What happens when a relative dies and a subscription doesn’t get cancelled? We explain in our regular Money Problem feature, after a family discovered a service wasn’t cancelled for years when their dad died. Read this and the rest of today’s personal finance and consumer news below.
Tuesday 4 November 2025 10:01, UK
One of Spain’s biggest trade unions is calling for a substantial increase in the taxes paid by visitors to the Balearic Islands.
At the moment, Britons heading on holiday to Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca pay a charge that fluctuates based on how luxurious their accommodation is and the time of year they’re travelling.
During the high season from May to October, the tax stands at €4 (£3.50) per person, per night in five-star hotels, €3 in mid-range accommodation, €2 for budget stays and €1 in hostels. This is slashed by 75% in off-peak periods covering the rest of the year.
The Workers’ Commission has proposed hiking this tax to €15 (£13) per person, per night in July and August, which would substantially increase costs for tourists.
It would mean four adults staying at a luxury resort for two weeks pay €840 (£736) in taxes during the height of the summer, up from €224 (£196) at today’s rates.
According to the Workers’ Commission, the taxes haven’t done enough to tackle overcrowding and encourage tourists to book visits during quieter months of the year.
The proposal follows a summer of protests across Spain, Italy and Portugal, with campaigners claiming excess tourism is forcing locals out of affordable housing, raising the cost of living and making city centres unusable.
Sky News has reached out to the government of the Balearic Islands for its response.
Rachel Reeves has been laying the foundations for significant tax rises in a rare pre-budget speech from a chancellor.
Following the news conference, at which Reeves warned she would make the right decisions, not the popular ones, our political editor Beth Rigby asked if she stood by her promises not to raise taxes for working people.
The chancellor appear to prevaricate, saying she’d set out her measures on 26 November.
You can follow our coverage of this story in the Politics Hub…
Experts have told people to be more “savvy” after Experian announced a major overhaul of how it calculates credit scores.
Its credit score was previously on a scale of 0 to 999, but the scale will range between 0 and 1,250 from this month.
The terms “poor” and “very poor”, as well as the colour red, are being scrapped, and the bands will now be excellent, very good, good, fair and low.
The changes are good news for tenants as their rental payments will be taken into account for the first time.
“The new score better reflects how people actually manage money day-to-day,” Ronald Mitchell, director at Charwin Mortgages, told Newspage.
‘A mistake could cost you’
Justin Moy, managing director at Chelmsford-based EHF Mortgages, urged people to be more “savvy”.
“Rent paid may now be a factor in your score, along with your use of overdrafts and other essential utility bills or mobile phone costs,” he said.
“Ensuring all these facilities are set up on direct debit is crucial to keeping up to date with payments, and none fall through plain, silly sloppiness.
“A mistake could cost you more on your borrowing costs, not only for mortgages but other credit facilities.”
Even a small amount of poor money management could result in declined mortgages, he warned.
Over the past two years, we’ve helped readers get thousands back in refunds and outlined their rights in our Money Problem feature, published each Tuesday. You can WhatsApp us here or email moneyblog@sky.uk. Today’s problem is…
My father passed away in April 2022. My mother was formally diagnosed with dementia a few months later. After Dad passed I helped Mum take care of the lion’s share of admin and tried to simplify things in her life cognisant of her reduced capacity. One of the things was to cancel the Sky subscription as this was only ever for Dad to watch the football. In June this year Mum went into full time care and as her son, with full power of attorney, I went about mitigating all her outgoings as I didn’t want her to be paying out unnecessarily now that she was in full-time residential care where everything is covered. Here I unearthed a BT Sport subscription which my mum had been charged for in the past three years. I explained that there was no way my mother would be aware she had this service let alone would use it. We didn’t get any paper bills. BT is unwilling to waiver the charges other than initially offering a paltry £30 on compensation and then at a later date was prepared to offer a further £80, which I declined – this amounts to more than £1,000.
Barry
Thank you for your email, Barry – I was really sorry to read about what your family has gone through and your story illustrates the minefield that often awaits relatives when a loved one dies.
This is far too big a topic to cover in one post but it’s worth going over some basics that apply across the board (and Citizens Advice has a useful guide here).
When someone dies, the executor named in any will is responsible for sorting the deceased’s financial affairs. If there isn’t a will, an administrator will be appointed – usually a friend or relative.
