and boarding houses had ‘No Vacancies’ signs in their windows. While some places and amenities were closed, many others were open, and I was pleased to find that the pier was fully operational (see photo below). Professor Codman’s famous Punch and Judy show on the promenade wasn’t running, though – a shame, as there were lots of young children who might have enjoyed it.
On my first day I left my car at the apartment and took a couple of bus tours. The first was the open-top bus that takes a circular route between Llandudno and Conwy and includes a running commentary. I have done this trip before and noticed that the recorded commentary hasn’t changed this year. Mind you, that may be just as well, as a post-Covid commentary would have had to include details about all the hotels and other places that have closed due to the virus, the seafront theatre that became a Covid field hospital, and so forth…
The other trip was on a vintage bus (see photo) around the Great Orme, one of the two promontories at either end of Llandudno’s seafront. This had a knowledgeable driver/guide, who provided an interesting – and up-to date – commentary. I must admit I particularly enjoyed seeing ‘Millionaire’s Row’ at the far side of the Orme. There are some amazing houses here, owned by people who like to preserve their privacy. Obviously the coach passes from a distance, but it was still a good opportunity to gawp at how the super-rich live. I particularly enjoyed hearing about the house that has its own private lift down to the beach!
On the second day of my visit I drove to the medieval walled town of Conwy, which is about three miles away. I booked a ticket online to see Plas Mawr, a restored Elizabethan town house (photo below). It was fascinating, and I was glad I took the option of borrowing one of the free electronic guides. You use these to scan a QR code in each room and it provides a commentary on the room itself and various interesting historical tidbits associated with it.
As with my visit to Dunster Castle near Minehead earlier in September, all the usual anti-virus measures were in place. I had to wear a face covering throughout, and staff ensured that there were no more than two households in a room at any one time. It worked pretty smoothly, although you had to follow a set route and there was no possibility of returning to a room once you had left it.
In case you’re wondering, the photo in my cover image shows the Haulfre Gardens Tearoom on the lower slopes of the Great Orme. It’s one of my favourite places in Llandudno, and I was pleased to find it was still open. I enjoyed afternoon tea in their lovely garden on both days of my visit. As you can see, I was pretty lucky with the weather!
As mentioned above, I was very glad to be able to make my trip before the current lockdown would have made it impossible. I feel very sorry for people who booked after me and were unable to go, especially as I have heard that some are now having problems getting their money back. But I am sorry also for the hotels and other businesses who have been left high and dry by the lockdown. I really hope for their sake it doesn’t go on too long 🙁
Moving on, I had an experience I would rather not have had in the last few weeks too. At a routine eye examination my optician saw something she didn’t like the look of in the retina of my left eye. So she packed me off to the eye clinic at Queens Hospital, Burton. The doctor there told me I had a perforation of the retina, and gave me laser treatment then and there. It wasn’t painful but it was obviously nerve-racking. The doctor did say it was a good thing my optician had spotted the problem, as it could have led to a detached retina if left untreated, which is clearly more serious. I have to go for a follow-up check this weekend, but touch wood the problem has been repaired. I guess if nothing else this does show why it’s so important to have your eyes checked regularly even if you don’t think there is anything wrong with them. That applies doubly to older people and those who (Iike me) are very short-sighted, as we are especially susceptible to this sort of thing.
On the Covid front, clearly most of the news hasn’t been good recently. Mind you, in most parts of the UK hospital admissions and deaths remain a lot lower than at the peak of the pandemic in the spring. I have seen the current situation described as a ‘casedemic’, which seems a pretty apt description. Clearly it’s important to protect the elderly and vulnerable at this time. Young people don’t typically suffer severe reactions to the virus, however, so I do wonder if some of the more extreme measures aimed at them are fair or necessary. Personally I am taking what I consider reasonable precautions but still trying to live my life as normally as possible. I volunteered for the UCL Virus Watch panel a few weeks ago and fill in a weekly questionnaire saying whether I have any possible Covid symptoms (none so far). They have also just asked me to take a blood test to see if I have any antibodies or other natural resistance to the virus. I’ll be interested to see the results of that!
