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Economic abuse law changes

A victim of economic abuse who owes nearly half a million, state pension increase for 200,000 women, excluded self-employed access support and lottery style savings accounts.

Earlier this week the Government announced that economic abuse will be a criminal offence under the Domestic Abuse Bill. The law previously only recognised abuse that took place within a relationship, not after separation. We hear one survivor's shocking tale - she was left with nearly half a million pounds of debt - and hear her reaction to the law change. Paul Lewis talks to barrister Dr Charlotte Proudman.

On Wednesday the DWP revealed that 200,000 women could be in line for payouts averaging 拢13,500 to compensate them for the underpayment of their state pensions going back decades. The DWP estimate the bill to be about 拢2.7bn. Paul talks to Sir Steve Webb, former Pensions Minister and current partner at Lane Clarke & Peacock who explains why some pensioners lost out and who is likely to benefit now.

The calculator Steve Webb mentions during the interview is available here - https://www.lcp.uk.com/is-your-state-pension-being-underpaid/

In the Budget the Chancellor confirmed that newly self-employed people who completed a tax return for 2019 to 2020 are now eligible for financial help. The group, which includes more than 600,000 people who became self-employed last year, were unable to access the first three instalments but they can now apply for the fourth Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant. Paul talks through the changes with Andy Chamberlain, Director of Policy at IPSE.

NatWest has become the latest high street bank/building society to launch a lottery-style savings account. With interest rates so low, is this the future? Rachel Springall, finance expert at moneyfacts.co.uk, explains

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Sowda Ali and Jonelle Awomoyi
Producer: Ben Carter
Editor: Rosamund Jones

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25 minutes

Last on

Sun 7 Mar 2021 21:00

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  • Sat 6 Mar 2021 12:03
  • Sun 7 Mar 2021 21:00

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