Welcome to the Money blog, Sky News’ consumer and personal finance hub. Today, we speak to Gala Bingo players who’ve been left “angry” and “disgusted” after a technical glitch led them to believe they had won thousands of pounds, and we report on another mass car recall in the UK.
Wednesday 13 August 2025 18:05, UK
Running the gauntlet to avoid MOT fees is costing drivers thousands of penalty points each year.
In what could be a sign that Britons are struggling with the cost of repairs, the number of people receiving points on their licences for driving unroadworthy vehicles jumped 52% between 2023 and 2024, a freedom of information request has revealed.
The data, collected by the RAC, shows 13,109 drivers were caught out last year compared to 8,614 in 2023.
“The steep increase in drivers receiving points on their licences for unroadworthy vehicles is a cause for alarm as it could indicate more drivers are running the gauntlet and driving unsafe vehicles – although it’s also possible more drivers are being caught by the police,” says RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader Nick Mullender.
Some regions of the UK saw a much bigger spike than others.
The largest rises were recorded in the East Midlands (87%) and central Scotland (50%).
More drivers in Greater London received penalty points for using unroadworthy vehicles than in any other part of the country – 1,765.
Whenever our comments box is switched on, the topic we hear more about than any other is pensions.
It’s a subject people young and old engage with – but the jargon can leave even the savviest Money blog reader scratching their heads.
Explained
Over the last few months, we’ve looked at the pros and cons of the two main options for getting your pension: drawdown and annuity…
One of the most common questions we are asked is why there are two kinds of state pension, depending on your age. Read the answer here…
We suggested at the top of this post that it isn’t just older readers who care about this topic. This post, on how much temporarily pausing your pension contributions could cost you in the long term, was popular…
Another useful post from last year (a few of the figures are slightly out of date, but all the principles still apply) is all the discounts or freebies available to pensioners…
Further reading
A few weeks ago we brought you an exclusive on how a common error by employers could leave women who go on maternity leave out of pocket in retirement…
And earlier this year, we looked at how 2.3 million people are missing out on extra money for their pensions.
A total of 56% of workers who are paying higher or additional rates of tax pay into a personal pension – but 46% of those people do not claim pension tax relief on their contributions, investment platform InvestEngine found.
Read more here…
Finally, it’s not something any of us want to think about, but making decisions now could be crucial to what happens to your pension when you die…
The average two-year fixed-rate mortgage has dipped below 5% for the first time since former prime minister Liz Truss’s mini-budget, new data has showed.
The interest rate charged on a typical two-year fixed homeowner mortgage now stands at 4.99%, according to Moneyfacts.
It marks the first time since 29 September 2022 that the rate is below 5%.
Ms Truss’s chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, announced a spending review in 2022, which included £45bn in unfunded tax cuts, and it caused turmoil in the UK financial markets.
Mortgage rates surged after the statement, with the average two-year fixed-rate mortgage hitting a peak of 6.65% in October that year.
Adam French, head of news at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, said the move was a “symbolic turning point”.
“While the cost of borrowing is still well above the rock-bottom rates of the years immediately preceding that fiscal event, this milestone shows lenders are competing more aggressively for business,” he said.
“However, while mortgage rates have followed the mood music set by successive cuts to the Bank of England base rate, homeowners and first-time buyers may have to wait longer for more substantial cuts.”
A major car manufacturer has issued a recall for around 72,000 cars because of a potential engine fire risk.
Stellantis has issued the recall for some Peugeot, Citroen, DS Automobile, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Fiat models.
It comes after the car giant told 120,000 Citroen owners in the UK to “immediately cease using their vehicle” over airbag safety issues earlier this month (we reported on the “chaotic” compensation process last week).
The new voluntary recall relates to an issue with “loosened nuts” affecting cars with a 1.2 litre petrol engine produced between 2023 and 2025.
Stellantis told Money the issue could lead to higher fuel consumption or, “in a worst-case scenario, to occurrences of fire in the engine”.
The manufacturer is in the process of reaching out to drivers and asking them to contact the dealer network to get the problem fixed.
There have been 11 reported cases of cars catching fire in France, AutoExpress reports.
A spokesperson for Stellantis told Money: “Having customer safety and satisfaction at the core of its values, Stellantis is voluntarily recalling an estimated 72,180 vehicles in the UK due to a potential issue with the high-pressure fuel pipe.”
Here’s a list of the cars affected:
The public needs to do more to stop the rise of shoplifting, according to a police and crime commissioner.
Matthew Barber, the Conservative commissioner for Thames Valley, has said he doesn’t expect the public to “be rugby tackling criminals”.
But he has called on shoppers to step up by shouting, trying to stop thieves from fleeing and reporting more crimes.
Barber made the comments at a Buckinghamshire Council meeting in June but they have only just been widely reported.
At the time, Barber said if people see shoplifting, they should call 999 and “ideally try and stop them leaving”.
“Don’t just stand there and watch, which a lot of people do, which frustrates me,” he added.
Clarifying the comments today following media reports, Barber said: “We all have personal responsibility to make our communities safer.”
He added: “At the very least, report the crime so the police have some chance of catching someone.
“What’s wrong with shouting: ‘stop thief’?
“Do we really want to live in a society where people turn a blind eye to crime?
“Because that’s about more than just policing.”
The cost of school uniforms can hit family finances hard – especially if you’re sending more than one child off to class every morning.