As regards masks and such matters, I have been wearing a half-face shield in supermarkets (as a mask sceptic I’m not going to other shops till masks are voluntary again, though I might make an exception if the shop clearly states that they welcome non-mask-wearers). I find this better than the full face shield I was wearing before, as it doesn’t interfere with my vision. Shields are also much easier to breathe through than cloth masks, and I haven’t yet been challenged by any staff members or self-appointed mask police. In case you are interested, here’s an Amazon ad (affiliate) for some half-face shields similar to the type I am now using.
Well, I guess that’s enough for now. I do hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and well. As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.
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I recently enjoyed a three-night break in the North Somerset coastal town of Minehead.
It was actually my first visit to Minehead. Early this year, before the pandemic struck, I booked breaks in a few places I hadn’t been to before. Minehead was the only one I didn’t have to cancel 🙁
After some online research, I had booked a room at the Channel House Hotel. This is on Minehead’s North Hill (see cover photo), on the opposite side of the bay from the Butlins holiday camp. Here’s a map by courtesy of Google.
The Channel House Hotel had excellent reviews and a great location near the harbour. It had its own car park as well, which is always a plus with seaside hotels!
Here’s some more information about my stay…
The Hotel
The Channel House Hotel is a small country-house hotel with eight bedrooms. They don’t accommodate dogs or children under the age of 15.
I had Room 7, on the top floor. I had been hoping for a sea view, but due to a line of trees I couldn’t really see it from my room. I could at least hear the waves, though! The hotel is in a quiet, peaceful location, and I slept very well on all three nights.
As you would expect in these strange times, various anti-virus precautions were in place. I had my temperature checked on arrival, and hand sanitizer was available by the front door and on all the tables in the dining room.
I opted for breakfast and an evening meal, although you can book bed and breakfast only. Other dining options near the hotel appear limited, though, especially in these times of Covid.
There was a good choice of breakfast options for a small hotel. As well as the full English (which you can customize as you wish) you could also have Eggs Benedict in three different variations or smoked haddock with poached egg. You could also have a plate of mixed fruit, cereal and/or yogurt, plus the usual toast and hot drinks. I’m not sure what the normal arrangements for breakfast are, but obviously at present they can’t have a self-service buffet, so most meal options are brought to your table.
There is a choice of starters and main meals in the evenings, with guests asked to say what they would like after breakfast. Fair enough in my view, as there is obviously no point in the hotel preparing meals nobody wants! That applies especially at the moment with visitor numbers so low – partly due to the virus and partly (I understand) as a deliberate policy to help preserve social distancing. During my stay, there were never any more than six guests including me.
Evening meals are served at 7.00 pm, with pre-meal drinks in the small bar from 6.30. Although the latter is obviously optional, I did find this an enjoyable way of meeting and getting to know my fellow guests. There was one couple and all the others were solo ladies around my age or older. We all got along well. I enjoyed hearing what they had been doing during the day, as most of them knew the area better than I did.
The evening meals were very good. They comprised five courses: starter, main, dessert, cheese and biscuits, and coffee. That may sound a lot, but the portions were sensibly sized, so I didn’t feel too guilty!
Fish seems to be a speciality and I particularly enjoyed the sole I had on the first night. One thing that surprised me, though, was that the menu never included any vegetarian main courses. They do cater for veggies and those with special diets, so I’m sure if I’d asked I could have had something. For three nights I was perfectly happy with what was on offer. But as I eat vegetarian quite often at home, it might have been nice to have that option on the menu as well, some nights at any rate!
My twin-bedded room was more than adequate for my needs. It had a small (by modern standards) wall-mounted TV, but that was fine for a short visit. The WiFi worked well once I sorted out a bit of confusion over the password, and I was able to use it in my room as well as the communal areas. The bathroom was a good size and had a bath with a modern electric shower over it. My bed was comfortable and there was plenty of storage space. I was well looked after and had an enjoyable and relaxing stay.
Financials
As Pounds and Sense is primarily a money blog, I should say a word about this.
