2022

Free lateral flow tests in Wales will continue to be available for people showing Covid symptoms up until 31 July. An extension to the scheme comes after a surge in coronavirus cases in Wales with one in 45 people testing positive, according to the Office for National Statistics.  

Private car park operators in England, Scotland and Wales will no longer be able to issue parking tickets above £50 in the majority of circumstances, under new rules set out by the Government. The move will cut the value of tickets in half and also push operators to better display pricing policies and their terms and conditions.

Time is running out to check down the back of your sofa for any soon-to-be-discontinued paper £20 and £50 notes. There are only 100 days left before they become invalid but the latest figures from the Bank of England show there are almost £15 billion-worth of notes still around. 

Barclays has announced another round of bank branch closures, with 15 more outlets set to shut by the end of the year. The latest closures mean Barclays will close 55 branches by the end of the year. Below we list the branches disappearing and what the alternatives are if you still want face-to-face banking. 

Energy suppliers have massively hiked the early exit fees on their cheapest fixed deals amid the current energy crisis. You could be charged up to a staggering £600 to leave a fixed deal early, so if you're thinking of fixing your energy right now, make sure you check the exit penalties before signing up as getting it wrong could be costly. 

If you've been rejected from borrowing you may be able to get a one-off interest-free loan from a credit union or alternative lender from September. A new Government-backed pilot scheme is designed to help people struggling to borrow, and will lend anything from £100 to £2,000. You can't apply directly but read on to find out how the scheme works.

Mobile and broadband customers should find it easier to cancel penalty-free if their provider makes detrimental mid-contract changes that were not agreed to when they first signed up to the plan. 

Paramount has launched a new streaming service, Paramount+. From today (22 June), users can stream TV programmes and films for £6.99 a month or for £69.90 a year after a seven-day free trial. Here’s how it compares to other streaming services, including Apple+ and Netflix.

The Bank of England has increased base rates to 1.25% from 1% after the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted in favour of a rise. The base rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money – and influences what borrowers pay and savers earn.

Tesco Mobile is to start charging pay-monthly users who joined or upgraded from 16 June to use their mobiles in Europe from 1 January 2023. These customers will have to pay extra to make calls, send texts and use data in 48 European countries and destinations.