Election 2019: The MSE Leaders' Debate

Q. How will you address the lack of affordable homes for both renters and buyers – and especially first-time buyers? What would your Government do that's not being done now? What would you do to stop people being ripped off by uncontrolled, fast-rising ground rents, and to help those who have already been trapped by the leasehold scandal?

Related MSE section: Mortgages & Homes

Q. What support would you provide to help and persuade consumers to live more sustainably? For example, what would you do to encourage cleaner vehicles and environmentally-friendly travel choices? Would you make solar panels financially beneficial for households? Would you follow the lead of other countries in adopting a plastic bottle deposit scheme?

Related MSE blog: 13 ways to use less plastic AND save cash

Q. What would you do for savers to help them get a decent return on their nest egg? Would you change the personal savings allowance? Would you bring back Help to Buy ISAs – which have more flexibility for many first-time buyers trying to save for a home than their Lifetime ISA replacement?

Related MSE section: Savings

Q. Visits from bailiffs and intimidating debt collection letters are leaving many people feeling helpless and even suicidal. Would you update the law to introduce independent regulation of bailiffs and make these outdated debt letters fit for the 21st century?

Special question submitted by Martin's Money & Mental Health Policy Institute.

Related MSE guide: Mental Health & Debt

Q. What are your plans for the national minimum wage and the national living wage? Would your party commit to a real living wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation? How would you protect the lower-paid self-employed – including those working in the gig economy? What is your view on zero-hours contracts?

Related MSE News story: 'Real living wage' to rise to £9 an hour

Q. The Government bailed out the banks during the financial crisis, but not the 100,000s of innocent victims of pre-crisis lending, many of whom had their mortgages sold by the Government to unregulated lenders. The regulator can't help the vast majority, who don't meet affordability rules introduced after the crisis and are now locked into hideous rates. Will your Government finally sit up and take responsibility, and what would you do to free them? Will you block any further sales of their mortgages to financiers that don’t offer any other mortgage products?

Related MSE blog: The Government must help mortgage prisoners now

Q. What would you do to maintain a suitable income for pensioners? Would you retain the triple lock? Would you push forward the long-awaited 'pensions dashboard' project to help savers plan for their retirement?

Related MSE section: Pensions

Q. Despite rising rail fares, many commuters are still finding that they face significant delays, cancellations and overcrowding – not to mention that ticketing is overly complicated and not up to speed with the available technology and new ways of working. What would you do to make sure rail travel is reliable and affordable?

Related MSE guide: Cheap Train Tickets

Q. This year, Wales brought in measures to help vulnerable consumers by standardising the 'SMI' council tax discount process. Now everyone in Wales has correct and consistent information on the discount and one backdating policy across all councils. Sadly, the same is not true elsewhere – would your party commit to helping eligible people claim this life-changing discount across the rest of Great Britain?

Related MSE guide: How to claim the 'severely mentally impaired' council tax discount

Q. There is a social care crisis in the UK and many things have been suggested to fix it. Will your party have the guts to actually do something about this, to make care affordable for those who need it – and if so, what?

Q. What would you do to help women born in the '50s, who are struggling as they weren't told in time that their state pensions would be delayed?

Related MSE guide: State Pension

Q. What are your plans for the future of student finance? If you're keeping the current system, will you rename 'student loans' a 'graduate contribution system'? Would you make sure that students and parents are explicitly aware of where there is an 'expected parental contribution' towards living costs – when the Government assumes they will plug the gap in finance left after the means-testing of maintenance loans?

Related MSE section: Students

AFFORDABLE HOMES INCLUDING LEASEHOLD ISSUES: How will you address the lack of affordable homes for both renters and buyers – and especially first-time buyers? What would your Government do that's not being done now? What would you do to stop people being ripped off by uncontrolled, fast-rising ground rents, and to help those who have already been trapped by the leasehold scandal?

