In March, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Chancellor was rightly lauded for putting together decades' worth of financial support measures in days. Millions of people, then and since, have had their incomes covered in a desperate time. Yet that has created a society of the helped and helped-nots. Up to three million people have been excluded from specific support schemes.

Update September 2017: It’s eight years since I first braved this subject, expecting a snowstorm of protest. Instead, year after year more join in, like Julia who recently tweeted me, “@MartinSLewis, finally took your advice and told my family I can’t afford Christmas presents. What a weight off my mind. Thank you.” One year even the Archbishop of...

Behavioural economics is a powerful science. Some retailers are undoubtedly using it to make us pay more to get less. One element is the 'decoy effect' – where a higher-priced item is sold, to make items next to it look like bargains. So I wanted to do a little experiment to test it.

In 2016, I founded the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute charity. It very quickly established itself as the go-to institute for trying to divorce the marriage made in hell that is debt and mental health issues.  

We've just agreed the final payments for my Coronavirus Poverty Emergency Fund. The total distributed is £3,414,143 to 415 small local charities (or organisations with charitable status). That's an average of over £8,000 per charity. For transparency, I want to run through how we organised, selected the charities, and where the money has gone. I hope this may also help others planning similar things in future.

We face an unprecedented challenge to our health, economy, businesses, personal finance and way of life. And many of those who normally help society – our charities – are going to face similar pressures right now too. 

Financial and economic abuse are often a prelude to domestic violence. Raising awareness is important. It helps those facing it realise they're not alone and help is available. Plus, it means friends and family may be able to spot the signs. Karen wrote to us, having read my Financial Abuse blog (which includes help links and explanations).

Sitting next to my desk are a raft of copies of my old book The Money Diet. I just picked it up, at the start of the New Year, as a minor trip down memory lane. And I turned to one of the musings I'd jotted down in the book – bringing back bittersweet memories. It says…