Here To Help With Money UK

An unclaimed £10.6 million National Lottery jackpot is about to expire—and the winning ticket holder has just 14 days left to come forward. The winning ticket was purchased in the London Borough of Bexley for the Lotto draw on Saturday, 4 October 2025. It matched all six main numbers: 06, 08, 12, 33, 49, 59. However, nobody has yet claimed the prize of £10,633,323. **The deadline: 2 April 2026** Under National Lottery rules, players have exactly 180 days from the draw date to claim their winnings. After that, the money is forfeited. For this ticket, that means the deadline is **2 April 2026**—just two weeks away as of the article date (19 March 2026). To raise awareness, The National Lottery has launched a public appeal in Bexley, with teams taking to the streets to urge residents to check their old tickets. **What you should do if you bought a ticket** If you purchased a Lotto ticket in Bexley around early October 2025, now is the time to search thoroughly: - Check safe s...

If a tradesperson insists on cash payment, it's time to pause and think carefully. A BBC consumer expert has warned that paying in cash for work — whether it's a plumber, electrician, or builder — could leave you seriously out of pocket if things go wrong. **The Cash Payment Problem** Holly Hamilton, a consumer champion on BBC Morning Live, explained that while it's not your job to police whether someone pays tax, paying in cash creates a real problem for *you* if the work isn't done properly or you're unhappy with the results. Here's why: when you pay by card or bank transfer, you have legal protection. If something goes wrong, you can dispute the charge and get your money back. But with cash? That paper trail disappears, and so does your protection. Citizens Advice reported over 700 complaints per week last year about rogue traders — people who did substandard work or didn't finish the job. Without proof of payment, getting your money back becomes...

The retail sector is shrinking fast, and if you're a young person hoping to land your first job, this matters. New figures show there are now 383,000 fewer retail jobs in the UK than a decade ago – a worrying trend that could leave a generation struggling to get a foothold in the world of work. **What's happening?** According to the Office for National Statistics, there were just 2.8 million retail jobs in 2025. That's the lowest number on record. The British Retail Consortium has warned this could create a "jobless generation" of young people unable to find entry-level work. Retail has traditionally been the gateway into employment for school and university leavers. Jobs stacking shelves, working checkouts, or in customer service give teenagers and young adults their first wage, work experience, and references. Without them, many struggle to progress. **Why is this happening?** The squeeze comes from a perfect storm: online shopping booming, rising cos...

If you've been worried about your energy bills, there's fresh reason for concern. UK gas prices have spiked dramatically following strikes on Middle Eastern energy infrastructure, reaching levels not seen since the conflict began. **What's happened?** Fresh military strikes on Iran's natural gas facilities have sent global oil and gas markets into turmoil. Brent crude oil has jumped to $114 a barrel, while UK wholesale gas prices spiked over 25 per cent this morning to 175p per therm – compared to around 80p before the conflict started. That's more than double. The UK is particularly vulnerable because we import much of our gas as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Middle East. When global prices rise, British households feel it quickly. **What does this mean for your bills?** Energy suppliers typically fix their wholesale costs over time, so these price spikes don't always feed through to your bill immediately. However, if prices stay elevated, you...

If you're looking for a straightforward way to build savings while earning a decent return, Nationwide Building Society's Flex Regular Saver might be worth a closer look. The account offers a competitive interest rate of 6.5% on deposits of up to £200 per month over a 12-month term. In practical terms, that means if you save the maximum amount each month without touching it, you could earn around £84.50 in interest by the end of the year — assuming rates don't change. **Why regular savers matter** Nationwide's head of retail recently highlighted these accounts to MPs as a tool to help everyday Brits develop a savings habit. The beauty of regular savers is that they encourage you to set aside money consistently, rather than trying to save a lump sum all at once. Many savers are already using them to move money out of current accounts that pay little to no interest. Even building a modest savings buffer makes a real difference to your financial security. As Nati...

Hundreds of luxury properties are about to flood London's property market following the collapse of Market Financial Solutions (MFS), one of Britain's largest shadow banks. But what does this mean for everyday property buyers and the housing market? **What's happened?** A shadow bank is a financial institution that operates like a traditional bank but without the same strict regulation or safety nets. MFS has collapsed, and administrators are now selling off hundreds of mansions in prime London areas including Kensington, Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Mayfair. **Should you be worried?** If you're a homeowner or mortgage holder, this shouldn't directly affect you. However, it's a reminder of why financial regulation exists and why it matters. Shadow banks played a significant role in the 2008 financial crisis because they operated with less oversight than traditional high street banks. **What about the property market?** A sudden influx of luxury prope...