GREEN LIVING FOR LESS: What support would you provide to help and persuade consumers to live more sustainably? For example, what would you do to encourage cleaner vehicles and environmentally-friendly travel choices? Would you make solar panels financially beneficial for households? Would you follow the lead of other countries in adopting a plastic bottle deposit scheme?

HELPING SAVERS GET A DECENT RETURN: What would you do for savers to help them get a decent return on their nest egg? Would you change the personal savings allowance? Would you bring back Help to Buy ISAs – which have more flexibility for many first-time buyers trying to save for a home than their Lifetime ISA replacement?

MENTAL HEALTH AND DEBT: Visits from bailiffs and intimidating debt collection letters are leaving many people feeling helpless and even suicidal. Would you update the law to introduce independent regulation of bailiffs and make these outdated debt letters fit for the 21st century?

Special question submitted by Martin's Money & Mental Health Policy Institute.

MINIMUM WAGE CHANGES: What are your plans for the national minimum wage and the national living wage? Would your party commit to a real living wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation? How would you protect the lower-paid self-employed – including those working in the gig economy? What is your view on zero-hours contracts?

MORTGAGE PRISONERS: The Government bailed out the banks during the financial crisis, but not the 100,000s of innocent victims of pre-crisis lending, many of whom had their mortgages sold by the Government to unregulated lenders. The regulator can't help the vast majority, who don't meet affordability rules introduced after the crisis and are now locked into hideous rates. Will your Government finally sit up and take responsibility, and what would you do to free them? Will you block any further sales of their mortgages to financiers that don’t offer any other mortgage products?

PENSIONERS' INCOME: What would you do to maintain a suitable income for pensioners? Would you retain the triple lock? Would you push forward the long-awaited 'pensions dashboard' project to help savers plan for their retirement?

RAIL FARES: Despite rising rail fares, many commuters are still finding that they face significant delays, cancellations and overcrowding – not to mention that ticketing is overly complicated and not up to speed with the available technology and new ways of working. What would you do to make sure rail travel is reliable and affordable?

'SEVERELY MENTALLY IMPAIRED' COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNT: This year, Wales brought in measures to help vulnerable consumers by standardising the 'SMI' council tax discount process. Now everyone in Wales has correct and consistent information on the discount and one backdating policy across all councils. Sadly, the same is not true elsewhere – would your party commit to helping eligible people claim this life-changing discount across the rest of Great Britain?

SOCIAL CARE: There is a social care crisis in the UK and many things have been suggested to fix it. Will your party have the guts to actually do something about this, to make care affordable for those who need it – and if so, what?

STATE PENSION INEQUALITY: What would you do to help women born in the '50s, who are struggling as they weren't told in time that their state pensions would be delayed?

THE FUTURE OF STUDENT FINANCE: What are your plans for the future of student finance? If you're keeping the current system, will you rename 'student loans' a 'graduate contribution system'? Would you make sure that students and parents are explicitly aware of where there is an 'expected parental contribution' towards living costs – when the Government assumes they will plug the gap in finance left after the means-testing of maintenance loans?

AFFORDABLE HOMES INCLUDING LEASEHOLD ISSUES: How will you address the lack of affordable homes for both renters and buyers – and especially first-time buyers? What would your Government do that's not being done now? What would you do to stop people being ripped off by uncontrolled, fast-rising ground rents, and to help those who have already been trapped by the leasehold scandal?

GREEN LIVING FOR LESS: What support would you provide to help and persuade consumers to live more sustainably? For example, what would you do to encourage cleaner vehicles and environmentally-friendly travel choices? Would you make solar panels financially beneficial for households? Would you follow the lead of other countries in adopting a plastic bottle deposit scheme?

HELPING SAVERS GET A DECENT RETURN: What would you do for savers to help them get a decent return on their nest egg? Would you change the personal savings allowance? Would you bring back Help to Buy ISAs – which have more flexibility for many first-time buyers trying to save for a home than their Lifetime ISA replacement?

MENTAL HEALTH AND DEBT: Visits from bailiffs and intimidating debt collection letters are leaving many people feeling helpless and even suicidal. Would you update the law to introduce independent regulation of bailiffs and make these outdated debt letters fit for the 21st century?