There are a couple of mechanisms that can help.
There’s the government’s Tell Us Once scheme, which will notify multiple organisations:
Tell Us Once will also contact some public sector pension schemes and Veterans UK to cancel or update Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments.
Another mechanism is the Death Notification Service, which many major banks and building societies have signed up to and can help when dealing with multiple accounts.
You probably noticed that none of the above cover household bills and subscriptions – there are no shortcuts here other than contacting each organisation.
We have abbreviated your email above, but the key detail is that your mum was ultimately responsible for sorting your dad’s financial affairs – but, given she was just a few months from an official dementia diagnosis, she arguably wasn’t in a fit position to do so.
Had she been diagnosed at the time, it would have been possible to ask a court to replace her as executor and, with access to your father’s bank statements, you would no doubt have spotted the BT Sport subscription fee coming out each month.
Sadly, this wasn’t the case – and BT continued to legitimately charge for a service it was still providing.
Ultimately, it’s hard to pin blame on either side here. It’s an unfortunate case that was hard to avoid – though I would have been surprised if BT didn’t make some effort to help your family.
After I got in touch with them, they responded quickly – and it wasn’t long before they reached out to you.
Though the company maintained no errors were made on their part, they offered you a goodwill gesture that you told me you were happy with.
In a statement to me, BT said: “While the family had Sky, they were also accessing and paying BT for TNT Sports on their Sky box. 
“We have spoken to Barry who acknowledges that while the Sky TV service was cancelled, BT were never contacted to report a bereavement or request cancellation of the service. 
“Although there has been no BT error, we have offered a reimbursement of six months to acknowledge their experience.”
This feature is not intended as financial advice – the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute via:
Finally today… Hundreds of readers wrote in to share their stories of long-term sickness forcing them out of work after Money feature writer Brad Young looked into the trends driving the crisis.
He found health issues were striking down the workforce in something of a pincer movement: mental health problems at the start of their careers and musculoskeletal ones at the end, among others.
GPs, experts and people living with health conditions explained how this was due to anything but a “sick note culture”…
Some readers described how much they wish they could return to work…
“Having spent years doing 100‑hour weeks as a chef, I thought harder work meant better results. Then fibromyalgia and past injuries forced me to learn the body has a say. We’re not scroungers – I’d give anything to be well enough to work instead of scraping by.”
Luke Eckstein
“I’m long-term sick as I have a broken back, spinal nerve damage and live in terrible pain. I take prescribed opioids. Should I be punished for being unable to work? Most days I can’t even get out of bed. I am in pain all day, every day.”
Pauline
Others were frustrated with the NHS and government cuts…
“Having a long-term disease like rheumatoid arthritis, the daily struggles are hard. I have a very manual job. While the disease is debilitating, the hardest part to deal with is the incompetence of the NHS in making sure my medication is renewed on time. No meds = flare = off work.”
Mark
“I was off long-term sick due to constant bouts of pneumonia. Only when I had an operation on my nose, sinuses and throat was I not on long-term sick. Perhaps the NHS needs to expand its areas of investigation to get people back to work.”
Steve
“I have suffered with mental health problems for 28 years and still not had the therapy I need. Why is the government not funding mental health properly? They’re always cutting the services back. It’s now at breaking point.”
MGE
“I have a neurological condition – been out of work since 2013. I wanted to do some online courses that are free but DWP said if I’m well enough to do online courses, I’m well enough to work and would lose my benefits instantly. I’m not work fit at the moment but I’m trying to plan long-term.”
Stupb
More still took aim at employer attitudes…
“I myself am off long-term sick! I have tried to get back to work, but I find it hard with my disability to even get an interview or even get any notice from any employer. I’m also very limited in what I can actually do, so employers see my disability as that – a disability.”
Odders
“I’m currently unemployed and disabled. Why is it in 2025 companies are not good at employing people with disabilities when we want to work so bad?”
Ed
“Companies are now operating a system of if you aren’t able to stick the grind, then you are no use to them anymore.”
Terry
While the article focused on the two most statistically significant health conditions causing people to be off work long-term sick – mental health and musculoskeletal conditions – some readers wished to draw attention to other important health concerns.