I paid £360 for my three-night stay (including breakfasts and evening meals) at the Channel House Hotel, which I thought very reasonable. If I had chosen bed and breakfast only, the price would have been £285. As you may gather from this, the hotel charge a fixed price of £25 for their five-course evening meals.
You can check current prices and availability on the Hotels.com website. You can book this way (which I did) or directly with the hotel. The latter method may or may not work out cheaper.
Things to See and Do
Inevitably at the time of my visit a lot of places and attractions were either closed or not operating normally.
I was particularly disappointed that the West Somerset Railway – said to be the longest heritage railway in England – was not running. At the time of writing there is still no indication when it will reopen.
I was though able to visit Dunster Castle, which is owned by the National Trust. As a Trust member I was able to get free admission, but had to book a ticket in advance on the website. They are doing this to ensure that visitor numbers are controlled, to help maintain social distancing.
Dunster Castle goes back to at least Norman times, with an impressive medieval gatehouse and ruined tower providing a reminder of its long and sometimes turbulent history. The castle became a lavish country home during the 19th century for the Luttrell family, and the furnishings and decor are largely from that time. The castle is surrounded by a terraced garden displaying varieties of Mediterranean and subtropical plants. Below this is a riverside woodland garden leading to a historic working watermill (unfortunately closed at present).
Due to anti-virus measures, visitors have to follow a long and winding route through the gardens to get to the castle, so my top tip is to allow longer than you would expect to arrive at your allotted time. Bear in mind also that you will be expected to follow a similarly circuitous route afterwards to get back to the car park. This means there is a lot of walking before and after you see the castle itself. I was okay with that, but I suspect some older visitors might struggle.
Anyway I duly arrived at the castle entrance and, after giving a phone number for track-and-trace and using a hand sanitizer, was allowed to enter (wearing a face covering, of course). Only certain parts of the castle were open to visitors, not including the kitchens for some reason. On the plus side, though, with so few visitors there was plenty of room to see everything on view. Although entry is by timed ticket, once in you are allowed to stay for as long as you want (or at least for as long as you can stand wearing a face covering).
I spent around an hour in the castle, after which I was ready for some refreshments. I am not sure if the castle has a coffee shop normally but if so it was closed. They did though have a pop-up cafe in the gardens (you can just see this to the left of my photo above). I had a hot chocolate and a slice of coffee-and-walnut cake here, which I very much enjoyed even though it wasn’t exactly a healthy option!
Dunster Castle was the only formal visitor attraction I visited during my stay, and I do recommend it, so long as walking isn’t a problem for you.
In fact, I did a lot of walking throughout my break. That included along the seafront, from the harbour to the Butlins camp, and also up North Hill, which takes you to the edge of Exmoor. On the walk up North Hill, I stopped to admire the 16th century St Michael’s Church (also sadly closed).
Near the church is an area called Church Steps, where there are some beautiful thatched cottages.
I would like to show you the view across the bay from the top of North Hill, which I am told is quite spectacular. When I got to the viewing area, however, a closed and padlocked gate barred my way, with a forbidding warning notice about Covid-19. Having made the not-inconsiderable effort to walk up the hill (most people drive), this was pretty disappointing. I sat at the roadside for a few minutes collecting my thoughts before heading down again. That was probably the low point of the holiday!
On my last day in Minehead I took a short stroll to Blenheim Gardens, a well-tended and attractive public park. The cafe was closed as well, but I wandered down to the harbour and enjoyed a takeaway cream tea there 🙂
Closing Thoughts
Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Minehead, though obviously the fact that so many places were closed did spoil it a little. I had an enjoyable, relaxing time, with plenty of healthy fresh air and exercise (just as well in view of the cakes and five-course dinners!). I will hope to go back again when things are more normal.
As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.
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Autumn is on the way, but before it arrives here’s a chance to make the summer of 2020 even more memorable 😉
Along with a number of my fellow UK bloggers, I am offering one lucky winner the chance to win a £100 hamper of their choice from Marks and Spencer – for example, this Windsor Hamper with Prosecco and red wine (pictured above)..
