James Flanders

I have bylines across a variety of local and national publications which highlight my skills as both a reporter and commentator. I am available for commissions so get in touch.

MoneySavingExpert.com •

Martin Lewis: The BIG insurance rule change is coming - what you need to know before 1 Jan

Speaking during the fourth episode of this season’s The Martin Lewis Money Show on ITV, Martin told viewers: "This is the end of the loyalty premium. The end of price walking - the fact that if you automatically renew your insurance they will walk up the price year after year." The rule changes come into force on 1 January and from then vehicle and home insurance providers will have to charge new and existing customers the same amount upon renewal.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Covid: Lateral flow tests to replace PCRs for vaccinated travellers from October 24

Passengers will be able to book the lateral flow tests from Friday 22 October. Lateral flow tests provided by the NHS cannot be used for international travel. All vaccinated travellers arriving in England from a non red-list country will be able to order the cheaper lateral flow tests from a list of approved providers, which will be published by the Government on 22 October. We will update this story and add a link to the list once it is available.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Lloyds Bank wrongly declares customer DEAD, closing his account and cancelling all his direct debits

John Hill from Devon got in touch with MoneySavingExpert (MSE) after discovering his online bank account had been closed. He made the discovery after receiving various emails from his utility providers informing him that his direct debits had been cancelled. Mr Hill told MSE: "I immediately rang the bank but the automated system put my number through to the bereavement team.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Christmas supermarket delivery slots have opened but they are selling out fast - here's when and how to book

We've put together the table below to help you navigate the festive minefield when it comes to deliveries but a couple of quick points to bear in mind first: • The time and date of when you can place bookings varies considerably. • When your orders for Christmas will be delivered also varies, although most supermarkets will deliver up to and including Christmas Eve. • Not all shops release specific Christmas dates for orders; some will simply run their usual delivery services.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Sky customers will soon be able to watch TV without a satellite with the new 'Sky Glass' service - but the costs add up

The new TV, which will be available from 18 October, can be bought for an upfront fee or as a monthly subscription - but it isn't cheap. You'll also still need to take out a Sky TV package on top at the usual rates. Below we explain how it works and compare how much it costs. See our Digital TV Package Deals guide for help on how to pick the right deals for Sky, Virgin and TalkTalk.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Martin Lewis: If you need to call your bank, you can just dial 159

159 is a new scheme to check calls from banks are legitimate. When calling the 159 service, you'll be taken through to an option menu where the name of every bank that has signed up to the service is read aloud. You are then able to use your telephone keypad to be put through to your bank. The idea behind the scheme is to help those who believe they have been contacted by scammers claiming to be their bank, or by fraudsters who encourage them to transfer money.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Get tax credits or Tax-Free Childcare? You need to tell HMRC if your circumstances have changed post-Covid-19

Just over 1.4 million people receive tax credits. If you're no longer eligible to receive tax credits, other sources of Government help are available and you may be able to apply for Universal Credit instead. See our Universal Credit guide for the full breakdown. You might also be able to apply for Pension Credit if you and your partner are state pension age or over.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Tips will be guaranteed to go directly to hospitality staff under new laws

Once in force, if an employer breaks the new rules they can be taken to an employment tribunal where they can be forced to compensate workers and pay hefty fines. Workers will also be able to make a request for information relating to an employer’s tipping record, while a new code of conduct will be introduced setting out how tips should be distributed. According to the Government, the proposed move is set to help around 2 million people working in one of the 190,000 businesses.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Nectar card holders can now get personalised discounts when they shop using Sainsbury's 'scan and go' service in stores

For tips on how to boost loyalty scheme perks, visit our Loyalty Points Boosting guide. You can also read our Supermarket Shopping Tips guide for 27 tools and tricks to slash food bills. How the 'My Nectar Prices' scheme works Launched this week, 'My Nectar Prices' gives Sainsbury's shoppers who have a Nectar card, discounts on a selection of around 10 items, which have been picked based on their in-store shopping and spending habits.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Watch Martin Lewis's energy bills crisis emergency help video as prices soar

You can turn on subtitles by selecting the keyboard image at the bottom right of the video. Martin's latest video comes as energy prices continue to soar. He explained: "Energy bills have risen to an unprecedented level. We've never seen anything like what's happening right now... wholesale prices – those energy firms pay – have gone up... and that's going to feed into domestic prices. So this isn't a video, I'm afraid, about cutting your bills and making them lower.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Latest coronavirus 'traffic light' travel update due next week

It's expected that the Department for Transport (DfT) will make an announcement on Wednesday (15 September) or Thursday (16 September) for those returning to England. While this has yet to be officially confirmed, until now the UK Government has updated its traffic light system every three weeks – usually on a Wednesday or a Thursday with the changes typically coming into force the following Sunday or Monday.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

National Insurance contributions to rise by 1.25% from April 2022 to fund social care costs

Funds raised from the levy will be ring-fenced to help pay for the NHS and care costs The Government says funds raised by these tax increases will be legally ring-fenced to help the NHS clear backlogs, as well as resolving long-standing issues around care costs. In addition, the Government has confirmed that from October 2023, anyone in England with assets under £20,000 will have their care costs fully covered by the state.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Plusnet customers to lose certain YouView TV channels and services from 1 November - but you can cancel penalty-free now

Plusnet customers to lose certain YouView TV channels and services from 1 November - but you can cancel penalty-free now Thousands of Plusnet customers who have its YouView TV box will lose access to certain channels and features, including BT Sport, from 1 November as the provider is scrapping the service. But those who wish to cancel their TV and broadband contracts now, ahead of the shake-up, can do so penalty-free.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

AXA scraps own-brand travel insurance policies for new customers - but existing holders remain covered until their deal expires

The insurer says customers who've already purchased annual and single-trip policies won't be affected and cover will continue as planned until expiry. This applies regardless of whether you took out your policy directly via AXA or through a comparison site or third party. Once your cover ends you'll no longer be able to renew it with AXA. AXA says it will contact all affected customers and will advise them to visit the British Insurance Brokers’ Association website where a broker can help them.
MoneySavingExpert.com •

Rail passengers can now get live updates via WhatsApp - and some who sign up can get a free coffee too

You can access the new service by planning your train journey using the National Rail Enquiries website and clicking on the ‘Keep me updated by WhatsApp’ link. The WhatsApp service is free to use and you don't need to book tickets via National Rail to qualify. You also don't need to give National Rail your phone number - it will sync with your WhatsApp when you sign-up.
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