“What about long COVID? Over two million people in the UK have it – clinics are closing, they’re being forgotten, left behind. Don’t you think they’d rather be fully able and working rather than suffering this extremely debilitating and never-ending virus?”
JMCM
And one reader let us know they’re making a big step in the right direction…
“I have brain cancer and have been off for 14 months after surgery! Back tomorrow!!”
Ali Lochrie
By Connor Sephton, news reporter
Bitcoin investors often rub their hands with glee when October comes along.
Historically, it’s one of the best months of the year – with the world’s biggest cryptocurrency surging by an average of 20%.
This seasonal pattern has become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy, with investors anticipating further rallies because that’s what’s happened in the past.
Enthusiasts were full of excitement as an event they call “Uptober” approached, but 2025’s proven to be a disappointment.
Coinglass data shows Bitcoin finished the month down 3.69%. While that might not seem like too steep a drop, it’s significant.
Until now, BTC hadn’t recorded an October loss in seven years. In fact, it’s so rare that this is only the third time it’s happened since 2013.
To make matters worse, the cryptocurrency has also fallen sharply from its recent all-time high of £96,000 set last month. At the time of writing, it’s trading at about £82,000 – down 15%.
The gloomy picture has left some traders anxious about what the rest of 2025 has in store, and doubtful of whether BTC will rebound.
Crypto analyst Nic Puckrin told Sky News that the market could end up going either way.
After Bitcoin suffered a 12.9% loss in October 2014, it rallied hard the following month – finishing November up 12.8%.
But things went from bad to worse after a 3.8% decline in October 2018… with a 36.5% slump the following month.
Nonetheless, Puckrin believes there are “encouraging” signs that BTC’s price rises aren’t over – but just on pause.
“Bitcoin hasn’t dipped below $100,000 (£76,250) since May 2025,” he said. “If that’s not a sign of resilience, I don’t know what is.”
According to Puckrin, some of the recent sell-offs are linked to broader economic developments – with the US government shutdown creating uncertainty, and doubts growing over whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates again in December.
However, the analyst insists he’s confident about this cryptocurrency’s long-term prospects.
“The case for Bitcoin is intact – the selling is just short-term noise,” he said.
With property prices climbing dramatically in recent years, strict loan-to-income multiples have made it harder to get on the housing ladder unless you have a substantial salary or a chunky deposit.
Typically, lenders allow consumers to borrow 4.5 times their annual earnings. For a Briton on an average income, this means they would be eligible for a mortgage of about £165,000, some way off the £273,000 a typical house costs in the UK.
HSBC has announced it will start allowing would-be homeowners to borrow up to 6.5 times their salaries, but it isn’t on offer to everyone.
Eligible customers will need to have a Premier account at the bank, which is only available to individuals who make more than £100,000 a year. The loan also needs to be below 90% of the property’s value.
Aaron Strutt, from mortgage broker Trinity Financial, says this made HSBC “more generous than virtually all of the other banks and building societies” out there.
“I am pretty sure this change will get HSBC a lot more business – especially as many applicants only need slightly more generous loan sizes to buy the properties they want,” he says.
“Affordability is clearly a huge issue in the mortgage and property markets. HSBC is trying to address this – mainly for higher earners at the moment.” 
For couples hoping to take advantage of this market-busting deal, at least one of them must have a six-figure salary, meaning their earnings can’t be combined to exceed £100,000.
Strutt warns “borrowers will really need to think carefully before they take on such a big income multiple” as they could feel the squeeze should interest rates rise.
He also doesn’t believe that many of HSBC’s rivals will follow suit, adding: “I can’t see many of the other big lenders coming out and offering 6.5 times salary on the back of this change – their risk departments would have to think long and hard before offering a similar income stretch deal.”
Knight Frank Finance’s managing partner Simon Gammon says: “This is the highest income multiple we’ve seen in years. It reflects both a more confident regulatory environment – following the FCA’s recent move to give lenders more flexibility – and HSBC’s clear appetite to grow market share after several years of subdued activity in the property market. 
“It’s a positive step that regulators hope will support home ownership and housebuilding, and it poses little threat to financial stability: banks remain constrained in how much lending they can do at these higher multiples. 
“The real question is how much this will translate into demand, given the continued uncertainty around potential tax changes in the upcoming budget.”
The government’s cold weather payments scheme is back and will be active until 31 March 2026.