The competition is being promoted by my blogging colleague Emma Drew and is (of course) free to enter. Full details provided by Emma can be found below. Basically you just have to open the Rafflecopter widget and complete the simple tasks described. Each completed task will then earn you one entry in the giveaway.
The Bloggers
The following bloggers have all teamed together to contribute towards this competition, offering you a fantastic prize.
Please show your support by visiting some of the bloggers taking part just by clicking on the name of the blog below.
Up for giveaway is a £100 M&S hamper of your choice.
With plenty to choose from, you can pick yourself a lovely treat!
Rules and How to Enter
1. There is one top prize of a £100 M&S hamper of the winner’s choosing.
2. There are no runner up prizes
3. Open to UK residents aged 18 and over, excluding all bloggers involved with running the giveaway
4. Closing date for entries is midnight on 31.08.20
5. The same Rafflecopter widget appears on all the blogs involved, but you only need to enter on one blog
6. Entrants must log in to the Rafflecopter widget, and complete one or more of the tasks – each completed task earns one entry in the prize draw
7. Tweeting about the giveaway via the Rafflecopter widget will earn five bonus entries into the prize draw.
8. 1 winner will be chosen at random.
9. The winner will be informed by email within 7 days of the closing date and will need to respond within 28 days with their delivery address, or a replacement winner will be chosen.
10. The winners’ names will be published in the Rafflecopter widget (unless the winner objects to this).
11. The prizes will be dispatched within 14 days of the winner confirming their address.
12. The promoter is www.EmmaDrew.info
13. By participating in this prize draw, entrants confirm they have read, understood and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions
To enter simply complete any or all of the Rafflecopter entry widgets below
One last small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, Emma will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow, as your entry won’t then count.
Good luck, and I really do hope you win this fabulous prize. But even if you don’t, I hope you enjoy entering and discovering some other amazing UK bloggers!
As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.
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As you probably know by now, from 1st August 2020 people over 75 in the UK lost their automatic right to a free TV licence and now have to pay the same £157.50 a year as everyone else. This was originally due to happen in June 2020, but it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
For many old people, TV is their main (or only) source of company. Suddenly having to find this quite large sum out of (in many cases) a very limited income may cause them financial difficulties or downright hardship. Some may even have to choose between watching television and paying their heating bills.
Whether you blame the government or the BBC for this parlous situation – and in my view both are culpable – many over-75s will struggle with this, at a time when many are already suffering terrible stress and isolation due to the pandemic. So in this post I will be setting out three ways they may be able to get out of paying this ‘TV tax’.
I hope that this will be helpful if you are over 75 yourself, or if you have relatives, friends or neighbours in this age group.
I’ll start with the best method if you are eligible….
1. Claim Pension Credit
Pension credit is a state benefit for people above retirement age who are on a low income. It can be paid to single people or to couples. It is usually paid weekly, though you can also choose to have it paid fortnightly or monthly if you prefer. Anyone over 75 receiving pension credit is automatically eligible for a free TV licence.
Along with attendance allowance – which I discussed in this recent post – pension credit is one of the most under-claimed benefits. According to the Department for Work and Pensions, around 40 percent of eligible people, or two in five, fail to claim it. That’s an estimated 1.5 million eligible households in the UK who are missing out.
Pension credit actually comes in two parts – guarantee credit and savings credit. Guarantee credit boosts your weekly income to £167.25 if you’re single or £255.25 if you’re a couple (all figures correct as of March 2020). You may be eligible for guarantee credit if you have reached state pension age and your total income is less than these amounts (even if you own your own home). If you have under £10,000 in savings and investments this will not be taken into consideration. If you have over £10,000, it will be assumed that you earn £1 a week per £500 of savings and investments (equivalent to an interest rate of 10.4% – if only!). This will be added to your total income when working out your eligibility.