Special question submitted by Martin's Money & Mental Health Policy Institute.

MINIMUM WAGE CHANGES: What are your plans for the national minimum wage and the national living wage? Would your party commit to a real living wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation? How would you protect the lower-paid self-employed – including those working in the gig economy? What is your view on zero-hours contracts?

MORTGAGE PRISONERS: The Government bailed out the banks during the financial crisis, but not the 100,000s of innocent victims of pre-crisis lending, many of whom had their mortgages sold by the Government to unregulated lenders. The regulator can't help the vast majority, who don't meet affordability rules introduced after the crisis and are now locked into hideous rates. Will your Government finally sit up and take responsibility, and what would you do to free them? Will you block any further sales of their mortgages to financiers that don’t offer any other mortgage products?

PENSIONERS' INCOME: What would you do to maintain a suitable income for pensioners? Would you retain the triple lock? Would you push forward the long-awaited 'pensions dashboard' project to help savers plan for their retirement?

RAIL FARES: Despite rising rail fares, many commuters are still finding that they face significant delays, cancellations and overcrowding – not to mention that ticketing is overly complicated and not up to speed with the available technology and new ways of working. What would you do to make sure rail travel is reliable and affordable?

'SEVERELY MENTALLY IMPAIRED' COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNT: This year, Wales brought in measures to help vulnerable consumers by standardising the 'SMI' council tax discount process. Now everyone in Wales has correct and consistent information on the discount and one backdating policy across all councils. Sadly, the same is not true elsewhere – would your party commit to helping eligible people claim this life-changing discount across the rest of Great Britain?

SOCIAL CARE: There is a social care crisis in the UK and many things have been suggested to fix it. Will your party have the guts to actually do something about this, to make care affordable for those who need it – and if so, what?

STATE PENSION INEQUALITY: What would you do to help women born in the '50s, who are struggling as they weren't told in time that their state pensions would be delayed?

THE FUTURE OF STUDENT FINANCE: What are your plans for the future of student finance? If you're keeping the current system, will you rename 'student loans' a 'graduate contribution system'? Would you make sure that students and parents are explicitly aware of where there is an 'expected parental contribution' towards living costs – when the Government assumes they will plug the gap in finance left after the means-testing of maintenance loans?

AFFORDABLE HOMES INCLUDING LEASEHOLD ISSUES: How will you address the lack of affordable homes for both renters and buyers – and especially first-time buyers? What would your Government do that's not being done now? What would you do to stop people being ripped off by uncontrolled, fast-rising ground rents, and to help those who have already been trapped by the leasehold scandal?

GREEN LIVING FOR LESS: What support would you provide to help and persuade consumers to live more sustainably? For example, what would you do to encourage cleaner vehicles and environmentally-friendly travel choices? Would you make solar panels financially beneficial for households? Would you follow the lead of other countries in adopting a plastic bottle deposit scheme?

HELPING SAVERS GET A DECENT RETURN: What would you do for savers to help them get a decent return on their nest egg? Would you change the personal savings allowance? Would you bring back Help to Buy ISAs – which have more flexibility for many first-time buyers trying to save for a home than their Lifetime ISA replacement?

MENTAL HEALTH AND DEBT: Visits from bailiffs and intimidating debt collection letters are leaving many people feeling helpless and even suicidal. Would you update the law to introduce independent regulation of bailiffs and make these outdated debt letters fit for the 21st century?

Special question submitted by Martin's Money & Mental Health Policy Institute.

MINIMUM WAGE CHANGES: What are your plans for the national minimum wage and the national living wage? Would your party commit to a real living wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation? How would you protect the lower-paid self-employed – including those working in the gig economy? What is your view on zero-hours contracts?

