Money blog: 'Commuter town' named least affordable place to buy house in UK (2024)

Protesters will take to streets across the UK tomorrow as they call for the government to row back on its cuts to winter fuel payments.

Labour announced earlier this year that it would stop the universal payment of up to £300 to all pensioners, instead making it available only to those on certain benefits.

Modelling from the Department for Work and Pensions found 100,000 extra pensioners could be in poverty by 2027 due to the decision.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The campaign opposing the pickpocketing of pensioners is now coming to a town near you.

"The government needs to rapidly rethink this tin-eared cut. It is simply wrong that winter fuel payments have been slashed while the mega wealthy remain untouched."

By Daniel Dunford, senior data journalist

The government currently subsidises bus fares across the country, supporting both private and public operators so that they can afford to keep fares at a max of £2.

In bad news for commuters, Labour confirmed at the budget last month that the current £2 cap would be raised to £3 at the end of 2024, meaning bus travellers could face a 50% hike on their tickets overnight.

The metro mayors for West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City region have pledged to extend the £2 cap to keep prices low in those areas, while Transport for London also has its own fare structure - £1.75 for a standard single and a daily cap of £5.25.

We had new Department for Transport data out yesterday about buses, so we can see how fares have risen in recent years, and how peoples' usage has changed since COVID.

Bus tickets are actually cheaper now than they were in 2020 on average, across all of England other than London, despite inflation for other goods and services running at record levels during large parts of that time.

Scotland and Wales have seen significant rises over the last couple of years, but are still cheaper in real terms than they were before the pandemic.

Despite tickets being cheaper, the number of passengers making journeys with local bus services was still about 10% lower in the year to March 2024 than the pre-COVID annual total to March 2020, across Great Britain.

It's the same trend across all parts of the country, but most clearly in Wales where there were still 22% fewer passenger journeys in 2023-24 than 2019-2020.

Wales is also the place where it's now most expensive to run buses, having previously been cheaper than Scotland and England, excluding London.

It now costs almost £5 per vehicle mile, having been just £2.80 in 2020, a rise of 77% or almost 50% in real terms.

With passenger numbers and ticket prices down, and the expense of running services significantly up, operators may be forced to cut less profitable services - potentially stranding or disconnecting people from other vital or social services, especially in rural communities.

The cold isn't just bad news for your energy bills - you could also have to fork out cash to cover damage to your technology.

Experts at Uswitch are warning Britons to check their tech as dropping temperatures can lead to issues with mobiles and broadband devices.

Richard Dowden, tech expert at the company, has the following tips to help your devices cope in the cold...

Don't leave your phone in the car

This can cause permanent water damage to your phone once you bring it in from the cold, due to chemical reactions inside your device.

If you do leave your phone out in the cold for a prolonged period, be sure to allow it to come back up to room temperature before you charge it again.

If you're cold, your tech is cold

Don't leave your router in an unheated area like a garage or on a windowsill, and be mindful of condensation that can form around the device, which could seep into the unit.

If you need to place your router in a colder space, try placing it in a box for insulation with holes for airflow.

Charge before you go

Colder weather hurts the battery life of many tech devices.

The lithium-ion batteries found in smartphones are known to struggle in cold temperatures, so be mindful of this and give it a full charge before you take it outdoors, as you may find the battery will drain faster than normal.

Put a jacket on it

One of the best ways you can keep your phone warm and avoid battery drain is by keeping it in a protective case that's insulated from the elements.

Keeping it in a secure pocket can also help, as it will benefit from your body temperature.

Power down

If you're going to be exposed to sub-zero temperatures, help conserve your phone battery by turning on low power mode, turning off location services and closing down apps running in the background.

You could also put it on airplane mode, which will still give you access to apps that don't require an internet connection.

Get them backed up

Most consumer tech is designed to operate at temperatures between 0C and 35C.

So if your devices are exposed to colder temperatures than this, ensure your data is backed up to avoid any loss or damage to the battery life.

A UK ticket holder has come forward to claim the whopping £177m jackpot from Tuesday's EuroMillions draw.

The claim will now go through a validation process and, if confirmed, will make them the third biggest NationalLotterywinner of all time.

The prize will then be paid at an appointment with one of the National Lottery's winners' advisers.

The ticket holder will be able to decide whether they share the news publicly or not.

Read the full story here...

More than 28,000 prosecutions for alleged rail fare evasions have been quashed during a two-minute court hearing.

The prosecutions were brought by Northern Rail and TransPennine Expressusing the single justice procedure (SJP) - they were not being permitted to do so.

Northern welcomed the outcome and apologised for the "errors".

"Customers affected by the issues raised in court will be contacted directly by HM Courts and Tribunal Service. We are unable to respond to individual queries at this time," a spokesman said.

The SJP was set up in 2015 to allow magistrates to decide on minor offences, such as using a television without a licence or driving without car insurance, without defendants going to court.

Rail companies were permitted to use the SJP in 2016 to privately prosecute fare evaders, but many have been brought under the Regulation of Railways Act 1889, which is not allowed under the procedure.

Earlier this year, our cost of living specialist Megan Harwood-Baynes spoke to Sam Williamson who had been threatened with prosecution after he mistakenly bought an invalid ticket...

The Scottish government has announced that all pensioners in Scotland will receive a winter fuel payment in 2025-26.

The benefit is expected to come into force by next winter and will help the estimated 900,000 people north of the border who were cut off from accessing the once universal winter fuel payment.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville announced the news in a statement to the Scottish parliament on Thursday.

It comes after both the UK and Scottish governments earlier this year axed the universal winter fuel payment, except for those in receipt of pension credit or other means-tested benefits.