Savings credit is meant to be a reward for those who have saved for their retirement. It’s worth up to £13.73 a week for a single person or £15.35 for couples. To qualify, you must have a minimum income of £144.38 a week if you’re single, and £229.67 a week if you’re in a couple. For every £1 by which your income exceeds this amount, you get 60p of savings credit – up to the £13.73/£15.35 maximum. If your income is less than the £144.38/£229.67 savings credit threshold, you won’t qualify. Savings Credit is only available to people who reached state pension age before 6 April 2016. Couples where only one partner reached state pension age before 6 April 2016 can also retain savings credit if the older partner had reached 65 and qualified for savings credit before that date AND they have remained continuously entitled to it ever since. Whether you receive guarantee credit or savings credit or both, that will qualify you for a free TV licence.
It’s worth adding that if you pay mortgage interest or have other housing costs, have caring responsibilities, are responsible for a child, or are severely disabled, you may be entitled to more pension credit. If you receive attendance allowance or carers credit, for example, this may boost the amount you’re entitled to. The rules surrounding all this are complicated, but the government has provided a free online calculator you can use to work out whether you qualify and how much you might get. This is for guidance only, however. You can’t apply via the calculator and there is no guarantee that you will receive the amount it shows you.
To actually apply you will need to phone the DWP’s Pension Credit helpline on 0800 991234. You will need your National Insurance number, information about your income, savings and investments and your bank account details. The person you speak to will then take you through the application process. This is a subject I discussed in more detail in this blog post, as I recently helped an older friend to do this successfully.
As well as the money – which can amount to thousands of pounds a year – if you receive pension credit you will be entitled to a range of additional benefits. A free TV licence if you are over 75 is just one of them. You may also get:
reduced council tax (or free if you are awarded guarantee credit)
Even if you only receive a small amount of pension credit, you will be eligible for all of the above. So it really is well worth applying if there is any chance you may qualify. As mentioned above, you can check first using the free online calculator here and then apply by phoning the DWP’s Pension Credit helpline on 0800 991234.
2. Cancel Your TV Licence
If you don’t qualify for pension credit and the free licence that comes with it, you may wish to opt out of paying for a TV licence altogether.
There is no legal requirement to possess a TV licence just because you own a TV. But if you don’t have a licence it’s against the law to watch (or record) most live broadcasts. This also applies to watching on other types of device such as tablets and smartphones. It also applies if you watch via a cable service or satellite TV.
Obviously you aren’t allowed to watch live TV on any of the BBC’s channels, neither can you watch catch-up TV on the BBC iPlayer. In addition, you are not allowed to watch ANY live TV on other channels, even those broadcast from overseas. And you aren’t allowed to record live broadcasts by any TV service even if you don’t watch them till later.
So what ARE you allowed to watch without a licence? You can still watch catch-up TV on other (non-BBC) channels such as ITV Player and Demand 5. You can also watch subscription services such as Amazon Prime TV and Netflix.
You are also allowed to listen to BBC radio and all other radio stations, as radio is not covered by the TV licence.
If you decide to cancel your TV licence, you can do so by going to this page of the TV Licensing website and clicking where it says ‘Tell us you don’t need a licence’. You should also cancel any direct debit you may have set up with your bank.
Note that if you are found ‘cheating’ and watching TV that requires a licence, you could be fined up to £1,000 and even face imprisonment if you fail to pay. So it is best not to cancel your TV licence unless you are sure you aren’t going to need it in future.
3. Get a Black and White TV Licence
Okay, I am cheating slightly here. You do still have to pay for a black-and-white licence, but the annual cost is just £53, so it’s over £100 cheaper.
Black-and-white TVs are available from specialist suppliers and also sold on the online auction site eBay. If you don’t mind returning to monochrome you can save over £100 a year this way. Again, you can cancel your colour licence and apply for a black-and-white licence via the TV Licensing website.
Finally, I would comment that the whole situation regarding TV licensing is currently under review. In particular, the over-75s licence debacle has highlighted the inherent unfairness of a system where people are required to pay for a TV licence even if they only ever watch non-BBC channels. It is therefore possible that in future the BBC may be required to switch to a subscription model like Netflix, meaning that people won’t have to pay a licence fee at all. In my personal opinion this would be a better, fairer system. It would also force the BBC to up its game by producing more shows the paying public really want to see.
I hope you have found this post interesting. As ever, if you have any comments or questions, please do leave them below.
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