It’s available across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not in Scotland.
How does it work?
Eligible households are paid £25 for each seven-day period where average temperatures in your local area are below 0C or forecast to be.
The cash is designed to help keep homes warm and subsidise the cost of things such as warm clothes and extra bedding.
You can check if temperatures in your postcode are going to fall below freezing through this official link.
Who gets cold weather payments?
Only people on certain types of income-related benefits receive it.
You’ll usually be eligible if you get pension credit.
For other benefits such as income support, jobseeker’s allowance and universal credit, eligibility may be determined based on whether you have a disability or a child under the age of five is living with you.
Entitlement doesn’t extend to people who receive personal independence payments.
Do I need to apply?  
The government says cold weather payments are distributed automatically if you’re eligible.
It’s worth contacting Jobcentre Plus if you have a baby, however, to make sure they’re aware your circumstances have changed.
Will this affect my other benefits?
Cold weather payments do not affect other benefits, and it’s important to note they’re separate from winter fuel payments.
Letters about winter fuel payments started to be sent to pensioners last week – and you can read more about who’s eligible for those in our guide here.
When you think of business class on a flight, your mind may wander to flutes of champagne before take-off, luxurious three-course meals and comfortable reclining seats.
But the low-cost carrier Wizz Air says it’s taking a slightly different approach in its push to make business travellers more comfortable.
The Hungarian airline has unveiled “Wizz Class”, which will allow passengers to sit on a row with an unoccupied middle seat – giving them a little extra room in the process.
Other perks include priority boarding, a carry-on bag allowance and guaranteed space in overhead bins.
Wizz Air says this new format is “designed to meet the demand of travellers seeking more space, comfort and a quicker exit from the aircraft”.
The company’s commercial officer Silvia Mosquera told Sky News: “The roll-out of Wizz Class follows feedback from our growing number of business travellers who value low-cost travel options and prefer additional space during the flight.”
A trial run is due to begin next month on flights departing from London, Rome, Warsaw, Bucharest and Budapest – but don’t expect a glass of fizz if you’re flying Wizz.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has claimed Rachel Reeves “hasn’t a rashers how to deliver growth” – and believes the UK economy is “doomed to fail” unless the chancellor “starts cutting insane taxes and stops trying to tax wealth”.
Speaking to Wilfred Frost on our new Mornings With Ridge And Frost programme, O’Leary was especially critical of the government’s plans to increase air passenger duty (APD) again from April – and argued this tax should be scrapped outside of the M25.
APD is a tax on flights from British airports – and it’s usually passed on to travellers in the form of higher fares. Rates vary based on how long a journey is.
O’Leary said: “The Treasury doesn’t get it. Having written to her last year – one, I didn’t get a reply from her, I got back a stupid letter from one of her Treasury ministers saying a £2 rise in APD is only a 1% rise on the average ticket price. The average ticket price of air travel is not £200 – it’s about £45 on Ryanair.”
O’Leary argued that “enormous growth” is available at underused airports including Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh – but their potential is being stifled by Reeves’ “crazy decision” to keep increasing APD.
“This increase should be reversed, she should abolish APD on the non-London airports,” he added. “It would be self-financing because I think the growth that we the airlines would deliver at those regional airports – the additional visitor spend, tourism spend – would far outweigh the reasonably small loss of APD.”
Even though he’s critical of the upcoming hike, O’Leary added: “In a bizarre way it’s probably good for Ryanair’s business –  because as people get more price sensitive, more and more of them will fly Ryanair.”
O’Leary’s interview came after Ryanair announced pre-tax profits of £2.6bn for the first half of this financial year – up 40% on the same period 12 months ago.
On an earnings call, he revealed his company is churning flight routes away from “high cost, uncompetitive markets” – and allocating spare capacity to regions and airports “who are abolishing environmental taxes or aviation taxes”.
Did you know?
You can get APD back if you cancel a flight – even non-refundable ones.
APD, a tax on airlines flying from UK airports which they pass on to passengers, isn’t collected by HMRC until after your flight, meaning if you don’t board, you shouldn’t have to pay.
There is no legal obligation for the airline to refund APD, but most say they will in their terms and conditions.
Be warned – some will charge an administration fee that can exceed the amount you are owed, so double-check it’s actually worth it before starting the process.
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