Daily Express Wednesday, April 8, 2020 33By Harvey Jones count if you live alone or with
someone who has severe mental
impairment such as dementia.
You can do little about the 15p
NHS prescription hike to £9.15,
the £3 TV licence increase to
£157.50, or the inflation-busting
rise in stamps, with first class ris-
ing almost 9 per cent to 76p.
Last week, the Financial
Conduct Authority stepped in to
stop banks from ramping up fees
on arranged overdrafts to a
punitive 40 per cent from
Monday April 6, the first day of
the financial year.
Banks must now charge zero
interest on all existing overdrafts
up to £500 for 90 days in a move
that comes into force tomorrow,
along with a temporary payment
freeze on loans and credit cards.
Which? head of money Gareth
Shaw warned customers could
still end up in hardship if they
immediately revert to their origi-
nal overdraft rate at the end of
the holiday period.
Hargreaves Lansdown per-
sonal finance analyst Sarah Coles
said check what measures your
bank has taken before halting
debt repayments.Ernest Doku, broadband expert
at Uswitch.com, said seven mil-
lion out-of-contract broadband
customers pay £38 a month on
average, £10 more than those
still within their deal: “Reports
that consumers cannot switch as
engineers are banned from enter-
ing homes can be misleading as
many installations now take
place without an engineer.”
Mobile phone suppliers may
only hike mid-contract charges
by inflation, but Three and O2
chose the higher retail price
index figure of 2.70 per cent,
compared to BT’s 1.30 per cent.
Users face hefty penalties for
switching if still in contract. If
unhappy, make a note to move
on when yours expires.
Council tax increases of up to
15 per cent came into force on
April 1. What you pay depends
on your local authority, the aver-
age increase is around 4 per cent.
The Government has set up a
£500 million Covid-19 hardship
fund to support the economically
vulnerable. Remember to claim
the 25 per cent single-person dis-AS the economy crashes and
millions are furloughed or lose
their jobs, many companies are
still pushing ahead with price
hikes for everyday services that
come into force this month.
Lockdown Britain now faces
paying more for motor insur-
ance, mobile phones, digital TV
and broadband, as well as coun-
cil tax, stamps, NHS prescrip-
tions and TV licences.
April’s annual increases will
add to the stress at this difficult
time, so you should look to drive
down the cost.
Motor premiums are accelerat-
ing during the pandemic, even as
millions of cars sit on driveways.
The average motor premium is
up 5.5 per cent to £829 in a year,
Consumer Intelligence said.
GoCompare founder Lee
Griffin says seven million drivers
lose out by automatically renew-
ing: “Shopping around could
save £256 a year.”
Nine major broadband and
mobile providers are increasing
charges in April, mostly by
inflation, but Sky Broadband
Essential customers face a 10 per
cent hike, up £2 a month to £22.
Price rises hit
just as the UK
feels the pinch
OFF TARGET: The delay to Bond film No Time To Die, starring Daniel Craig, has hit cinemas badlyPicture: PA9LVLW<RXU0RQH\RQOLQHDWZZZH[SUHVVFRXNPRQH\
(GLWHGE\+DUYH\-RQHV
<RXU0RQH\ HPDLO KDUYH\MRQHV#UHDFKSOFFRP
Is a recovery in sight as
stock markets shoot up?
INVESTORS are cautiously asking
whether the Covid-19 stock market
crash is beginning to bottom out,
after share prices rose strongly for
the second day in a row.
Some of the hardest hit shares
rose fastest, with Cineworld Group
jumping 44 per cent at one point, and
cruise operator Carnival rebounding
25 per cent.
Any recovery will come as a relief
to pension savers and may also
encourage investors to use this
year’s £20,000 tax-free Isa allowance,
available since Monday.
However, investment experts warn
that bear market rallies like this one
can be misleading, and may be
followed by another dip.
Markets climbed on hopes that the
coronavirus outbreak in Europe is
slowing, but The Share Centre’s
investment research analyst Helal
Miah said the “grim” economic newsis yet to come: “Markets should not
focus on the spread of the disease
but the devastation it is causing to
economies around the world.”
Miah recommended investors drip
feed money into the market,
spreading the risks with funds rather
than individual shares.
The FTSE 100 has now rallied since
dipping below 5,000 on March 23,
topping 5,750 at one point yesterday,
up 15 per cent from its low.
Rachel Winter, Killick & Co associate
investment director, said: “Markets
are reacting positively to potential
light at the end of the tunnel.”
AJ Bell investment director Russ
Mould said the sudden nature of the
downturn suggests the rebound
could be equally sharp. Be careful
though: “History suggests market
downturns are usually littered with
rallies that turn out to be no more
than vicious, bear-market traps.”New from Sunagor – The world's
most powerful binoculars.
Unique flagship Mega Zoom
binoculars from Sunagor can zoom
from 30 to a staggering 160 times
magnification making them the
world’s most powerful.
Incorporates BAK-4 prisms with
multi-coated optics for bright, ultra
long distance viewing.
Large 70mm objective lenses
complement the massive
magnification making binoculars
suitable for pursuits such as aircraft
spotting, distant wildlife and
astronomy etc.
Made in Japan of highest quality
BCF fully rubber-armoured one-
piece construction.
Centre focusing with one
eye-piece dioptre adjustment to
suit your own eyesight plus fold-down rubber eyecups for use with
spectacles.
Includes tripod adapter which
enables quick attachment to any tripod
if desired.
Complete with quality case, neck
strap, lens caps, polishing cloth and
10 year guarantee.This offer is provided to you by Trans-World Trading. Reg. 775811 Trans-World Trading, 24 Northways Parade, College Crescent, London, NW3 5DN.
For customer enquiries please call 0207 722 2976. Offer subject to availability. Please allow 14 days for delivery. If not fully satisfied, please return
within 14 days for a refund/replacement. *Calls cost 12p per minute from a BT landline plus network extras. Calls from other networks and mobiles
may cost more.Binoculars
SUNAGOR MEGA ZOOM
SHOPPRICE P&P QTY TOTAL
MEGA ZOOM BINOCULARS £279.99 £4.99£120 OFF
THE MRRP£ 279. 99
CALL US ON 0871 664 1467
I enclose a cheque for £ made payable to Trans-World Trading Offer DX602.
Please write your name and address on the back of your cheque.
Or please debit my... Visa MasterCard Maestro card
Card no Iss no (if Maestro)
Valid from Exp date Security codeMr Mrs Ms First name ............................................................................ Initials ...................................................
Surname ............................................................................ Address ...............................................................................................
Postcode .............................. Daytime tel no ..............................................................................................................................
Signature ....................................................................... ........................................................ Date ...................................................DAILY EXPRESS OFFER DX602, 24 NORTHWAYS PARADE, COLLEGE CRESCENT, LONDON, NW3 5DNOR VISIT SHOP.EXPRESS.CO.UK/SUNAGOR