MORTGAGE PRISONERS: The Government bailed out the banks during the financial crisis, but not the 100,000s of innocent victims of pre-crisis lending, many of whom had their mortgages sold by the Government to unregulated lenders. The regulator can't help the vast majority, who don't meet affordability rules introduced after the crisis and are now locked into hideous rates. Will your Government finally sit up and take responsibility, and what would you do to free them? Will you block any further sales of their mortgages to financiers that don’t offer any other mortgage products?

PENSIONERS' INCOME: What would you do to maintain a suitable income for pensioners? Would you retain the triple lock? Would you push forward the long-awaited 'pensions dashboard' project to help savers plan for their retirement?

RAIL FARES: Despite rising rail fares, many commuters are still finding that they face significant delays, cancellations and overcrowding – not to mention that ticketing is overly complicated and not up to speed with the available technology and new ways of working. What would you do to make sure rail travel is reliable and affordable?

'SEVERELY MENTALLY IMPAIRED' COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNT: This year, Wales brought in measures to help vulnerable consumers by standardising the 'SMI' council tax discount process. Now everyone in Wales has correct and consistent information on the discount and one backdating policy across all councils. Sadly, the same is not true elsewhere – would your party commit to helping eligible people claim this life-changing discount across the rest of Great Britain?

SOCIAL CARE: There is a social care crisis in the UK and many things have been suggested to fix it. Will your party have the guts to actually do something about this, to make care affordable for those who need it – and if so, what?

STATE PENSION INEQUALITY: What would you do to help women born in the '50s, who are struggling as they weren't told in time that their state pensions would be delayed?

THE FUTURE OF STUDENT FINANCE: What are your plans for the future of student finance? If you're keeping the current system, will you rename 'student loans' a 'graduate contribution system'? Would you make sure that students and parents are explicitly aware of where there is an 'expected parental contribution' towards living costs – when the Government assumes they will plug the gap in finance left after the means-testing of maintenance loans?

AFFORDABLE HOMES INCLUDING LEASEHOLD ISSUES: How will you address the lack of affordable homes for both renters and buyers – and especially first-time buyers? What would your Government do that's not being done now? What would you do to stop people being ripped off by uncontrolled, fast-rising ground rents, and to help those who have already been trapped by the leasehold scandal?

GREEN LIVING FOR LESS: What support would you provide to help and persuade consumers to live more sustainably? For example, what would you do to encourage cleaner vehicles and environmentally-friendly travel choices? Would you make solar panels financially beneficial for households? Would you follow the lead of other countries in adopting a plastic bottle deposit scheme?

HELPING SAVERS GET A DECENT RETURN: What would you do for savers to help them get a decent return on their nest egg? Would you change the personal savings allowance? Would you bring back Help to Buy ISAs – which have more flexibility for many first-time buyers trying to save for a home than their Lifetime ISA replacement?

MENTAL HEALTH AND DEBT: Visits from bailiffs and intimidating debt collection letters are leaving many people feeling helpless and even suicidal. Would you update the law to introduce independent regulation of bailiffs and make these outdated debt letters fit for the 21st century?

Special question submitted by Martin's Money & Mental Health Policy Institute.

MINIMUM WAGE CHANGES: What are your plans for the national minimum wage and the national living wage? Would your party commit to a real living wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation? How would you protect the lower-paid self-employed – including those working in the gig economy? What is your view on zero-hours contracts?

MORTGAGE PRISONERS: The Government bailed out the banks during the financial crisis, but not the 100,000s of innocent victims of pre-crisis lending, many of whom had their mortgages sold by the Government to unregulated lenders. The regulator can't help the vast majority, who don't meet affordability rules introduced after the crisis and are now locked into hideous rates. Will your Government finally sit up and take responsibility, and what would you do to free them? Will you block any further sales of their mortgages to financiers that don’t offer any other mortgage products?

PENSIONERS' INCOME: What would you do to maintain a suitable income for pensioners? Would you retain the triple lock? Would you push forward the long-awaited 'pensions dashboard' project to help savers plan for their retirement?

