Ichslta: Your money in Britain, without the small print.
Income tax
Why more people pay higher-rate tax each year, even when their pay barely moves
The tax-free Personal Allowance and the 40% threshold have been frozen since April 2021 and will stay frozen until April 2031. Every pay rise now pushes more income into tax, and more earners over £50,270. Here is how fiscal drag works and what it means for a typical salary.
Savings & investments
What the Premium Bonds prize rate does and does not tell you about your return
The prize fund rate is 4.35% from the September 2026 draw, with odds of 21,000 to 1 per £1 bond. Prizes are tax-free; most holdings win less than the headline rate.
Income tax
The HMRC letter that can mean you paid too much tax last year
P800 calculations go out between June and March. A refund claimed online is paid within 5 working days; a shortfall under £3,000 is usually collected through your tax code.
Household bills
The 25% council tax discount for living alone, and when your band is worth a second look
One adult living alone gets 25% off the bill, and students, some carers and others are not counted. Bands rest on 1991 values in England.
Income tax
Why the first £7,500 from a lodger can be tax-free
Rent a Room relief covers up to £7,500 a year of income from a lodger in your own home, or £3,750 each if the income is shared.
Savings & investments
How much of your savings is protected if a bank fails, and the shared-licence catch
FSCS protection rose to £120,000 per person per firm in December 2025. Brands that share a banking licence share that one limit.
7.7 million
higher-rate Income Tax payers projected for 2026/27, up from 5.76 million in 2023/24. The 40% threshold has stood at £50,270 since April 2021 and is set to stay there until April 2031.
Source: HMRC, Income Tax liabilities statistics, July 2026 · Why it keeps rising
Family money
How the family home and the seven-year rule shape what your children inherit
A home left to children can add £175,000 to the £325,000 threshold. Gifts usually fall out of the estate after seven years.
Household bills
Who receives the Warm Home Discount automatically this winter, and who has to call
The qualifying date for 2026/27 was 23 August 2026. Most eligible homes get the £150 off their electricity bill without applying.
Income tax
When a bit of extra income means a tax return, and when £1,000 keeps you out of one
Up to £1,000 of side income from trading, and £1,000 from property, can be covered by tax-free allowances. Above that, the deadlines matter.
Savings & investments
The £3,000 allowance that decides whether selling shares or a second home costs you tax
The CGT allowance has fallen from £12,300 to £3,000 since 2022/23. Gains above it are taxed at 18% or 24%.
Household bills
The cheaper broadband and water tariffs many households on benefits never hear about
Broadband social tariffs run from £10 to £24 a month for people on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and other benefits. Water companies have their own schemes.
£120,000
of savings protected per person, per authorised bank or building society, by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme since 1 December 2025, up from £85,000. Brands that share one banking licence share one limit.
Source: FSCS · The shared-licence catch
Family money
Why earning a few pounds over £204 a week can cost a carer the whole allowance
Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 a week. Earnings above £204 a week after deductions stop it entirely for that period.
Four sections, one household
4 articles
Income tax
Tax bands, tax codes, HMRC letters and the small allowances that decide whether you need a tax return, explained with the official figures for 2026/27.
3 articles
Savings & investments
Premium Bonds, savings accounts, deposit protection and Capital Gains Tax: how the rules treat the money you put aside, and what is guaranteed and what is not.
3 articles
Household bills
Council Tax, energy, broadband and water: the discounts and cheaper tariffs that exist for the bills every home pays, and who is entitled to them.
2 articles
Family money
Caring for someone, giving to children and grandchildren, and what happens to a home and savings when someone dies.
Free, every Friday
The Friday Sheet: one page on what changed for your money this week.
Tax, savings, bills and family money in the UK, with the official source for every figure. Nothing to buy.
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