At Westminster, Chancellor Rachel Reeves claimed the decision was made due to financial woes inherited from the previous Conservative government.

The decision led the Scottish government - which was due to take control over a similar payment through the devolved Social Security Scotland but has since announced a delay - to follow suit.

There are signs first-time buyers are racing to complete house purchases to beat an increase in stamp duty rates in a few months' time.

Property website Rightmove said buyers in higher-priced areas of England are set to be particularly affected when thresholds increase from April, having been temporarily cut by Rishi Sunak's Conservative government.

The nil rate - the value of a property at which you start to be charged stamp duty - will drop for first-time buyers from £425,000 to £300,000. For the rest of the market, the nil rate will halve to its old level of £125,000.

Stamp duty is 5% up to £925,000 - and 10% or 13% over that.

Rightmove said just 8% of homes in London would be stamp-duty free come April for first-time buyers, with percentages estimated at 24% in the South East and 32% in the East of England.

In those areas, the property site said it had seen an uptick in demand "suggesting some first-time buyers are rushing to avoid paying higher charges".

In London, demand jumped from 28% pre-budget to 31%, while the South East also increased by 1%.

Demand was measured by the volume of inquiries being sent through the website to estate agents.

Movers and buyers need to act quickly, as the average British house sale takes five months to go through.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove's property expert said: "With stamp duty thresholds in England lowering from April, we're seeing early signs of first-time buyers reacting.

"In London and higher-priced areas, where first-time buyers are most likely to be affected, we're seeing some pull forward their plans to try and avoid higher charges.

"In most other areas of England, which have a greater availability of stamp duty-free homes for first-time buyers, we're seeing the opposite trend of some first-time buyers taking a pause for breath."

Whether it's seeking out a Christmas market, or jetting off for some sun, a holiday in the colder months can be a great way to get through the winter blues.

Surprisingly, Expedia has found dates around Valentine's Day offer the best flight deals for a winter getaway.

Flights between 12 and 14 February 2025 were found to be the cheapest, it said.

The most expensive were between 16 and 19 December.

For hotel stays, people have been told to target 8 or 15 January 2025, when average daily rates are almost £40 cheaper per night than the seasonal average.

This year, Britons are opting for more affordable and lesser-known locations, the travel company has found.

In its latest report, it discovered Strasbourg in France had seen the biggest jump in holiday interest, with hotel searches growing by 670% since last year.

Gothenburg in Sweden and Poznan in Poland were also big hitters, with searches for accommodation in the cities up 660% and 360% respectively.

Here's a list of the other trending destinations:

• Zurich, Switzerland (+275%)
• Tromso, Norway (+270%)
• Bruges, Belgium (+255%)
• Agadir, Morocco (+245%)
• Bucharest, Romania (+240%)
• Budapest, Hungary (+235%)
• Langkawi, Malaysia (+230%)

Despite this, there are still some firm favourites based on search data, and London has been found to be the most popular.

Here's a list of the top 10 most popular winter destinations:

1. London
2. New York
3. Edinburgh
4. Paris
5. Dubai
6. Amsterdam
7. Manchester
8. York
9. Bath
10. Reykjavik

Restaurant chains could be "ripping parents off" by serving "ready meals" and processed food to children, according to a study.

Food and farming charity The Soil Association found meals are "rarely" being prepared and cooked on site using fresh ingredients.

Some restaurants including Bella Italia, Prezzo and TGI Fridays were simply warming up pasta sauces, it said, following a study which involved using secret diners and surveying restaurants directly.

Its annual Out To Lunch restaurant league table found an "abundance of unhealthy options, excessively sugary desserts, problematic additives, plus ultra-processed and low-welfare meat" at some of the most popular chains.

Pizza restaurant Franco Manca was bottom of the table, with the charity criticising a lack of vegetables on the children's menu, as well as its failure to reveal how its food is prepared or what its sourcing policies are.

In contrast, Wahaca received the best rating - children's meals were mostly prepared on site using fresh ingredients while being less pricey than other chains offering reheated meals.

Only Wagamama, Nando's and Leon offered children's menus free from artificially sweetened and added sugar drinks, the Soil Association said.

A Bella Italia spokesperson told Money: "We're proud to offer a wide range of delicious children's meal options, including freshly prepared pasta and pizza, alongside fresh fruit and vegetables.

"Anysauces made by our excellent suppliers are done so to our own recipe."

They also said their menu featured "both smaller and larger portion sizes to suit every child".

Money has contacted Prezzo, TGI Fridays and Franco Manca for comment.

By signing up for a free Lidl Plus account, you can grab £65 off a Jet2 holiday.

And your savings could be even higher if you stack this with the company's Black Friday discounts, Which? has found.

The airline is offering reductions of £100 per person on some holidays.

Here's a quick guide to booking a cheaper holiday with this hack:

1. Download theLidl Plus appand sign up for your free account;
2. Click "partner offers" and select the £65 off Jet2 Holidays deal;
3. Click "redeem this offer" to reveal your discount code;
4. On theJet2 Holidays websitemake sure to sign in, or register for an account to get access to Black Friday deals;
5. Click "see offers" across the top of the site offering Black Friday deals and select the £100 off per person offer;
6. Select the departure airports, destinations, number of travellers and nights and add the holiday you'd like to your basket;
7. Fill out all the passenger information and confirm your booking details and billing address;
8. Add your Lidl discount code on the final page, right before paying.

Lidl's £65 off deal is available until 19 December 2024 on all holidays departing from now until 31 March 2026, while Jet2's Black Friday deal is valid until November 2026.