RAIL FARES: Despite rising rail fares, many commuters are still finding that they face significant delays, cancellations and overcrowding – not to mention that ticketing is overly complicated and not up to speed with the available technology and new ways of working. What would you do to make sure rail travel is reliable and affordable?

'SEVERELY MENTALLY IMPAIRED' COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNT: This year, Wales brought in measures to help vulnerable consumers by standardising the 'SMI' council tax discount process. Now everyone in Wales has correct and consistent information on the discount and one backdating policy across all councils. Sadly, the same is not true elsewhere – would your party commit to helping eligible people claim this life-changing discount across the rest of Great Britain?

SOCIAL CARE: There is a social care crisis in the UK and many things have been suggested to fix it. Will your party have the guts to actually do something about this, to make care affordable for those who need it – and if so, what?

STATE PENSION INEQUALITY: What would you do to help women born in the '50s, who are struggling as they weren't told in time that their state pensions would be delayed?

THE FUTURE OF STUDENT FINANCE: What are your plans for the future of student finance? If you're keeping the current system, will you rename 'student loans' a 'graduate contribution system'? Would you make sure that students and parents are explicitly aware of where there is an 'expected parental contribution' towards living costs – when the Government assumes they will plug the gap in finance left after the means-testing of maintenance loans?

AFFORDABLE HOMES INCLUDING LEASEHOLD ISSUES: How will you address the lack of affordable homes for both renters and buyers – and especially first-time buyers? What would your Government do that's not being done now? What would you do to stop people being ripped off by uncontrolled, fast-rising ground rents, and to help those who have already been trapped by the leasehold scandal?

GREEN LIVING FOR LESS: What support would you provide to help and persuade consumers to live more sustainably? For example, what would you do to encourage cleaner vehicles and environmentally-friendly travel choices? Would you make solar panels financially beneficial for households? Would you follow the lead of other countries in adopting a plastic bottle deposit scheme?

HELPING SAVERS GET A DECENT RETURN: What would you do for savers to help them get a decent return on their nest egg? Would you change the personal savings allowance? Would you bring back Help to Buy ISAs – which have more flexibility for many first-time buyers trying to save for a home than their Lifetime ISA replacement?

MENTAL HEALTH AND DEBT: Visits from bailiffs and intimidating debt collection letters are leaving many people feeling helpless and even suicidal. Would you update the law to introduce independent regulation of bailiffs and make these outdated debt letters fit for the 21st century?

Special question submitted by Martin's Money & Mental Health Policy Institute.

MINIMUM WAGE CHANGES: What are your plans for the national minimum wage and the national living wage? Would your party commit to a real living wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation? How would you protect the lower-paid self-employed – including those working in the gig economy? What is your view on zero-hours contracts?

MORTGAGE PRISONERS: The Government bailed out the banks during the financial crisis, but not the 100,000s of innocent victims of pre-crisis lending, many of whom had their mortgages sold by the Government to unregulated lenders. The regulator can't help the vast majority, who don't meet affordability rules introduced after the crisis and are now locked into hideous rates. Will your Government finally sit up and take responsibility, and what would you do to free them? Will you block any further sales of their mortgages to financiers that don’t offer any other mortgage products?

PENSIONERS' INCOME: What would you do to maintain a suitable income for pensioners? Would you retain the triple lock? Would you push forward the long-awaited 'pensions dashboard' project to help savers plan for their retirement?

RAIL FARES: Despite rising rail fares, many commuters are still finding that they face significant delays, cancellations and overcrowding – not to mention that ticketing is overly complicated and not up to speed with the available technology and new ways of working. What would you do to make sure rail travel is reliable and affordable?

'SEVERELY MENTALLY IMPAIRED' COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNT: This year, Wales brought in measures to help vulnerable consumers by standardising the 'SMI' council tax discount process. Now everyone in Wales has correct and consistent information on the discount and one backdating policy across all councils. Sadly, the same is not true elsewhere – would your party commit to helping eligible people claim this life-changing discount across the rest of Great Britain?

