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BBC Radio 4's Money Box
Saturday 29 March
at 1204 GMT
On Radio 4 and Online
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There is more bad news for people already struggling to pay for their utilities, as increases in water bills come into effect next week.
The above inflation rises have prompted the water customers' watchdog, the Consumer Council for Water, to warn that the number of households facing "water poverty" is on the increase.
Bob Howard investigated and we asked Environment Minister, Phil Woolas if the government has anything planned to help those in difficulty.
Further information:
What are your chances of getting a mortgage as lenders get cautious?
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Mortgage bailout?
More lenders withdrew products and put up prices this week as the credit crunch bit deeper into the UK mortgage market.
The US Federal Reserve recently announced that it will make another $100bn available to mortgage lenders - on top
of $260bn already provided.
So, with a shortage of funds available for UK mortgage providers to borrow, to then lend to us, we asked Michael Coogan from the Council of Mortgage Lenders if the Bank of England should follow the American example.
Further information:
If you are on a low income but have some savings you could qualify
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Pension credit
Has the Department for Work and Pensions abandoned its target for getting more than 3 million households to claim pension credit?
It is half a million short at the moment and has made little progress for 3 years.
Sally West of Age Concern and Mike O'Brien, Pensions Minister, joined us to discuss the issue.
Further information:
The first banking code was introduced 16 years ago
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The banking code
A new banking code, which sets voluntary guidelines for how banks and building societies should treat their customers, comes into force on Monday 31 March.
It is the first for three years.
Even though the code gets longer and encompasses more, does it still have holes in it?
John Howard, chairman of the Financial Services Consumer Panel and Adrian Coles, director general of the Building Societies Association, gave us their views.
Further information:
Other news
Under draft regulations, people who lost their company pensions when their employer went out of business, and who qualify for help from the Financial Assistance Scheme, will be able to get payments up to five years before their scheme's normal retirement age if they need to retire early because of ill health.
BBC Radio 4's Money Box was broadcast on Saturday, 29 March 2008 at 1204 GMT.
The programme was repeated on Sunday, 30 March 2008 at 2102 BST.
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29 March 2008
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