To get the most out of your money, it pays to buy early.
That’s why we’ve run through all the best deals and discounts you can get on school uniforms before the new academic year starts in September.
One of the best deals around this year is at Aldi, where parents can grab a special bundle for the frozen price of £5. Available in a choice of colours and sizes from 4-12 years, the bundle includes two polo shirts, a sweatshirt or cardigan and a choice of trousers, skirt or cargo shorts.
You can also find a 20% saving across the entire back to school range at M&S, but the deal is only available in store.
Prices in the sale start from £4.50 for a pack of two polo shirts, plus you can pick up school shoes as part of the offer.
Elsewhere, John Lewis has frozen its prices for the fourth year in a row, with cargo shorts starting from £7 and a three-pack of its polo shirts from £8.
The new school clothing range at Clarks includes skirts, trousers, shirts and jumpers designed for children aged 4-11 years, with prices starting at £12.
Over at Next, you can grab multipacks of five short sleeve shirts for between £23-£37, working out at £4.60 per shirt.
Matalan also offers a whole range of school clothing. It’s currently offering a £5 and under deal, which incudes stretchy trousers, scallop collar polo shirts and plimsolls and more.
For school shoes, Kickers has frozen the price of their school shoes for another year, though they are still in the pricer range at around the £50 mark.
Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s all ran exclusive offers on school uniforms which have since ended, but we’ll let you know if those deals return before the start of the new term.
Six ways to save money
Once you’ve got the new uniforms, half the battle is making sure they’re not instantly ruined – no one wants to fork out again for replacements.
Parenting coach Isobel Mary Champion has shared six tips for making them last longer, and for finding items on the cheap:
A tax on gifts before death is reportedly being considered to tighten up inheritance rules at this autumn’s budget.
It’s widely expected the government will have to increase taxes to plug a hole of around £40bn in the public finances.
The Treasury is said to be examining the possibility of a cap on gifts in order to raise money, according to an exclusive in The Guardian.
Under the current rules, gifts made seven years before someone dies are not subject to inheritance tax.
Gifts given three to seven years before death are taxed on a sliding scale – this is known as “taper relief”.
However, The Guardian says, citing sources familiar with the matter, a cap could be introduced on the amount of money, or the value of assets, that can be donated.
It adds that the Treasury is also looking at rules around the taper rate.
It goes without saying, we often hear reports about measures being considered before a budget. We won’t know until it’s announced whether they actually come into force, and the exact details.
‘I’m not the chancellor’
This morning on Sky News, the minister for policing and crime wouldn’t be drawn on the possibility of inheritance tax changes.
Dame Diana Johnson was asked by Breakfast presenter Wilfred Frost whether inheritance tax would rise.
In response, she said: “Well, I’m not the chancellor, and she’s obviously going to announce her budget in the autumn, and we’ll make her announcements then.”
But she defended any announcements Rachel Reeves may make on tax rises, saying they allowed the government to implement its policies.
Watch her speak below…
Free bus travel for under-22s in England could be crucial for unlocking economic growth, a group of MPs have told the government.
A report from the Transport Select Committee says it would improve young people’s access to “work and skills opportunities” and encourage long-term use of public transport.
It comes as the Bus Services Bill makes its way through parliament, backed by £1bn in government funding to improve access to routes across the UK.
What’s the current situation across the UK?
The number of bus journeys taken in England outside of London fell by 22% from 2009 to 2024, according to government figures.
Currently, under-22s in Scotland are offered free bus travel.
People aged 16-21 in Wales are entitled to a one-third discount on fares and, from next month, will be able to travel for £1 per journey.
By contrast, the report by MPs describes the current offering of bus discounts in England as “patchwork.”
Parts of England offer discounted or free bus travel for young people, and those who reach pension age are entitled to free bus travel as well.
Bus fares in England for all passengers are capped at £3 until March 2027.
Could better access to buses drive economic growth?
In the report, the select committee links bus transport to economic growth, saying: “A coherent national approach to ensure fair access across England is essential if the government is serious about driving economic growth, which depends on removing barriers to education, training, and employment for the next generation.”
“While the government’s Bus Services Bill contains positive ideas, the Transport Committee’s report says ministers should go further to get bums back on seats,” Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, who chairs the committee, adds.
The Department for Transport says the government is looking to protect routes and prevent local services from being scrapped, as it aims to reverse “decades of decline” and “put passengers at the heart of services”.
By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, business and economics reporter
Fewer people booked a TUI holiday this summer, the company told investors today.
It said heatwaves in the UK and global conflicts accounted for the drop in bookings.
While bookings were down 2% compared to the same three months to August last year, last-minute trips meant the average holiday became 3% more expensive.
In January, Europe’s largest airline, Ryanair, said it had also seen people booking closer to departure time.
Looking forward to winter, TUI said it had seen a “positive start” to bookings.
Shoe chain faces shortfall worth £2.5m
Also updating the market today was high street retailer Shoe Zone, which added its name to the chorus of businesses painting a bleak picture of the UK economy.
Its profits are going to be £2.5m less than first thought due to “challenging trading conditions, principally a further weakening in consumer confidence”.
The company blamed the government’s October 2024 budget.
It said: “We have seen less discretionary spend, with the continued impact of inflation, interest rates and higher savings rates, all of which have decreased footfall, with a resultant reduction in revenue and profit.”
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