SOCIAL CARE: There is a social care crisis in the UK and many things have been suggested to fix it. Will your party have the guts to actually do something about this, to make care affordable for those who need it – and if so, what?

STATE PENSION INEQUALITY: What would you do to help women born in the '50s, who are struggling as they weren't told in time that their state pensions would be delayed?

THE FUTURE OF STUDENT FINANCE: What are your plans for the future of student finance? If you're keeping the current system, will you rename 'student loans' a 'graduate contribution system'? Would you make sure that students and parents are explicitly aware of where there is an 'expected parental contribution' towards living costs – when the Government assumes they will plug the gap in finance left after the means-testing of maintenance loans?

AFFORDABLE HOMES INCLUDING LEASEHOLD ISSUES: How will you address the lack of affordable homes for both renters and buyers – and especially first-time buyers? What would your Government do that's not being done now? What would you do to stop people being ripped off by uncontrolled, fast-rising ground rents, and to help those who have already been trapped by the leasehold scandal?

GREEN LIVING FOR LESS: What support would you provide to help and persuade consumers to live more sustainably? For example, what would you do to encourage cleaner vehicles and environmentally-friendly travel choices? Would you make solar panels financially beneficial for households? Would you follow the lead of other countries in adopting a plastic bottle deposit scheme?

HELPING SAVERS GET A DECENT RETURN: What would you do for savers to help them get a decent return on their nest egg? Would you change the personal savings allowance? Would you bring back Help to Buy ISAs – which have more flexibility for many first-time buyers trying to save for a home than their Lifetime ISA replacement?

MENTAL HEALTH AND DEBT: Visits from bailiffs and intimidating debt collection letters are leaving many people feeling helpless and even suicidal. Would you update the law to introduce independent regulation of bailiffs and make these outdated debt letters fit for the 21st century?

Special question submitted by Martin's Money & Mental Health Policy Institute.

MINIMUM WAGE CHANGES: What are your plans for the national minimum wage and the national living wage? Would your party commit to a real living wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation? How would you protect the lower-paid self-employed – including those working in the gig economy? What is your view on zero-hours contracts?

MORTGAGE PRISONERS: The Government bailed out the banks during the financial crisis, but not the 100,000s of innocent victims of pre-crisis lending, many of whom had their mortgages sold by the Government to unregulated lenders. The regulator can't help the vast majority, who don't meet affordability rules introduced after the crisis and are now locked into hideous rates. Will your Government finally sit up and take responsibility, and what would you do to free them? Will you block any further sales of their mortgages to financiers that don’t offer any other mortgage products?

PENSIONERS' INCOME: What would you do to maintain a suitable income for pensioners? Would you retain the triple lock? Would you push forward the long-awaited 'pensions dashboard' project to help savers plan for their retirement?

RAIL FARES: Despite rising rail fares, many commuters are still finding that they face significant delays, cancellations and overcrowding – not to mention that ticketing is overly complicated and not up to speed with the available technology and new ways of working. What would you do to make sure rail travel is reliable and affordable?

'SEVERELY MENTALLY IMPAIRED' COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNT: This year, Wales brought in measures to help vulnerable consumers by standardising the 'SMI' council tax discount process. Now everyone in Wales has correct and consistent information on the discount and one backdating policy across all councils. Sadly, the same is not true elsewhere – would your party commit to helping eligible people claim this life-changing discount across the rest of Great Britain?

SOCIAL CARE: There is a social care crisis in the UK and many things have been suggested to fix it. Will your party have the guts to actually do something about this, to make care affordable for those who need it – and if so, what?

STATE PENSION INEQUALITY: What would you do to help women born in the '50s, who are struggling as they weren't told in time that their state pensions would be delayed?

THE FUTURE OF STUDENT FINANCE: What are your plans for the future of student finance? If you're keeping the current system, will you rename 'student loans' a 'graduate contribution system'? Would you make sure that students and parents are explicitly aware of where there is an 'expected parental contribution' towards living costs – when the Government assumes they will plug the gap in finance left after the means-testing of maintenance loans?