Rosie Hamilton

Senior Writer

Rosie Hamilton is a Senior Writer on the MSE Money Features team. She looks after all our content related to benefits, reclaim rights, pensions, work-related rights and childcare.

Before joining MSE in 2021, Rosie was the Head of Communications at an estate agent comparison site. She has degrees from the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Her commentary and writing have been featured on BBC News, the Daily Mail and the LSE Review of Books, among many others. She's appeared as an expert commentator on BBC Hereford & Worcester, West FM and at the University of DeMontfort Business School.

When she's not researching or writing, Rosie likes to spend her spare time hiking and scouring Vinted. She also volunteers for the MSE Charity.

Latest from Rosie Hamilton

If you pay a monthly fee for your bank account, you may be able to reclaim £100s or even £1,000s, as many of these accounts were systemically mis-sold. Here we explain, step by step, how to reclaim packaged account fees – and we have a free online tool to help you (or free template letters to do it yourself).

17 February 2026

Section 75 is your secret financial superhero – buy something costing more than £100 and less than £30,000 on your credit card, and your card company has a LEGAL responsibility to come to the rescue if there's a problem. So if something you've paid for has turned up broken or faulty, or perhaps didn't arrive at all, you may be able to get your money back through a Section 75 claim. And we've a free tool to make it easy.

12 January 2026

Bridging loans are a way to borrow a large amount of money for a short amount of time. They're most commonly used to 'bridge the gap' when buying property – for example, if you need to complete on a purchase before you've sold your current home. While they can be useful, they're high risk if things don't work out. This short guide tells you how these bridging loans work and what you need to watch out for.

17 December 2025

Turning your property into your dream home can be equal parts exciting and expensive. Luckily there are ways to help support your renovation dreams, even if you don't have the cash upfront. This guide looks at the pros and cons of home improvement loans, alongside some of the alternatives.

12 December 2025

Whether you're buying your first car or replacing an on-the-blink laptop, a loan may seem like a good way to borrow the funds needed. But accessing one can be difficult for many younger people, plus it's a big commitment. In this guide we talk you through the main types of loans that may be available, their pros and cons, plus alternatives to consider.

12 December 2025

An ever-growing number of retailers now encourage customers to pay via PayPal, but if you're doing it on a credit card – for items that cost more than £100 – you could be missing out on valuable extra protection. That's because using PayPal, as well as other 'new forms' of payment like buy now, pay later, can scupper your Section 75 rights. This short guide runs through how to make sure you don’t lose out when shopping online.

9 December 2025

Stone exterior of Supreme Court building in London

7 October 2025

When you put your money into a current account or savings, it doesn't just sit there. Ethical banking allows you to have a say in how your money is used and to support causes important to you. However, there are still limited ethical banking options in the UK, and banks rarely offer a current account option. This guide covers what ethical banking is and what accounts are available in the UK.

2 October 2025

With the wealth of options available, finding and setting up the right bank account – whether it's your first or you're switching – can seem like a challenging task. In this guide, we go through the basics of what each type of account does and the process of applying or switching.

1 October 2025

Image shows three young children - all girls - in a brightly lit classroom eating breakfast and lunch items including fruit a sandwich.

If you're on certain benefits, including Universal Credit, your child may be able to get free school meals during term time – as well as free support during the school holidays. This guide covers who's eligible, what you'll get, and how to apply. Crucially, you may need to apply for free school meals every year.

23 September 2025

Should I switch to Universal Credit from Tax Credits or Income Support?

More than two million people remain on 'legacy benefits' including Tax Credits and income support. But, by the end of 2025, most will have switched over to the Universal Credit (UC) system – the one-stop-shop benefit that's replacing them – but changes to the UC system mean some will be better off if they switch now.

1 September 2025

Making sure you have the right insurance in place when you move home can give you peace of mind during a stressful and expensive time. This guide talks you through what insurance you'll need, and what additional cover you might want to consider, to ensure you're protected from exchange to the day you move in.

29 July 2025

If you're earning, you'll get tax relief on pension contributions – meaning you get extra money for free on top of the amount you're contributing. But if you're a higher or additional rate taxpayer, you might need to CLAIM the tax relief you're due – sometimes worth £1,000s. Around £1.3 billion of pension tax relief was unclaimed in the five years to 2022.

10 July 2025

30 June 2025

If you're thinking about making a claim on your home insurance, chances are something big has gone wrong, and you're already feeling pretty stressed. Luckily, most insurers have a very simple process to make sure you get the financial support you need, as soon as possible.

28 May 2025

Personal independence payment (known as PIP) provides non-means-tested help if you're aged 16 to 66 and have a health condition that makes everyday tasks difficult. It can be worth up to £9,500 a year as well as being a gateway to other forms of help – yet PIP often goes unclaimed with 100,000s thought to be missing out. Here's what you need to know.

7 April 2025